Photography Tips (2)

SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Simple tips on the basics of photography by Trevor James @ www.trevorjamesphotography.com

CORRECT COMPOSITION

Rule of Thirds Graph

Composition, or positioning, within the picture is important in all efforts of achieving success in your photography. Whereas there is that temptation to position your subject in the centre of the frame (picture) for most when beginning photography - and though this may work in symmetrical photography - the finished work soon becomes competitive, and unfruitful, and boring. This graph showing pointers to the four centre square corners (intersecting points) are the principal elements of where subjects are better placed and therefore more pleasing to view. This is known as the Rule of Thirds. The following image makes use of this graph to show brilliantly how the Rule of Thirds is put to work. Some cameras may have this facility in the setting, and if this is the situation my advice would be to make full use of this facility until you have mastered the 'habit'.

Utilising the graph

There is no 'golden rule' that this method should and needs to be adopted per se but should be the base of starting out in photography and creating lively, pleasing images that make good copy for showing at all levels. However, how you do compose the subject, foreground, and background is probably the most important decision you'll make before depressing the shutter release button. Please don't use this as a 'hard and fast rule' but merely as a guide until you master the art of composition - it can be broken. the following image shows how a photograph taken using the subject in the centre of the image and cropped to utilise the Rule of Thirds has totally changed the overall 'pleasingness' of viewing it.

cropping to use the Rule of Thirds

Here you can see why it is important to use and understand this Rule.  The image on the left does not highlight the subject, not does it have any appeal - it is more likely to be a snap shot quickly taken before the subject disappears. But the shot on the right after the use of the cropping tool has produced an very pleasant looking image indeed. 

As we first set out to show, making use of the Rule of Thirds can produce pleasing images that will gather discussion and increase your likelihood of wanting to show them to everyone. This is evidenced in the images above. not using this Rule will nor ender your images unsightly as this is not a hard and fast Rule. 

EXERCISE

When you get the opportunity go out and take some random shots of sceneries, subjects, and the like, and give examples of using the Rule of Thirds in one image and not using it in the other. Compare the images yourself and see what is achieved with either method. Which do you prefer?

Next week we will be looking at probably the very most important element in photography: Light. I guess without it photography may not have even been invented, after all the very nature of the word PHOTO is light.

For further information or what I can offer on my photography courses send me an email highlighting your needs and interests on this link - Contact Trevor

Images courtesy of Google Images

Photography courses in Suffolk

Getting out and about with your camera

Have you got one of those gadgety new DSLR cameras but still having issues taking shots worth showing to your family, let alone putting them on Facebook? 

And when you do you know people are wondering what it was of or what you were trying to focus on?

Perhaps you've been taking photography for years but never really got to understand what happens with digital photography!

Well don't you panic, because help is at hand.

Trevor James Photography is a small but rapidly growing and caring business specialising in four main areas of photography: Wedding photography that offers state-of-the-art, high resolution images that capture every moment to remember forever; Commercial photography that enables businesses to use high quality images to advertise their goods and services to the wider audience via website galleries, portfolios and company profiles; Prints to Buy, where browsers and customers can view and purchase images through the website (in easy format type:A4, 3, & 2 mounted with a back protection); and last but not least, Photography Courses, where guys like you and me get to learn more about what we want with our cameras.

There are four levels of experience and each level has its own schedule of items to go through throughout the day. I do not sit in a classroom - even during the winter months - or stand in front of a huge seminar, I am out 'in the field' with you where I can learn as well. The great thing with photography, and it's pretty much the same with all technology, is that there is always something to learn and someone to teach you. I learn so much through teaching that I have to teach more often. The courses are as follows:

Beginners - 1st Wednesday in the month

On this course you will put into practice camera setup, working with aperture & shutter speed settings, ISO, White Balance, Depth of field, and more. Lunch is not provided and changeable weather clothing is recommended with sturdy footwear.

