Taking Better Photos is a Snap with Your Digital Camera

Taking Better Photos is a Snap with Your Digital Camera

...this isn't a crash course in Photography, just some helpful - useful tips that will help you take some Great Photos with your Digital Camera! SO...I want to start off with a little explanation of things that might make it easier to see how these Rules work and how to use them....

The word Photo means LIGHT. Photography is the Study of LIGHT... You know anyone can buy a hammer but that doesn't make them a Carpenter. Anyone can buy a Camera and that doesn't make them a Photographer...

I say this because if you read thru this a couple times and give me the benefit of the doubt that I know what I am sharing here with you and that which others, like myself have studied for years - YOU will have a better outlook when it's time for you to pick up the Camera and start taking Pictures...

Ever flip through a magazine and had to stop and go back because something just caught your eye?

Well, that is what I want to share with you here...How To Take Photos That Will Grab Your Attention, or I should say the Viewer's Attention...don't you want others to enjoy and rave about your Photos?

Okay, so let's learn how to take a Photograph instead of just a Snap-Shot...!!! There is a difference. So bare with me cause I will try to keep it lite and fun for you, and me... 8)

The reason you had to go back and see what it was that caught your eye, was because advertisers know how our sense of sight works and they know how to use it.

When we look at a picture, or anything, for that matter in print, our eyes fall to the lower right first then up to the top left...

You could spend $10,000 to go to school to learn that simple concept...
See I've saved you money already...LOL!!!!

I genuinely want to show you the Secrets to taking and making Better Photos...

Whether you look through a View Finder or the Back of an LCD Digital Camera, this applies to all...

You will never look at a photo again in the same way....this I guarantee!

The First Law, is called...THE RULE OF THIRDS
Well actually this is the First Rule of Thumb...

ABSOLUTELY - NEVER PUT ANYTHING DEAD CENTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRAME....



Think of a Tic Tac Toe Board.....
In your view screen see an imaginary Tic Tac Toe Board like this....fig.1

This first dotted line (left to right - top) is called the Eye Line

The next line (left to right - bottom) is called the Land Line

The two vertical lines (top to bottom on each side) are called the Left Side,Right Side and Middle...

This holds true even if the frame is taken as a Portrait rather than a Landscape - as shown here.


fig1

You the Photographer, need to decide what is the subject you want your Viewer to focus on.

Let's take scenery as our first example...If you're taking a picture of a field and sky then you have to decide what is more important the field or the sky. If you're taking a picture of water and land, same thing, you must decide which is more important to the scene you are capturing...

So we have looked at the lines but believe it or not what's really important is the space between the lines...Notice they break the screen into 3rd's Horizontally and Vertically....see figure.1

Now to make it perfectly clear what The Rule of Thirds states is this...The Subject shall dominate 2/3's of the whole frame being taken...that means whatever is the subject - it is occupying the majority of the screen...but never in the exact middle...

You can check this yourself....look at any published photo and see the imaginary Tic Tac Toe Board and you will instantly see the magic that makes up a great photo. Okay moving on....

SO now we start to apply the RULE OF THIRDS....

The best way is to show you...in figure.2 you will see a bad composition of a photo that we want to take...


fig2

In figure.3 the sky is the subject and in figure.4 the water is the subject...making sense?

Look at them again and see why figure.2 is the less pleasing to the eye...why?
Because it is centered and there is no composition.

fig3

fig4



Now lets apply the same rule with people....notice in figure.5 - the two men are not in the center. But together they are the subject and are displaced to the opposing side that they are facing. Can you see that together, as the Subject, they take up 2/3's of the entire photo...? (Rule of Thirds)

This takes some practice because it is a matter of taste and creativity...

fig5

Action and Direction are just as important....in figure.6 the subject is dead center, not very exciting? Common sense tells you to follow the action....which is the better composition to you fig.6 or fig.7...?

fig6

fig7

So to keep it short and sweet...just remember to keep faces somewhere in the eye line and watch the action and keep that imaginary Tic Tac Toe Grid in mind when looking at the World....and when in doubt...when in doubt shoot your frame wider - so you can use these rules when you edit your photos with the CROPPING TOOL!

(If you need a Freeware Graphic/Photo Editor and other PC Tools let me know. I will send you links, I don't wanna promote any links here tho...)

That's right apply this Rule even after the photo is taken, you will begin to start taking photos that will dazzle your friends and family and they will want you to take all the pictures all the time and then eventually you will never be in any photos ever again - like me - so don't let that happen ...LOL!!!

Teach your kids to take better pictures too...it's EZ when you get the hang of this...!!!

