April Newsletter
Greetings from
Porter's Camera Store!

Here are a few suggestions that will help you capture better pictures while on vacation, as well as around home, too.

Center Of Interest:
Photos should have a center of interest, but it should be positioned away from the center of the photo. Artists and photographers often use the "rule of thirds" for placement of the center of interest. Draw imaginary horizontal and vertical lines at 1/3 points in the viewfinder. Place the center of interest at one of the intersections of these lines. This will avoid the static appearance of centered subjects.

Framing:
Placing some close by object near the edge of a picture adds more depth and acts as a frame, helping to keep the viewerís attention on the subject in the photo. Covering dull or distracting areas of a photo is another good reason for using framing. For example, a tree branch in the top of a landscape picture covers some of the empty sky, plus it adds a feeling of depth.

Watch That Background:
A background can sometimes make or break a photo. Before you take a picture, always look at the background. Are there distracting lines or areas of bold colors, tones or patterns that will detract from the subject? If so, change your camera angle, if possible, to improve the background. Use a wider lens opening (smaller f-number) to reduce the depth of field and make the background less sharp. When there is a window or mirror in the background, shoot at an angle instead of straight into it to avoid distracting reflections.

Use Depth Of Field To Your Advantage:
Depth of field, or the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest points in a scene that is in sharp focus, is controlled by three factors. (1) The shorter the lens focal length, the greater the depth of field. (2) As the lens aperture size decreases (bigger f-number), the amount of depth of field increases. (3) As the camera-to-subject distance increases, the amount of depth of field increases. So if you want to increase the depth of field, use a wide-angle lens OR use a small aperture such as f16, OR increase the distance to the subject. Conversely, a telephoto lens at a wide aperture close to the subject will give you very shallow depth of field. Some situations benefit from considerable depth of field, with everything from the foreground to the background tack-sharp. Other subjects are far more dramatic if the subject is sharp, but the foreground and background are soft and not causing any distraction. Depth of field extends 1/3 in front of and 2/3 behind the point of focus, so if your subject has some depth and you want it uniformly sharp, focus about 1/3 in from the front edge of it.

Weather Conditions:
When we think of ideal weather for taking outdoor pictures, we tend to automatically think of blue skies and a few fluffy white clouds, in other words, weather that is ideal for our comfort. For some pictures, a clear sky may provide the best lighting and background. However, a lightly overcast day with shadows still visible often produces extremely good lighting for many types of photos including portraits, architecture, close-ups of plants and animals, etc. The lighting is much less contrasty so detail can be preserved in the highlights and shadows. Pictures taken before or after a storm, on a foggy morning or during other times of "bad" weather may turn out to be much more interesting than if they were taken on a sunny day with a clear sky.

Time of Day:
Sunlight changes color and intensity as it passes from horizon to horizon. From dawn to about 9:00 or 10:00 AM, the color is warmer (more yellowish) than mid-day sunlight and the shadows are longer. Sometimes there is dew on the ground or light fog to add a nice touch to landscape photos. Mid-day sunlight (from about 10:00 to 4:00) is bright and harsh. Since the sun is positioned almost directly above, shadows are short and the lighting is quite flat. Late afternoon sunlight is similar to early morning light - warm with long shadows. After sunset, the afterglow from the western sky paints everything with a soft blue light. Use the ever-changing light from the sun, with its different colors, angles, intensities and textures to improve your photos and give them more character.

Angle of Light:
Light and shadow play an important part in conveying the depth, texture and mood of a photograph. Light usually comes from one of three basic angles - front, side or back. Front lighting comes from behind the photographer and strikes the side of the subject that faces the camera. Shadows are minimized, creating a flat-looking photo. With sidelighting, light strikes the subject from the side, establishing long shadows and a feeling of texture and three dimensions. Back lighting illuminates the backside, producing a semi-silhouette effect with the front side of the subject in shadow. Backlighting intensifies the color of translucent and transparent objects such as glassware, stained glass windows, flowers, balloons, etc.

Scale:
Photos of landscapes, large buildings and many other scenes benefit from having a common object such as a human or car included to provide a size relationship. It can be difficult to appreciate the size of an immense cathedral, mountain scene or an unusually small object unless a common item is in the picture to provide a size comparison.

Take Some Notes:
It's a good idea to take a few notes about what you are photographing, especially when traveling. The notes don't need to be detailed, just a simple explanation of what, where and when the photo was taken. Perhaps a traveling companion can take the notes for you. Back home, transfer the notes to the back of the photos or add to your digital photo album picture captions.

On-The-Spot-Titles:
When traveling, look for objects that will identify the place where the photo was taken. Parks, historical points of interest and state and national forests usually have signs near the entrance that give the name and other information about the place. Simply take a photo of the sign to help identify the rest of the pictures you take at that area.If you're on a beach, you can make a simple title photo by spelling out the place and date in the sand and taking a picture of it. Add shells, water toys or some similar object to add some interest.

Copyright 2005
Porter's Camera Store
P.O. Box 628
Cedar Falls, IA 50613-0028