Photo Tips

We thought it might be useful to put together a couple of hints on taking great photos as given by some photographers who work for magazines and newspapers. The following are by Chris Bray from the Australian Geographic website –

1. Framing: Try having something visually edge or frame your photos – a tree or building bordering one side perhaps, or something up close in the foreground of landscape scenes. It can add a great feeling of ‘depth’, fill in some otherwise useless parts of the photo, and help to draw the viewers gaze in towards your subject.

2. Fill the Frame: Zoom in or stand closer so that the interesting part of the scene fills the entire photo. You paid for the zoom on your lens – so use it! Don't always think you have to fit everything in - just get the important bits!

3.Taking Portraits: Stand back and zoom in – it’ll help blur out distracting backgrounds, and make your subject stand out. While you’re at it, put them in the shade rather than harsh sun to avoid dark shadows.

4. Try Different Angles: Crouch down low and look up, climb high and point down – try weird and wonderful angles! Photographing up towards something makes it look imposing, and looking down upon it weakens it. Especially for animals and children – get down to their level!

5.Rule of Thirds: Avoid putting your subject in the middle – mentally divide your scene into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) and position key parts of your photo on these division lines. It’ll make your photo feel much more balanced.

6. Uncluttered Backgrounds: Position yourself so that your subject is in front of a simple, plain background – not distracting colours or with telegraph poles seeming to protrude out of their heads! Train yourself to see beyond the subject before you take a photo.

7. Fill-Flash Outdoors: Don’t be afraid to use your flash in daylight – it can lighten shadows under someone’s hat, add a sparkle to their eyes and so on – give it a try! Conversely, don’t always use a flash at night – natural lighting can be beautiful, but keep your camera steady!

8. Leading Lines: Strong lines or curves flowing into a photo from its edges help lead the viewer’s eye through your scene to your subject. A fence line, a trail of footsteps – it’ll draw their gaze into your photo.

9. Break the Rules! Photography is an art, not a science, so be creative – sometimes the best shots obey none of the ‘rules’ of photography at all! So dare to be different, but good photographers know the rules they are breaking when doing so.

The following are from the www.eastmon.com.au/photography tips webpage –

Vary the height
Don’t be afraid to vary the height from which you take the picture. If it’s a group of children, get down to their level, rather than looking down on them. Alternatively, a group shot taken from height, using a ladder or a chair, and getting the subjects looking up at the camera, can provide a great effect.

Keep it tight
Keep the shot tight — get in close — but don’t cram the subjects. Make sure that Uncle Joe’s face isn’t lost in Aunty Flo’s hair. Check your first couple of shots, and if someone’s partly obscured, rearrange the shot.

Photograph Life
Take photos of family members doing their favourite things including sports, hobbies and any other recreational activities they enjoy together.
People are generally more relaxed doing activities they enjoy. Rather than pose people, as a photographer try moving around your subject while they are involved in what they are doing.

Get the light just right

Light to a photographer is like paint to an artist, the lighting is vital!Try and shoot your portraits without bright sunlight causing heavy shadows across the face or the subject squinting into the sun, even light is the best to start with.Outdoors on an overcast day is ideal for even light and the best quality portraits. Underneath the shade of a tree is another great location with even lighting.

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Photo Tips