The next thing I want to talk about is Auto-Focus...most point and shoot cameras, digital and 35mm have a two step Shutter Button. This is a great feature but most simply pick up the camera and push to take a picture. I want you to try this next time you are taking a picture of two or more people in the shot...

Ever notice that the background is totally in focus and the people are all washed out and out-of-focus? That's because the camera's auto-focus didn't see them...it only saw the background and set it's focus on it. To stop this simply set the frame on one person, dead center to set the auto-focus and hold the Shutter Button in half way, usually an indicator tells you it is locked and as long as you don't remove your finger the camera is set to that focal point...

Now set the frame using the Rule of Thirds and then once you have the frame the way you want it, push the button the rest of the way and you will have a great photo.

I couldn't make an example because I made these examples on the fly just to show you how this works but I'm sure you have seen the ones I'm talking about...?!

Next is the Fill Flash. When talking pictures outdoors and the camera is set to Auto-Flash the meter will almost always tell the camera that it doesn't need the Flash. But set the Flash to always be on when taking pictures of people in the shade...this way it acts like a Fill Flash and the camera will take that into account when setting the exposure and your pictures will be properly lit and shadows will be gone from face shots...

Another great thing to do is take Photos of Photos, like those hanging on the wall.

The thing to remember is never shoot straight on...always shoot from an angle to cut down on glare and try to use day light whenever possible and never use the Flash. Most Digital Cameras have a - Non-Flash Mode - that do a fine job with available light.

The last thing I'd like to leave you with is that all digital cameras are pixel rated with the lens, zoom set all the way in...to the Wide Angle Setting.

In other words the more tele-zoom you use the grainier the picture gets...is that a word...??? LOL!!!

Anyway, when setting up your shot don't be afraid to move in and out to set the frame before shooting. The zoom is great for far away things but I'm talking about people pictures, the kids and grandparents, get up close and personal baby! =]

Have funn with it. Get down close to the ground when taking pictures of children, get on the floor with them if you want to see them get excited and get those candid smiles that will keep you smiling for a long time...

So I hope I didn't bore you too much and you found this some-what entertaining as well as helpful and may all Your Photos be PICTURE PERFECT....

Your Online Friend,
Tony G aka iFXman
http://www.infonetspace.com/

I'm excited...feeling better, feeling stronger...

It's been an amazing journey I've been on for the last 5 years...and I get this almost every time I meet or greet someone, even doctors - You don't look sick!!! I still haven't figured out what SICK looks like.

Oh sure there are always visible external things but what about the internal things? See I don't think I'm ill, it's my body I'm having a hard time trying to convince. haha
It has taken me 3 years to turn my habits around and made new ones, better ones. Still smoking...(my excuse, it's my only vise and I need it...lol)...but I have changed what I eat, and most importantly the Water I drink. I lost 58 big ones in about 3 months.
That's frig'n exciting to me.

I had to buy 2, 10 pound bar-bells because I couldn't use the 20's I had. They were too heavy. I use to bench 250 when I wrestled for DUQ back in the day...lol But I couldn't raise 20 pounds over my head enough times to be called exercise. Now I need more, the 20's are too easy now.
I stuck to the 80/20 Rule for the past 4 months and credit that to my feeling better and stronger. (80/20 = 80% Plant and 20% Meat) Diets don't work, this was a Life Style change for me, believe me!!!

And you know what? I love it!!! I did from the very starting, learning what to buy and what not too, or else I wouldn't have committed to it with all my heart. I knew it held merit. I somewhat kept the Worrier Diet in mind at the same time so I made sure I was also eating enough nuts and grains.

No more processed garbage. No sugars and salts that I don't get from raw foods...
...I won't bore you with the details...

I am excited and just wanted to share it since the Internet is where my Friends are...

Thanks for reading...
Ciao, Tony G.

I finally created a website that I can share my experiences, trials and tribulations.

It's no way finished, rather a start for me. It's been hard these past 5 years for me and I still can't make ends meet. I go without food for days/week by the end of every month because this thing called dis-ease has been keeping me down. But I won't let it and I'm absolutely thrilled to get this thing up and running. lol It is an accomplishment for me! =])

I want to Pay It Forward and help others. I always have and just because my health limits my mobility is no reason to waste my mind...

And who knows, maybe someone will find my experiences are similar so they can know they are not alone. Not matter how unique any situation is there will always be others that can relate and maybe even be inspired?!

It's paid for till Jan, 2010. Please feel free to donate if you can, I really need help to keep it going and I Thank YOU, either way...

Please visit and let me know whatcha think?! http://www.InfoNetSpace.com

Thanks and have a Fantastic Weekend,
Tony G.