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Tips on
Photographing a Subject
1.
Preparation
Study the subject and
environment for a few minutes. Think about what you want to
say about it. Look at details, colors, shapes, lines. What
feature is most interesting to you? What is most striking
visually? Which areas stand out? Which areas are cluttered
and confusing?
2. Positioning
Yourself
You can choose to
shoot the picture from:
- A LOW angle, below
eye-level. Try looking at the subject from a kneeling
position or while lying on the floor.
- A HIGH angle,
above eye-level. Can you stand on a ladder, chair or step
stool to shoot your subject from above?
- At EYE-LEVEL, the
normal view, looking at the subject straight on. Often
this is the best view because it is so straightforward
and direct.
- NEAR the subject
or FAR AWAY. In most cases you will want to get fairly
close. But if you are too close, the picture may be out
of focus.
3. Lighting
If you are outdoors or
in a bright, sunlit room, you probably won't need flash.
Notice how objects look when lit from the back, the side,
and the front. Make the lighting fit the kind of mood you
want.
Caution when using a
Flash:
- When using a
flash, objects too close will "white out" and objects in
the background will be dark.
- Keep the subjects
in the same plane unless you are using a Bounce flash.
- Stay away from
walls that create harsh shadows when using a Direct or
Off- Camera flash.
- Watch for
reflective backgrounds such as mirrors and glass.
- Eliminate Red Eye
by using Off-Camera flash or a Bounce flash.
- Remember that the
"Angle of Incidence" is equal to the "Angle of
Reflection".
- Take precaution
with subjects that wear glasses.
- Take advantage of
the different types of flash: Direct, Off-Camera,
Multiple Flash with slave, Bounce Flash, Diffused Flash,
and Soft Box.
4. Framing through the
view finder
Only what is in this
frame will be in the picture. Study it carefully. Keep
distracting details, background clutter out. Isolate subject
if necessary. Where will focal point (s) be? Do the colors
work? Is your composition a pleasing selection and
arrangement of subjects within the picture area?
5. Six Basic
Guidelines for a Good Composition:
- Simplicity
- Rule of
Thirds
- Lines and Shapes-
[C-curves; S-curves; Diagonal lines; Triangles
etc.]
- Balance
- Framing
- Mergers
6.
Every time you look through your camera view finder, ask
yourself the following questions as you compose the
scene:
- What is the strong center of
interest? (focus on it)
- What do I want the viewer to see
first?
- Am I accidentally putting the
center of interest in the center of the scene? Use the
rule of thirds in most situations.
- I can put a "strong" center of
interest in the center of the scene. Remember these are
only guidelines and there are always exceptions to the
rule.
- Where are leading lines coming
from?
- Where are leading lines
going?
- Am I accidentally splitting the
view in half by some leading line?
- Where is the scene's horizon line?
Use the Rule of Thirds in most situations and don't let
the subject fall out of the picture (tilted
horizon).
- Am I accidentally including
distracting objects? (mergers)
- Am I controlling depth of field
with the camera f-stop?
- Am I controlling the action in the
scene with the camera shutter speed?
- Remember 1/60 shutter speed is the
slowest for "Hand Holding" the camera. If your using a
telephoto or zoom lenses the shutter speed is = to 1/
focal length of the lenses.
- Can I get a better camera
angle?
- Can I use framing to enhance the
composition?
- Can I use foreground objects to
enhance the composition?
- Am I trying to get too much into
the picture?
- Am I getting in close enough (fill
the frame)?
- Normally, don't have a person
looking out of the picture, look into the picture. Don't
have the subject look directly into the camera
lenses.
- Is the Sun casting shadows that
help or hurt the composition?
- Am I squeezing shutter button with
very little motion to eliminate camera blur?
- Would I want to enlarge this scene
in a "Vertical" or "Horizontal" format?
- If I am photographing kids or pets
remember to get down to their level and have them busy
doing something.
- Do I want to throw the background
"out of focus" with my f-stop setting?
- Check my light meter using the
"Sunny Sixteen Rule": 64 ASA - f-16 -1/60 ; point the
camera at a clear north sky at a 45 degree angle ; should
read a normal exposure at around 10:00 AM.
- Use a "Gray Card" for determining
the correct exposure, especially with light and dark
backgrounds, objects or subjects.
- Point the camera towards the
ground (to eliminate too much light from the sky) for
metering to determine the correct exposure when shooting
and composing most landscape scenes.
- Meter up close to the subject when
possible....then step back to frame and focus the subject
for the composition.
- Keep the Sun behind the camera;
don't shoot into the Sun unless your trying to create a
Silhouette of the subject or a "special effect" shot. Use
a lenses hood if you are shooting into the
sun.
- Sunrises and Sunsets produce great
photographs and warm lighting. Put your camera away a
couple hours before and after High Noon. The lighting is
poor for taking good photographs during the middle of the
day.
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