Photography Tips Blog 1
COMPOSITION
Have you heard of the Rule of Thirds in photography? The easiest way to remember this powerful tool is to not place your subject directly in the middle of the frame. By pushing it over to one side (or bottom or top), immediately create a more interesting, “weighted” image.
The reason for this because without visual weight in the frame, your eye does not know where to focus; it wanders listlessly around the image. Placing your subject prominently in one-third of the frame not only lets your audience know where to focus but opens up the world of semiotic inference. That is to say, the “mis-balance” between the prominence of elements within the frame infers their relationship: How does the subject of the photograph relate to the less prominent elements within the frame?
FRAMING
Great, you’ve got an interesting subject. And you’ve placed it in one-third of the frame… Now what else can you add to take this photo up to the next level? Oftentimes, by moving the camera just a bit, you can add a foreground element. This element should not be so prominent as to compete with your subject, but “graphic” enough in nature to create the negative space that features your subject. It could even be out of focus. It’s primary purpose is to direct the viewer’s eye to the subject.
LIGHTING
One of the easiest ways to improve your photography is to take advantage of existing light. It is common for new photographers who are shooting people to place their subjects do that the sun/light falls directly on their faces. Most often, this is a mistake. By placing your subject with their back to the sun/light, a beautiful backlight illuminates their hair. One then exposes for the face, and let’s the background bleach out (and go out of focus). This is a simple trick used very frequently by photo pros worldwide.
NARRATIVE
Narrative in a still image? Absolutely! What is the story being told in your photo? What happened just before you snapped the shutter? What happens in the moment following? Answering this question for yourself as a photographer before you snap the shot can infuse your photo with the power of story. All humans beings respond to story.
ELEMENTS
Three is the key. A subject is one element of a successful photo, but a single element is usually not enough to create a great photo. A second element, a foreground element, for example, can transform a mediocre photo into a good one. But the holy grail is three elements. For example, your subject, framed with a foreground, combined with a third element - say a stunning sunset. A combination of three correctly balanced elements is what consistently creates great photos.
Photography is wonderful because it’s a highly complex artform with a bottomless amount of expertise that one can develop, but it’s also easy to dramatically improve the quality of one’s work with a few simple techniques. Here are a few easy-to-use difference-makers:
