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Photography 101, Or How to Take Better Photos
The document provides a comprehensive overview of essential photography techniques, emphasizing the importance of composition, lighting, and the use of angles. It offers practical tips on holding the camera, framing, and creating interest through various elements like lines, texture, and color. Additionally, it encourages consistent practice to improve skills and captures genuine emotions in portrait photography.
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Photography 101, Or How to Take Better Photos
- 1. PHOTOGRAPHY 101 or, howtto ( beter take otos) ph
- 2. Why do wetake pictures? think about it for a minute.
- 3. Basically, we take pictures: •to capture memories! • to tell stories! • to communicate with others! • to prove! • to relate! • to reveal! • to celebrate! • to protect! • to document! • to sell or advertise
- 4. Or, to simply improveas a photographer.
- 5. What is itabout the still image that captures our attention?
- 6. What ! makes a! good ! photo? ?????
- 7. What one thing ruinsmore pictures than anything else?
- 9. Hold your camera correctly. ! Usetwo hands to help prevent that blur. image credit: http://bit.ly/1gfVmHM
- 10. How to hold yourcamera Keep your elbows propped lightly against your torso for support. Place one foot half a pace ahead of the other to keep your upper body stable. Hold the camera as steady as possible. Lightly press the shutter button. Make sure the safety strap is around your wrist when using the camera, in case the camera slips out of your hands.!
- 11. Composition Is the pleasingarrangement of elements within a scene:! •the main subject! •the foreground and background! •the supporting subjects!
- 12. When taking pictures, ask yourself: Doyou have a clearly defined subject? What feeling are you trying to invoke? What story are you trying to tell within the frame?
- 13. Of course, rulescan be broken, but you have to know what they are before you do. !
- 14. Types of Shot Keepin mind that you can do a long shot, medium shot, close up and an extreme close up when taking pictures.
- 15. Focus Adjust the distancesetting on a lens to define the subject sharply. Basically, always try produce a sharp image.!
- 16. Centre of Interest Each pictureshould have only one principal idea, topic, or center of interest to which the viewer's eyes are attracted.
- 17. Centre of Interest A picturewithout a dominant center of interest or one with more than one dominant center of interest is puzzling to a viewer. ! ! The viewer becomes confused and wonders what the picture is all about.! ! When the picture has one, and only one, dominant "point of interest," the viewer quickly understands the picture.
- 18. Centre of Interest A photographerusually has many factors or elements that can be used and arranged within the picture area to draw or direct attention. ! ! Some of these elements are lines, shapes, human figures, tone, and texture.
- 19. Try to avoidplacing your subject in the middle of the frame. It makes the picture uninteresting to look at.
- 20. Rule of Thirds Thisis an easy way to create emphasis, balance and interest in your work.!
- 21. Rule of Thirds Dividethe picture area into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. Locate the center of interest at one of the intersections of the lines (marked in green). You can then create a feeling of balance to the composition
- 22. Rule of Thirds Canyou spot how the rule of thirds were used in the following examples? image credit: http://bit.ly/HtXJbz
- 27. Emphasis Connected to thecentre of interest and composition, is emphasis. Emphasis is the focal point in a composition. ! It is where one area stands out or draws the viewer's eye.! The photographer decides to do this through various techniques.
- 28. Emphasis This can bedone through framing, composition and by contrast.! A photographer can show emphasis through framing choice, whether he uses a vertical or horizontal format.! Or he might show emphasis by the placement of the subject, governed by the rule of thirds.
- 29. Angle/Viewpoint Various positions ofthe camera (high, medium, or low; and left, right, or straight on) can give a different viewpoint, perspective or visual effect.! ! The proper viewpoint or camera angle is an important factor in good composition. ! Repositioning your subject within the viewfinder frame and changing the camera viewpoint or camera angle are two simple ways of controlling composition.
- 30. Light & Shadows Lighting isan important creative element of composition. By controlling the light and directing it where you want it, you can subdue objects or distracting elements in the scene to give more emphasis to the main point of interest.
- 31. Light & Shadows Light andshadows can be used in composition to create mood, to draw attention to an area, to modify or distort shape, or to bring out form and texture in the subject.! ! Shadows are a key to apparent form in photographs. Without shadows, the subject records without form, curvature, or texture, appearing flat and lifeless. image credit: http://bit.ly/1cBDsyE
- 32. Framing Framing is atechnique photographers use to direct the viewer's attention to the main subject of a picture. ! ! Positioned around the subject, a tree, an archway, or even people, for example, can create a frame within the picture area. ! ! Subjects enclosed by a frame become separated from the rest of the picture and are emphasized. /1arGXpF it: http://bit.ly image cred
- 33. Framing Looking across abroad expanse of land or water at some object can make a rather dull uninteresting view. Moving back a few feet and framing the object between trees improves the composition. image credit: http://bit.ly/1ctp9Mu
- 34. Line Lines can givestructure to your photographs. They can unify composition by directing the viewer's eyes and attention to the main point of the picture or lead the eyes from one part of the picture to another. They can lead the eyes to infinity, divide the picture, and create patterns.
- 35. Line Through linear perspective,lines can lend a sense of depth to a photograph. Parallel lines appear to converge, creating the illusion of depth.
- 36. Line Vertical, diagonal, horizontal,and curved lines create different moods. Vertical lines communicate a sense of strength, rigidity, power, and solidarity to the viewer. ! ! On the other hand, horizontal lines represent peace, tranquillity, and quietness. ! ! Diagonal lines represent movement, action, and speed. A picture with diagonal lines conveys a feeling of dynamic action even when the subject is static.!