Novice - 2nd Wednesday in the month

Expanding on the above course we will be getting to understand more of the issues relating to photography including composition and when to break the rules. There are many, many chances to get to grips with taking those fantastic shots. Lunch is not provided and remember to bring appropriate clothing and footwear

Intermediate - 3rd Wednesday in the month

During the day we will be visiting lots of exciting places where we can really get down and understand the meanings of capturing images that get everyone talking. There are things to learn in terms of accurate lens manipulation forcing issues such as breaking all the rules to capture memorable learning moments increasing on the knowledge of your existing level and pushing forward. Lunch is provided on this course and consists of either sandwiches and drinks or a hot pub lunch with a beer to wash everything down

Advanced - 4th Wednesday in the month

These are currently suspended due to some of the changing weather issues as most of the day we disappear to some great locations such as meeting on coastal areas or deep within the English countryside. However when the courses resume this can be probably the best days to remember. Lugging your kit around will more than likely be exciting knowing that we will be using lots of equipment and changing lenses throughout the day. These courses are usually early morning starts and late finishes (around 7am - 6pm).

So there you have it. If you want to get more from your camera, or simply need to brush up or get to grips with digital photography the who better to help you achieve your goals than Trevor James Photography?

To get more information Email me today!

Photography Tips (1)

SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Simple tips on the basics of photography by Trevor James @ www.trevorjamesphotography.com


FOCUSSING CORRECTLY

How many times has this happened, when you've taken the shot and all looks good in the monitor screen at the rear of the camera, only to get home and upload the image to your computer - and it's blurred ? Well it happens more often than you think, especially when simple elements of the camera setting stage has been missed out (e.g., manual/auto focus, aperture, shutter speed, and movement).


Auto Focus
Most new, and many older lenses, come with an AF/MF (Auto Focus/ Manual Focus) switch somewhere on the side or top of the barrel, and this needs to be switched to one or the other. It is worth noting that if you have it on the AF setting the camera will usually give a beep sound when it confirms being 'in focus' with a particular subject within the lens. Not hearing a beep usually is an indication of MF mode. You need to select one. In this mode the lens will automatically reset itself each time you press the shutter release button half way down - this is 'in focus'.


Manual Focus
If your lens is in this mode you will need to manually set the focus whilst looking through the viewfinder each time before taking the shot. This is done by turning the ring on the lens to achieve clarity of your subject in the viewfinder. Once this is achieved you can then press done the shutter release button to capture the subject matter.


Aperture
Sometimes we may need, or want, to focus the camera on a selective part of the entire framed subject within the viewfinder and leave everything else out of main focus (Depth of Field). In order to carry out this task we simply make a few adjustments  before taking the picture. Firstly, we need to ensure that we have the camera in aperture priority. This is done by turning the mode dial on the camera to A, or AV (some cameras have different letters to indicate this mode). Secondly, we alter the main dial by turning it to the left or the right to set the f/stop (the measure for the amount of depth of focus within the picture). This will allow the camera to also automatically set the shutter release speed (see more below).


Movement
Once you have chosen your subject and focussed in and ready to take the shot, it is really important to ensure you have the camera held still before, during and after the shutter release button has been depressed. If not, no skill in the world will prevent blur in the image. Some point to remember is that when you have set either the aperture or the shutter speed there are given rules about camera shake that need understanding. as a simple rule a tripod should always be used, or to hand. Where an image is to be taken below 1/125 it is recommended to use a tripod to prevent camera shake (some lenses come with 'Camera Shake Prevention' allowing speeds less than 1/125 to be used successfully. Please note that some manufacturers may recommend different speeds than I have, however, I am treading on the side of caution for your benefit. 

Shutter Speed

Again there are two simple things we need to do in order to get this mode working. One, we need to turn the mode dial to S or TV (again depending upon the make of camera), and two, select the speed of the shutter curtains - marked in hundredths of a second and then in seconds - in order to restrict the length of time light is exposed to the sensor. This would not initially caused blurring to an image, however it is important at this stage to note the difference between the use of aperture and shutter modes on a camera. This will automatically allow the camera to set the f/stop (see above).

This is the same image focussed correctly.

I have added in the blur on the image above using Photoshop for the purposes of this blog but, this would be the effect on your computer monitor if you have not gone through the simple checks that I have described above.

The next blog on Simple Photography will be on Composition.

If you want to know more about your photography go to My Website or Email Me