Tips And Tricks For Photos
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This document provides photography tips and tricks for taking better pictures. It discusses techniques like making eye contact with subjects, keeping backgrounds simple, moving closer to subjects, placing subjects off-center according to the rule of thirds, using a flash outside to reduce shadows, and taking vertical pictures. It also covers tips for travel photography like capturing the overall scene, unique cultural elements, shapes, lighting, contrast, unifying diverse elements, and photographing things that are meaningful.
Tips And Tricks For Photos
- 1. Photography Tips & Tricks presented by: Gaby Mullinax Fullerton Photographics
- 2. Gaby Mullinax President of Fullerton Photographics, Inc. PMA Board Trustee IPI Board of Directors Member of WPPI Graduate of Cal State University Northridge Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing
- 3. Fullerton Photographics Life in Pictures www.fullertonphoto.com
- 4. Fullerton Photographics Life in Pictures
- 6. Make Eye Contact Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.
- 8. Keep it Simple A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.
- 10. Move in Close If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow. But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.
- 13. Think in Thirds Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines. You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder .
- 15. Lock your Focus If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle. Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
- 17. Use A Flash……Outside! Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results. On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.
- 18. Tweak Your Camera Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.
- 21. Light is Everything Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles. Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.
- 24. Know Your Flash The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away. What is your camera's flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away.
- 25. Sometimes You Just Have to be Bossy Take control of your picture-taking and watch your pictures dramatically improve. Become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker. A picture director takes charge. A picture director picks the location: "Everybody go outside to the backyard." A picture director adds props: "Girls, put on your pink sunglasses." A picture director arranges people: "Now move in close, and lean toward the camera." Most pictures won't be that involved, but you get the idea: Take charge of your pictures and win your own best picture awards.
- 28. TIP #1 1. Look for “the big picture”. Give your audience a bird’s eye view of the location you have traveled to … full of color and vibrancy.
- 31. TIP #2 2. Capture things that are “out of the ordinary”. What is distinctly different from your culture? These are things that your audience will find interesting.
- 34. TIP #3 3. Find shapes. Other cultures use shapes, curves, and lines in architecture very differently. Be constantly on the alert for buildings, fences, and paths that are unique to your culture.
- 37. TIP #4 4. Seek the light. Make any image stunning with some dynamic lighting. Inside cathedrals and churches facilitate beautiful lighting with stained glass windows and skylights. Wait until mid morning or afternoon to capture high sidelight that will pour through the windows and hit the floor.
- 41. TIP #5 5. Look for contrast. Whether contrast in light tones verses dark tones, or contrast as in textures and locations, this will keep your images varied.
- 44. TIP #6 6. Other countries especially have extreme diversity of textures, colors, patterns, and content. As a photographer, you have to unify all the different elements to an image that will “make sense” visually.
- 47. TIP #7 7. Photograph that which captures your soul. A poor child? A destitute village? A tropical landscape? A busy city center? Take pictures of things that matter to you, and you will come away with visually gripping images no matter where your travels may take you.
- 51. Some possible shots that you might like to include in a photographic travel diary... • Buildings • Landscapes • Local People (at work and play) • Travel Companions • Food and Drink • Hotels • Transportation • Market places/Shops • Street Scenes • Local Written Language/Street signs • Shots of yourself (alone and with others)
- 52. Thank You!