- 37. Pattern Patterns, both naturaland man-made, bring a sense of visual rhythm and harmony to photographs. ! ! Patterns appear whenever strong graphic elements (lines, colors, shapes, or forms) repeat themselves.
- 38. Pattern Creating your picturesaround repeating elements or patterns provides picture unity and structure. Pattern repetition creates rhythm that the eyes enjoy following. ! ! When lines, shapes, and colors within a picture occur in an orderly way (as in wallpaper), they create patterns that often enhance the attractiveness of photographs. !
- 39. Texture Texture is abouthow things feel to the touch. There are several different types of textures:! • rough! • smooth! • jagged! • soft! • shiny! • etc
- 40. Texture Textures can bringa tactile dimension to your photographs.! ! Framing is important, too, especially when you want to give texture a leading role.! ! Texture helps to emphasize the features and details in a photograph.! !
- 41. Contrast Contrast is usingelements that conflict with one another.! Contrast can create interest in a work, or direct the viewer's attention to a particular point of interest within the piece.! ! Some examples could be:! -Using complementary colours (opposite colours on a colour wheel)! -Value (light vs. dark)! -Size (large vs. small)! -Texture (smooth vs. rough)! -Age (old vs. new)! -Space (positive vs. negative)! -Line (thick vs. thin / long vs. short)! -Shape (organic vs. geometric)! -Subject matter (pleasure vs. pain)
- 42. Contrast Contrast is aneffective means of directing the viewer's attention to the center of interest. Positioning of subject elements to create contrast gives them added emphasis and directs the viewer's attention.
- 43. Balance The arrangements ofelements so that no one area overpowers.! Balance includes how all the elements are arranged to create stability in a piece of work.
- 44. Balance The subject placementwithin the picture area is the factor that must be carefully considered.! Composition is kept in balance by two different methods: symmetrical and asymmetrical.!
- 45. Symmetry Symmetry conveys balanceand proportion in photography. It is a form of pattern that illustrates spatial awareness, often through reflection and rotation. ! Using symmetry or asymmetry as an artistic tool allows one to fully explore different compositions. ! Reflections can be an example of this.! image credit: http://bit.ly/1b3GHs1
- 46. Colour Colour can helptell stories and it can be used to communicate on an emotional level. ! Colour can make a photo feel exciting, lively, or sad.! Colour may also simply be used as an element to focus on when taking photographs.
- 47. Rhythm/Movement Having a repetitionof elements in your photo, can produce the look and feel of movement. ! Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas.! Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.! image credit: http://bit.ly/1cBC3Im image credit: http://bit.ly/HH22Qj
- 48. Negative Space Using negativespace (or empty space), can give your photograph an entirely different feel. ! Negative space can add a stronger emphasis on the subject and evoke emotions or moods.!
- 49. Depth of Field Depthof Field is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. ! Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.! image credit: http://bit.ly/1cBEbjm
- 50.
- 51. When taking aportrait, don’t forget to try different angles. Also have your subject look down, or to the side for a few shots.
- 52. When taking aportrait, try to get your subject to move their eyeballs around. It will loosen them up and the photo result may be surprisingly good.
- 53. Try to capturecandid moments and emotion. ! Your photos will look more genuine.
- 54. Everyone has specialdetails about them: features, interests, likes & dislikes etc.! Why not try to capture them in photos?
- 55. Try profile pictures.They can often feel more dramatic. If so, get your subject in front of a simple background.
- 56. Get close forportrait photography, especially when taking photographs of children.
- 57. When taking aportrait of a baby, try a pic hanging them upside down. (Really, and yeah…provide them a gentle landing.)
- 58. Avoid busy backgrounds whenphotographing a person or object.
- 59. Try different crops.Try super close-ups to highlight someone’s eyes or smile. Try full body shots with a lot of negative space to highlight a pose or the environment.
- 60.
- 61. Try shooting yoursubject from a variety of viewpoints:! -from above! -at the same level! -looking up! -from various different angles
- 62. If you arephotographing a subject that has movement, don’t worry so much about composition. ! Instead, keep snapping away or you might miss a special moment. Technical corrections can be made later.
- 63. Avoid using flash.! It yields unnatural results most of the time.
- 64. Be aware ofyour light source, where the light is coming from and how strong it is.
- 65. It is usuallybest to shoot photos in morning and early evening sunlight, instead of harsh afternoon sun. ! ! Overcast and partly sunny days also make for good lighting.
- 66. Take vertical aswell as horizontal photographs of the same subject to see which best captures your subject.
- 67. Compose photos inwhich your focal point is not always in the dead center of the composition. ! ! Experiment with putting your subject matter in a corner of the composition or slightly off center.
- 68. Capture as muchlight as you can, especially if you are using a cheaper camera. Move or ask your subject to move to the best light source as possible.
- 69. If using acell phone camera, get close! Use your cropping skills to fill the frame and find the perfect angle.
- 70. Try experimenting withsome camera apps and effects.
- 71. Remember, make ita habit to take photos daily. The camera you use doesn’t matter, but the act of taking the photo does.! There is no better way to improve at photography than to simply do it and do it often.!
- 72.
- 74. Resources:! ! “Photo Craft” bySusan Tuttle & Christy Hydeck! “The Unforgettable Photograph” by George Lange with Scott Mowbray! “Creative Photography Lab” by Steve Sonheim! “A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book” by Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman! ! Basic Photographic Techniques http://photoinf.com/info.html
- 75. All photographs byFrank Curkovic unless otherwise noted.! ! *for educational purposes*! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported!