Most pictures
that we are accustomed to seeing are "grab the moment"
shots. Being in the right place at the right time with
the right equipment. Most professional shots are taken
by sitting and waiting for hours for everything to be
just right. These are the 2 extremes. The following are
some basic tips to help you learn to take better photos
in general.
The first and most important rule is
film is cheap! Don’t be afraid to experiment. Learning
to “see” takes time and practice and the only way to
accomplish this is to go and shoot.
Learn to
utilize the whole viewfinder. Your picture isn’t just
the subject. It is the whole corner to corner picture,
unless you plan on cropping the final image. Notice all
the objects in the viewfinder, be aware of that errant
limb that’s coming out of someone’s
head.
Good composition is the key
to great pictures. You may not notice good composition
when viewing photos, but you will definitely notice bad
composition.
Do not split your pictures in half.
Don’t position the horizon or any straight line in the
center of the photo. This splits the picture in 2 and
becomes a distraction. When taking a horizon shot always
leave more room on the bottom, 2/3 is a good rule, but
not written in stone. Be creative too!
Always
try to lead the eye into the picture, not out. For
example: If you are photographing a road, place yourself
so that the road directs the eye onto the picture rather
than off the side.
Learn to “see” the axis of
the picture. These are lines that run diagonally from
corner to corner. Place important objects on these axis,
it creates a more pleasing composition.
Don’t
let objects cross over on an other, this creates
confusion and tension unless that is what your going
for.
All rules can be broken too, these are just
guidelines to help with basic composition. Learning to
“see” takes time and patience, go out and practice. Film
is cheap, get a roll and just go out and take pictures.
Run through these things consciously at first and look
at the results. Soon they will become second
nature.
Most people today use auto
everything cameras. So you don’t have much control over
the exposures. Sometimes though you have to fool the
camera. Auto everything cameras take an average of the
whole image and set the exposure. In some cases this is
wrong.
Try to avoid backlight situations, i.e.,
the light source is behind the object, this just messes
with those little computers. Your subject will be too
dark. Because its setting the exposure for the bright
area behind the subject. In this case you should use the
flash. You will have to set the camera so that the flash
does fire, manually, the camera will not fire the flash
in this situation automatically. This is called fill
flash. You can use the flash for other things also. The
flash will freeze objects too. Such as falling water.
Turn on the flash manually to photograph waterfalls and
fountains. The flash isn’t just to be used inside or at
night. I use it for many daytime photos.
The
best way to achieve the perfect shot is to bracket
exposures. This means to take several pictures of the
same object at different f/stops or lens openings. Some
auto cameras allow you to change the lens opening. A
smaller f/stop, has the larger # such as f/16 or f/22,
lets in less light but more of the picture is in focus.
A larger f/stop, has the smaller # such as f/4 or f/5.6,
lets in more light but only the subject will be in focus
and the background will be blurred.
The not so
perfect exposure can add drama to the photo. A slightly
underexposed sunset looks more pleasing and add a touch
of mystery. A slightly over exposed flower will add more
shading to the petals.
The most important advice
I can give is to try different things. Go out and
photograph everything. The more you experiment the
better will become. My mantra “film is cheap” is really
true. The more you work with the camera the better you
will “see” you will spot that perfect photo, and be
ready to capture it. Now processing on the other hand,
can be expensive. What I do is only have the negs
developed. No prints, I then take them home and scan
them. I can see the images and decide if it is worth
scanning and saving.
Happy shooting!! 
Ann
Digitalis is a member from the Subtropical
Gardening
Group, and a photography student from
Long Island,
NY, avid gardener, expert on water
gardening and
pets.
Thank you for contributing your expertise
to
this section,
Ann! |
