Alpha, i'd like to make this a sticky, as i'll be adding things as i go. Is it possible?? Thanks!!
I've been thinking about variety of themes for our weekly assignments, and I'd like to try something else, BUT, first, I'd like to get you guys on the right track with few basics of photography, before I can come up with more complicated assignments!
For the beginning and amateur photographers wanting to learn a little more about photography, I'd like to point out some basic rules that every photographer should be aware of, of course, every rule can be broken if it fits, at your own discretion
Let's start, shall we?
The very basic, the very first and probably the most important rule that makes a photo is a
Composition
How well you compose your shot will make a huge difference in your photograph. It probably will be one of the deciding factors about your shot: "Keep it or Dump it"
Things to remember:
Objects or People that you photograph can be moved, in most cases. Don't be afraid to touch your object (non human ), and move it to another place, see if this will make photo more appealing.
You can yell at people to 'MOVE!", I've done it, many times! You either take a shot, or take a chance of this one-in-a-life-shot to actually come out decent, and good luck! Don't be afraid to experiment!
Move yourself, probably the most possible way to get what you want in your shot, without moving mountains and making enemies.
What is Composition?
Let's take a look as some basic composition rules:
Human eyes will always concentrate on a subject it wants to capture, however, camera doesn't have a brain like humans do, and it will capture everything that is visible in viewfinder. That is why it is very important to learn and see what your camera sees and eliminate any distractions that might be on a way (cluttered backgrounds is a most common problem) Look beyond your subject, see what is on background, does it distract or does it add to your shot? Move your subject if you have to.
Probably one of the popular rules is
"Rule of Thirds", you will hear that phrase used quiet often by photogs who critique other's work, or just want to sound "cool"
Actually it's very popular among artists as well as photographers.
The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. Usually it's done in your mind as you looking through viewfinder.
Most of the newer cameras have a future where you can set a grid and keep it there, just for that purpose. I know I do!
You might ask, why would one follow this rule?
The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot - using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.
Compare these 2 photos, see the difference?
Most of the beginning photographers place their subjects dead on the center of the photograph. This is not such a bad idea when you'd like to break that rule, as I mentioned, all rules meant to be broken. , if you can produce powerful image by bending these rules, by all means, go ahead and do it.
Rule of Thirds is mainly a guideline, not something you MUST do.
Let's move on!!
I'd like to talk about
"ANGLES". Angles are great, i've seen some very creative and not-so-ordinary photographs, composed precisely the right way, you'd think it meant to be that way!
Here are the 5 basic angles you should know:
Subjective Angle
The subjective angle has the subject looking at the viewer. It creates an interaction between the subject and the viewer
Objective Angle
The objective angle shows the subject in action in his own environment. The viewer is more like a spectator. There is no interaction between the subject and the viewer. What the viewer needs to be given is some space where about the subjects are looking.
Low Angle
Get Low!! Very Low!!! Bring the camera down and shoot from a low point of view. This angle is good for creating a feeling of power or importance making the subject look bigger, more solid, or more intimidating.
High Angle
Get High! (no, wait, not that high!!) Bring the camera up and shoot from a high point of view. The effect will be the opposite creating a feeling of less importance making your subject look smaller.
Oblique Angle
The oblique angle is one example of creating more interesting composition. It is not often used but can become effective as long as this view point offers something more to the viewer.
Well my friends. I hope you enjoyed my little class session here and i hope that you can learn and make your photographs outstanding!! Take these rules for what they are and impliment them, to see what difference they will make in your photos.
I will be doing another little class on more technical aspects, but that will be later.
If you have anything to add, or have questions, please post them here.
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Basics of Photography
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