Picture Taking 101...

A long, long time ago..
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And, I knew if I had my chance that I could  make those people dance....


For those that don't know this is BYE BYE Miss American Pie... LUV, LUV, LUV this song! I start writing and songs come to my head, I can't help myself. :)

But really I was trying to start this post by saying a long time ago I went to college and recieved my degree in Communications: with an emphasis in MEDIA ARTS.

So, I have dabbled in photography for 7 years now. I worked in a portrait studio for 2 years and have done freelance sessions whenever they come around.

 

I thought I would show you a few "rules" of photography. Of course, there are NO RULES and you can be as creative as you'd like. But there are a few simple things to follow that will help your images become more interesting.

1. The "Rule of Thirds"

random image

this rule states that an image should be seperated into nine equal parts, like tic-tac-toe.

You should AVOID putting your main subject in the middle squares. This makes for a more intersting image.

 

For example: Little helper's 20 month pictures...she was not very cooperative and there is no posing her... :)

She WILL NOT  pose for me or sit still for a picture..now for everyone else, that's a different story. :) She Hamm's it up!

While this below is a cute picture and all (I'm bias) it is less pleasing to the eye aesthetically because the subject is in in the middle.

Now of course, you can crop the image in the editing stage if you find an image that was taken like this one. EDITING IS LIKE MAGIC!!!! I'm sure you already know that.

2. Now, MY second rule is ANGLES.


ANGLES,ANGLES, ANGLES..... 

To me, these will make a BLAH pictures become AMAZING!!!!!

You can achieve angles by turning your camera.....

Ok, wait, lemme back up....this how I see people taking pictures ALLLLLLLL the time, it drives me nuts!

random image

 You see, if you take a picture of someone like this you will have lots of extra NOTHING on the sides of the subject.

random image

 A picture like this can be really great if taken properly, but for the amature it typically doesn't turn out so great. So it's best to take pictures vertically...


 I will tell you 9 times out of 10 at the portrait studio I worked at people chose the vertical image.


co-worker JudyAnn Modeling potraits



So back to ANGLES, you see in this image the "lines' (the gutters) are not straight up and down..

This is another way to make things interesting. Turn your camera vertical and turn it to 2 'o clock or 10 o'clock..

Remember 10 and 2 from driving class same for your camera :)


the last angle to try is YOU physically moving up and down. Taking shots from above your subject or below your subject. (this can get dirty ;))
Some Examples of shots I have taken...most are un un-edited

above subjects

below probably laying down on the ground

Laying on the ground between them and my head was on this side

Laying on the ground , with the camera on the grass, this was up hill

Photography and Picture taking can be AMAZING by anyone, especially with all the free editing software out there. PIKNIK, PHOTOSCAPE.org, and many others, you can also download trials of photoshop and corel for serious projects that you have...( this is what I did before I had Photoshop) 


SO, have fun rolling on the ground and standing on things that are WAYYYYYY too unsteardy :) Be your own photographer and stop paying way tooo much :)