BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS

EXPERIMENT Shoot from different perspectives – up high, down low etc. getting in close – stepping back for a wider angle shot moving around your subject to shoot from different sides experimenting with different settings.up highdown lowmoving around your subject

CHECK YOUR BACKGROUND A very simple concept that can enhance an image is to check out the background of a shot to check for clutter or distraction. Scan the background (and the foreground) of an image quickly and to change the framing if there are too many distractions – otherwise your shots will end up looking like this example.

HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera. Your left hand should support the weight of the camera. Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object like a wall or a tree or by sitting or kneeling down.

HOLD THE CAMERA STRAIGHT The other obvious problem with many images is that they rarely lined up straight. While shots that are not straight can be quite effective (they can be playful or give a more ‘candid’ feel to them) it is good to check the framing of your shot before hitting the shutter.

GET IN CLOSE Use the zoom on your digital camera – but don’t forget that using your legs to move closer can achieve some great results.

TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES Taking lots of images is a great way to learn different techniques of photography. Do not take 100 shots of exactly the same thing – experiment with lots of different shots over time and you’ll see your photography improve.

Getting the Balance Right Between Photographing People, ‘Things’ and Places Sometimes we get too focused on photographing sites and some too focused upon photographing people.

FIND A POINT OF INTEREST Interesting photographs have interesting things in them – they need a visual point of interest (a focal point). Identify what this point of interest is before hitting the shutter.

RULE OF THIRDS A simple principle of photography is the Rule of Thirds. Position your subject right on the intersecting third points or place your subject off center can even be enough. The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

FOCAL LOCK Press the shutter (button) halfway down to focus and then to frame the shot while still holding it down. Most cameras do well in auto focusing upon subjects there are times when you’ll end up with shots that are out of focus because the camera doesn’t know what the main subject is (particularly if you are placing subjects off center with the rule of thirds).

LIGHT AND DARK When you wake in the middle of the night, and your room is dark, you can’t see very much. The camera lens is the same as your eyes: it can’t make an image in the dark. If you want to take a photograph in the dark, you are going to have to introduce some light (like switching on the bedside lamp in the night), that’s why cameras have flashes. Of course, if a light is too bright you cannot see properly, and looking into the sun hurts your eyes. This is why you mustn’t take a photograph facing into the sun or with a light in it, because the lens won’t be able to cope with the light, just like you eyes.

PERSPECTIVE Standing closer to something it will appear larger, and conversely you make something look smaller by standing further away from it. Close equals big and far equals small.