Archive for June, 2009:
In your portrait the person is the main point of interest, by using different backgrounds and placing them in different contexts you can dramatically alter the mood of a shot.
Sometimes it is best to keep the background as minimalistic as possible, other times it can give you and extra depth to the character you are photographing. The key is experimentation to see what works.
Here are a few examples of how backgrounds can change the mood of photographs, why not have a go and upload your photos to share with others?
Last time we looked at the rule of thirds and how this gives balance to your photographs
I was then asked “which side is it better to put people on, the left or the right?”
In truth there is no answer to this as it doesn’t matter - the only thing to take into account is this;
As a rule in photography if a person or animal you are photographing is looking in one direction it is better to place them on the opposite side of the frame.
In the photo attached you can this being used to good effect - she is not being photographed head on, her head is pointing to the right and looking into the space give in the frame.
The reason behind doing this is to draw the viewers eyes in the direction your subject is looking and creates a natural flow through the photograph.
The technique can be used to create some stunning results, remember to apply the rules of thirds too. Have a try and see what you can come up with – why not post some online here.
the killers
One of the oldest and well known approaches to composition is the ‘Rule of Thirds‘.
It forms the basis for well balanced and interesting shots drawing the eye into the image.
Its not the only way to take an interesting composition, and I break this rule all the time, but if you would like to get used to basic rules of how to frame your subject – this is a good starting point.
As in the image at the top – you need to break down your shot area into 9 parts. Some people will do this automatically in their heads, some will learn it and others may use guides on their camera screens.
The grid now has four important parts of the image where it could be best to place your subject as you frame your image.
The idea is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines – your photo becomes more balanced and natural. You can also apply this rule after you have captured a shot by cropping with the grid in mind.
It is surprising how often you will see this rule applied in photography and video. Have a try and see what you can come up with – why not post some online here.
