Photography by Amy
Creative Photography Introductory Class My Equipment All images that I took in this guide were taken with the Canon Rebel T3 and either the Canon EFS 18-55mm lens/image stabilizer or the Canon 50mm fixed lens (for portraits) Sources: Mom*tog, Picablog (Stephanie Glover), Canon.com
Lesson One: Technically Speaking‌
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Let’s Review 1. You want a fuzzy background…do you set your ‘A’ (aperture) to a high number or a low number?
2. It is a sunny day. You are taking a picture that you may want to blow up to 20x30. Do you set your ISO to 200 or 800? ________ Why?
3. It is an overcast day and you are taking portraits of your kids. You don’t want to think about aperture or ISO, you just want to enjoy shooting them. Do you set it to the green rectangle or ‘P’? Why?
Lesson Two: Lighting Is EVERYTHNG!!!
Lesson 3: GET CREATIVE We all tend to try to get the entire subject in a picture. What we forget most often is the little details of our little ones…the way their wrists used to have such deep creases that they looked like they had rubber bands around them…the wrinkles on their little toes…how cute their tiny hangnails were…that little curl at the nape of their neck before their 1st haircut. Today’s lesson will teach you how to capture those little, precious moments/things.
GET CLOSE To capture small moments, GET CLOSE! Look at this picture of Zachary after he lost his tooth.
. I got close enough to capture the space where the old tooth used to be, but far away enough to include ‘Brownie’ the cow, his expression, and the location (baseball field).
My next shot GOT CLOSER. Now I can see in detail which tooth it was and even the detail of the new tooth coming in already!
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POINT OF VIEW When we think of taking a picture of someone/something, we typically have them face us, stand in front of them, tilt our heads forward to ‘look down’, then shoot. Try something different to get even better shots, change your point of view!
Worm’s eye view
Bird’s eye view
If you can’t move around (restricted space, baby cries when you get too far away), change the angle of your camera. Take some horizontal, some vertical, then slightly cock your camera a little for a professional effect.
Great Sites: photographybyamy.smugmug.com (ideas)
picasa (download to your hard drive and use to make simple edits like lighting your exposure to create a portrait effect)
picmonkey (editing)
momtog.com (great tips and ideas) – MANY of what I will hand out comes from her site!
http://digital-photography-school.com/
pinterest (join and type in children, baby, family photography and every day you will receive new ideas and tips)
google picablog You can just choose some tutorials, or like them on facebook for updates. Their 365 project is awesome!!!
More to learn about: Leading Lines Leading lines are used to draw the viewer’s eye through a photograph. These can be unintentional, but, in most cases, very intentional! Every photograph tells a story. Leading lines help your viewer go through your story. Leading lines come in a variety of forms: fences, bridges, bricks, shore lines, buildings. Really anything can be a leading line! Let’s take a look at some examples.
While I think they are both cute I much prefer the right over the left. Here’s why. The centered picture looks more like a snapshot. By stepping back and following the rule of thirds, it becomes a portrait. Let’s take a look at the right picture on the grid.
Thank you SO much for attending my class
I sincerely hope that it helps you understand your camera better and gives you the confidence to take your camera off auto every once in a while and fall in love with shooting photography. Everything I’ve taught in this class takes practice. It is KEY!!! It’s okay if you make mistakes…that’s why we all love digital! You can just delete your mistakes or go onto Picmonkey.com or Picasa and correct them! You will also learn from your mistakes. You will understand why your camera produces the images it does. You now know that if you are getting motion blur that you need to check your shutter spped to make sure it is not too low. You know that to get a great picture you need proper exposure and great light. Also, you know that a picture doesn’t have to be perfect to create a memory. Don’t get so wrapped up in getting a perfect exposure and miss a moment! Think back to pictures of your childhood…Too dark? Fuzzy? Overexposed? I know mine are, and I LOVE THEM! THEY ARE PRICELESS!!!! They are packed with memories and emotions from my past. I love taking pictures. I’m a photographer, it’s what I do. I think, whether you are a pro or a parent with a camera, you want to get the most out of your fancy camera and take beautiful pictures of your precious family. I also know that when Max and Zachary look back at the pictures of their childhood they won’t be looking at the white balance or lighting. I hope, as they look at the palethera of pictures of their lives, that they see a life full of fun, love, and family.
The perfect exposures, crisp images, and perfectly lit faces will come with practice. Those moments will come and go. So….keep shooting, keep learning, and HAVE FUN!
And remember, I’m only a phone call, email, or text away! Amy www.photographybyamy.smugmug.com
(315) 635-5462
text only: (315) 383-8958