About Me, Myself and I

My photo
Bandar Bukit Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
I celebrate myself and what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you I need to wash myself again to hide all the dirt and pain cause I'll be scared that there's nothing underneath. I believe a leaf of grass is no less then the journey-work of the stars, And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of the wren, And the tree toad is a chef-d'oeuvre for the highest, And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven, And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery. And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue, And a mouse is a miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.

Sunday, 22 January 2012

Composition Basics - How to get good Pictures

Composition Basics
  1. Focus:  A shot in focus is crisp and clear, with good definition of object. Most digital cameras have automatic focus and manual focus. Selecting automatic focus allows you to get quick action photos. Selecting manual focus allows you to determine what you want in focus: background, foreground, usually a person's eyes, or one person in front of another. (See depth of field and camera instructions for focus). Some digital camera allows you to fill the frame with the foreground (a bush for example), press the shutter half way (locking the focus), then frame the shot with the background (playground for example) and take the picture. This would make the bush in focus and the playground out of focus. The reverse is also correct. Filling the frame with the playground and pressing the shutter release half way, composing the shot to include the bush, and taking the picture - would allow the background in focus and the bush out of focus. To keep the focus, stay the same distance from the subject as when you "locked" the focus.

  1. Depth: Photographs are two-dimensional. To make images more real and alive we try to give the illusion of depth. Helpful hints: avoid shooting people up against a wall, pull them away from the wall, have them stand with a room or field behind them. Light the subject or have them be the brightest object. Or, if you're shooting a building, shoot it at an angle (from the corner) and have some branches be in the shot - close, yet out of focus (to add an element of foreground depth). 
Foreground - the part of the photo that is closest to the camera - the branches in front of a park scene.
Background - the part of the photo that is farthest from the camera - the mountains behind a park scene.
* Either can be in focus and thus the point or reason for the photograph.
Avoid shadows across faces by putting light and reflected light on the front of the subject. See "lighting hints."
 


  1. Depth of Field: This is the portion of the photograph that is in clear sharp focus. How much of the picture is crisp? To get lots of the photo in focus have lots of light and have the subject farther away from the camera. You may want to have a shallow depth of field (only the subjects eyes in focus, for example) then you would decrease the light and move the subject closer to the camera.

Can you guess which part is the Depth of Field?
  1. Contrast: Variety adds to your photograph. The subject should be the lightest area of the screen because our eyes are drawn to light. The background behind them should be darker. Placing the sun behind you will assist you in getting good lighting.


  1. Exposure:  Exposure is the amount of light entering the camera.  A picture looks its best with proper light and exposure.  Usually the camera gives automatic exposure. As you get more comfortable with the camera, try manually controlling the lights and exposure to get the best pictures.



  1. Framing:  Fill the screen with the main object. Get a tight shot of your subject.

Notice how the Sunflower fills the shot.

Camera Composition
  1. Headroom: Enough room for the subject's head. Space around their head yet not too much. Too low in the frame (too much headroom) makes them appear short. Not enough headroom makes them look tall and scrunched. Correct headroom gives the subject just enough space around their head to make them look comfortable. 

Not Enough Headroom


Perfect Headroom
  1. Eye placement:  Should be in the top third of the screen (see rule of thirds).  You want the viewer not to notice the camera-work so, make it look natural and standard.


  1. Avoid Distractions:  Keep the photo as basic as possible. Also, look to see what else is in the screen that you may not want there. Are there distracting lines, lights, objects? Clear them out by moving either your camera or your subject. Be aware of light poles, phone lines or antlers that appear to be coming out of people's heads.

Notice the Poles in the Back?  Too Many Distractions!
  1. Avoid "floating heads":   Don't cut people off at the neck - or body joints, this is disconcerting to the viewer.



  1. Give "look-space"/ walking room:  This is space in the frame that is in front of their eyes that allows them room to look or walk. So they don't look like they will bump into the edge of the photograph.

Good Example of Look-Space & Walking Room

Camera Angle
The best place to put the camera for a neutral feeling about the subject is at their eye level.
  1. High angle: In relation to subject placing the camera lower than the subject gives the feeling that the subject is tall or powerful. The viewer is "looking up" to the subject. (For example: a king, president or respected elder).


  1. Low angle: Placing the camera above the subject gives the viewer the feeling that the subject is small or diminutive. The viewer is "looking down" on the subject.



  1. Distance to subject: If the subject is farther away, they appear smaller and also of less importance. Similarly, if the subject is closer to the camera, the subject is bigger in the photo and seems more important. Closer brings out detail - the viewer can see the person's face and expressions.

Rule of Thirds
  1. A pleasing photograph divides the screen into areas - similar to the old game of tic, tac, toe. Where the lines intersect are the best locations to place key objects (or the eyes of a person).


Sample:  This shot has depth and is a wonderful example of headroom, good lighting and placing the eyes in the upper third of the screen.



Notice how when the picture is divided into thirds the balance remains the same throughout the thirds, and the eyes of the man are situated almost directly in the center of the top third.

ShotsTo make your final product more interesting (and informative) include a variety of pictures (shots). Shot sizes range from extreme long shots (person far away), to extreme close ups (just their eyes). Samples:
  1. ELS = Extreme Long Shot (person in surroundings)
  1. LS = Long Shot (whole body)

  1. MS = medium shot (waist up)

  1. MCU = Medium close-up (mid chest up)

  1. CU = Close-up (head and shoulders)

  1. ECU = Extreme Close-up (face - or eyes!)

  1. OTS = Over the Shoulder

  1. Single = one person in the frame

  1. 2-Shot = two people in the frame

  1. 3-Shot = three people in the frame 

Taken from:
http://photoinf.com/General/ITRC_UMT/Composition_Basics_-_How_to_Get_Good_Pictures/Composition_Basics.htm
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