“Sav,
you take it you’re the photographer,”
this is what I typically hear whenever my friends and I get together. Every occasion calls for a photo, right? And given that photography is my favorite pastime-I am the designated
“selfie-taker.”
Photography is an underrated craft.
Everyone these days has access to a camera, but owning a camera or an iPhone
does not make one a photographer any more than owning a paint brush makes someone
a painter. It is a form of art, and it does require skill.
I’ve been working with a camera
for almost ten years now. When I was a teenager, my friend Emily and I would do “photo-shoots” with each other around our neighborhood. (See below.) Eventually,
we both fell in love with the art and attended the same college for a degree in
Photography Technology (I am still working towards mine but more to come on
that!). Anyway, my point is, I’ve been at this for a while. Though sometimes I
am a little bashful and second guess myself, I still know that I am a good
photographer. I have an eye for it. Given my passion, I thought for this post I
would share a few tips from my personal experience and what I have learned
along the way.
Here are four photography basics
to help you take better pictures with your point and shoot, Polaroid, or
iPhone.
Lighting:
Lighting is literally EVERYTHING.
I can’t stress that enough. That being said, it is important to learn
how to adjust and make whatever lighting situation you have, work for you. Most
of the time, I prefer to work with natural lighting (the light from the sun).
This means, shooting outside or next to a window. Artificial light, (like the
florescent lighting you will find in most offices and hospitals,) tends to be
harsh and makes the skin look dull. Most florescent lights come in either a
yucky yellow color, or a dreary ominous blue. Neither of which are flattering.
If this is what you have to work with, move your subject next to a window or, editing
may be your only option.
If you are shooting mid-day when
the sun is at the highest point in the sky, a common mistake new photographers’
make is facing their subject towards the sun. This may cause the subject to
look squinty and often the direction of the sun can cause harsh and
unattractive shadows across the subjects face. The best thing to do in this
situation is to photograph your subject with the sun behind them, and if you
are feeling really fancy, you can use a reflector to illuminate their face if
it is looking too dark. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to pay a lot
for a reflector, and you can even make your own (another blog for another day).
Another idea, and perhaps more
simple, is to just find some shade. It’s easier to enhance the brightness on a
photo than it is to tone down a photo that is over exposed (too bright).
COMPOSITION:
Composition is a fancy way of explaining
the way in which you set up your photo. Think of a musician, they compose songs
and even symphonies-photographers compose photos.
One trick for good composition is
to “frame” your subject. If you can put something in the foreground that almost
surrounds them, it draws the attention towards the subject. (See the picture
below.) This small boat is the subject of the photo. However, it would go
unnoticed, if it weren’t for this window framing it.
Remember those awful pictures
from the 80’s with the haze surrounding everyone? That’s called a vignette. And
while it’s a little outdated-it is effective. Framing has the same effect as a vignette
in that it draws attention to your subject, without the added editing. (But sometimes, just sometimes, vignettes...are kind of cool. Check out Morgan below-Killin' it!
Once you have a setting, you have
to decide where to place your subject. Most photographers, position their
subject dead center. If asymmetry is what you are going for, then sure, that
works. However, putting your subject just left or right of center can actually
make the photo more visually interesting.
The best example I have of this would be the photo below. This was one of
the first photoshoots Emily and I did together and I have always loved this
photo. Something about it intrigued me. And I never really understood why…until
I took my very first photography course in college when we studied composition.
It suddenly made sense. The reason I had liked this photo so much was because
it was more aesthetically appealing because of how off-balance it was. Graphic
designers use this same technique in ad campaigns. It is a way of forcing the
viewer to make them look where you want them too.
Another way to dictate where your
viewers’ eyes go is to use leading lines in your composition. The photo above is also an example of leading lines.The lines in the bricks and the stairs all direct the viewer towards Morgan. Your eyes are trained to follow lines, and if
these lines lead to your subject, you’ve been successful.
ANGLES
& PERSPECTIVE:
If you take a lot of selfies, you
probably know what angle works best for you. And if you are anything like most
of my friends, you probably know which side is your good side. But what works
for you, doesn’t always work for everyone else. It is important to keep that in
mind when you are photographing someone else. This is also a great opportunity
to experiment. Try things down low, or get an aerial view. Don’t just shoot
straight on. Mix it up, stand on top of something. Show me something I wouldn’t
normally see. The photos below are examples of angles and perspective.
LOCATION,
LOCATION, LOCATION:
Location is another crucial
element of photography. Most photographers don’t have issues with finding a
location to shoot at. The issue most photographers encounter, is pairing the
subject with the background effectively. So if these next few paragraphs, I
want to talk about making the background and the subject work well together.
In men’s fashion there is
something called “The Tie Rule”. Essentially, this rule states that your tie is
the focal point of the outfit and therefore, your shirt, should never overpower
your tie. In photography, consider your subject your tie. You never want your
background to be so wild that your subject is no longer the subject.
Consider the outfit the subject
is wearing. If the outfit is loud or has a fun pattern, try pairing them with a
simple background, or against a wall with a solid color. Conversely, if the
subject is sporting something simple you can allow for the background to be a
little more elaborate. But don’t neglect your artistic freedom. Picasso said,
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” So go with
your gut. What looks good to you? You are, after all, the photographer.
Like with anything, practice
makes perfect. So get out there and shoot something. And when you shoot, shoot
with a purpose. It kills me to hear people say they took 3,000 photos of a
single event. You may as well have just shot a video. If you have to take that
many shots to get a photo, you are just getting lucky. Slow down, think about
the shot you want and make it happen.
I can’t guarantee that using my
tips will make you into a professional photographer overnight, but I can
guarantee they will get you thinking. Photography is an endless opportunity to
be creative and express yourself. Use these tips to improve those selfies or to
take a meaningful photograph you will keep for years to come.
“You don’t take a photograph. You
make it.” –Ansel Adams
Love,
Sav
xo
