Composing Photos

A guide to taking photos

Written by Jacqui Sharp

Have spare digital cards

They can get corrupted and need to be formatted

And batteries

Invest in a battery charger

Label your leads with what camera they come from

Use a tripod for extended shot taking

Mini tripod

Use the flash outside

Think of complementary colours when taking photos

How kids cantake great photos

Special care rules with cameras

If there is neck strap…wear it! If there is a hand strap…put it

on! If there is lens cap…always

replace it! Try not to touch the screen or

lens with your fingers Turn off the camera when you

are not using it

If you are taking a close up…

…move the camera up closer rather then using the zoom

Background space with moving objects

Take photos of objects moving

Show the background space from where the object has come from

Hold your camera at an angle

Series of shots

Your subject should look small and insignificant so the higher up looking down the better!

High Angleor Birds Eye

The camera is down low looking up making your subject look more important or powerful.

Low AngleOr Worms Eye

Try Unusual View Points

Wide Shot or Long ShotEstablishes the

settingTake a Wide shot

that sets the scene for the viewer

Horizon line

Don’t cut your picture in half by setting the horizon line in the middle

Set high to suggest closeness

Set low to suggest spaciousness

Leading lines

Look for natural lines of the scene that leads the viewers eyes into the picture and to your main centre of interest

Remember horizon lines Do a vertical and a horizontal photo

Look carefully behind your subject or beside your subject

Horizontal and Vertical

Take a photo in horizontal view

Take the same photo in Vertical view.

Close up ShotThe subjects head will fill most of the shot from the chest or neck to just above the head. Use this shot to emphasise something. Have them look away!Put space in front of them

Do not put the head in the middle of the shot (unless it is a newsreader) give the head space in front of it!

Newsreader shot

Space in front

The subject is looking into space

Creates a path or flow to viewer

Bad Weather

Photos of kids

If they are smaller then you then get down low.Take photos when they are doing something.Get in close.Make it fun.

Extreme close up (ECU)

Only a part of the body orface is shown and generally is used to demonstrate deep emotion.

Two shotProfile of two people communicating

Over the shoulder

Face and shoulder shot of speaker, listener just part of head and one shoulder

Reverse ShotSame as above but change speaker and

listener

Macro or super close upSet your camera to Macro and take close ups of nature

When taking close ups move as close to the subject as possible before using the Zoom

Foreground

Sometimes objects in the foreground can set a scene like branches or doorways

Medium Shot MS

shows a character from the waist to just above the head

Remember these rules

People or subjects are better off centre

Don’t make the eyes the centre of the photo

Portraits are usually eye level (position yourself so you are eye level)

Find simple uncluttered backgrounds

Stay away from signs and large text

Tips On a trip carry spare digital cards Label your leads with what camera they come from Spare batteries Use the strap Charge your camera or batteries Use a tripod for extended shot taking Use the flash outside (diminishes harsh shadows) Turn off flash when using macro or taking photos of books or of items behind glass Vary your camera angle and take different angled shots of the same object Switch to vertical for some shots Don’t use the special effects on the camera, take colour photos and then use

computer software to add the effects Use windows, doorways, arches, trees foliage to frame a photo Think of complementary colours when taking photos Fingers away from lenses Replace Lens cap Turn off camera when not using it Don’t use the Digital zoom if possible When taking closeups move as close to the subject as possible before using the Zoom Try unusual view points, get down low or high Look carefully at your backgrounds, make sure that there is not something sticking

out of your subjects head like a pole Remember you can always crop an image on your computer Always leave space in front of a subject, it makes for a better composition People or subjects are better off centre Don’t make the eyes the centre of the photo Portraits are usually eye level (position yourself so you are eye level) Find simple uncluttered backgrounds Stay away from signs and large text