April 18, 2004
Hello!
Spring is in
full force and summer vacation time
will be here before long. With that
comes the chance to take lots of pictures.
To help you make the most of your photo-taking
opportunities, here are some tips from
FotoFinish:
FOLLOW THE RULE
OF THIRDS:
-
Divide
the image into three sections. Placing
your subject off-center creates an
interesting, dynamic image. Imagine
your photograph divided into three
horizontal and vertical sections.
To compose a well-balanced, off-center
shot, place your subject near the
intersections of the imaginary grid
lines. This is called the rule of
thirds.
-
Use
the rule of thirds to create dynamic
portraits: Emphasize a dramatic sky
by placing the horizon along the lower
grid line.
-
With
a moving subject, use the rule of
thirds to leave space for the subject
to travel into.
GET CLOSE
Your subject is interesting,
so get close to it. Don't let your pictures
suffer from the "Grandma at the
Grand Canyon" syndrome, with a
tiny subject and lots of boring, irrelevant
space.
TRY UNUSUAL
ANGLES
Be bold! Try turning
your camera to 45 degrees before snapping
a picture. Or instead of snapping it
from eye level, kneel down or lie on
the ground to get a more interesting
shot.
FRAME YOUR SUBJECT
Try framing your picture
with foreground objects to add depth
to the image.
PAY ATTENTION
TO LINES
-
Curves,
straight lines, and diagonals add
energy and movement to your compositions.
Let roads and rivers draw the viewer
into the image or lead the viewer's
eye in a specific direction. Watch
for natural geometric patterns and
place yourself at an interesting angle
to them.
-
Don't
let lines unintentionally throw your
photo off balance. When you shoot
the horizon or a building, keep the
straight lines level-unless you're
shooting at a dramatic, intentional
angle.
-
Keep
the horizon level
AVOID CLUTTERED
BACKGROUNDS
Don't let a cluttered
background overwhelm or obscure your
subject. Move around, or lie down, to
get a clear shot at your subject without
the distractions. A cluttered background
can obscure your main subject. Reposition
your subject or yourself.
AVOID MERGERS
As you position yourself
to avoid a cluttered background, also
look out for trees, lamp posts, and
other background objects which might
merge with your subject in unfortunate
ways. Don't let a tree grow out of your
subject's head Reposition your subject
or yourself to avoid mergers.
For more great photo
tips go to FotoFinish
Until next
time...
Valerie
www.digitalphotos101.com
How
to get the best from your digital camera
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