PhotoMeetups.com Blog » The Right—and Left—Way to Create Great Images
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The Right—and Left—Way to Create Great Images
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The Right—and Left—Way to Create Great Images Photographer/educator Chris Golson, founder of Chris Golson’s Photography Adventures (www.chrisgolson.com/workshop), has cultivated a following with his right brain/left-brain awareness. By left brain, Golson means the logic and science of photography—knowing how to operate your camera, having an idea of lighting basics, and picking subjects that make sense for framing within a lens. By right brain, he means the subjective feeling or personality of an image, which can involve everything from lighting to placement of subjects to background effect. Golson offers 6 tips for satisfying your left and right brain and making great images. 1. Invest in a really good lens
Quality Lenses Count Lower-quality lenses perform well enough in the mid-range f/8 aperture, but tend to distort at larger or smaller aperture settings. Be sure to select a lens that suits your needs—such as portraiture—and when possible, consider investing in three lenses: one for portraiture, one for zooming, and one wide-angle unit. Lens technology has improved greatly in the past few years, so examine the new antiglare coatings. For an excellent lens review study, visit http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews.
2. Capture the light
Capture the light Effective lighting is key to creating beautiful images. If you don’t rely on a light meter, then shoot during the special hours of the day: two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. Light is far less harsh during those times because the sun’s rays must travel a greater distance to reach that point on the planet. As a result, skin tones are warmer and often have a soft glow, and shadows fall away from the object. Whether you’re shooting portraits or landscapes, shadows won’t interfere with important elements in the frame.
3. Avoid AUTO exposure
backgrounds
white chemicals
Avoid Auto Exposure
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PhotoMeetups.com Blog » The Right—and Left—Way to Create Great Images
Digital cameras have a major drawback: internal light meters. Don’t rely on the camera’s AUTO exposure when your subject is very bright or very dark. For instance, family shots taken during winter break, bright seaside images, and graphic cobblestone streets shot on summer holiday. The camera gets confused because it works by reading the light level coming through the camera then compares it to a built-in reference, known as 18 percent gray. In bright areas, such as snowdrifts, the meter will bring the light level down, making the snow look dirty. In dark areas, such as night scenes, the meter may bring the light level up, giving a late-night shot a muddy appearance. Many cameras have a compensation mechanism called the exposure level, or AV or EV, to override these actions, but can typically handle five to eight stops of light before the internal meter kicks in. DSLRs typically have a wider range than point-and-shoot cameras.
4. Simplify the background
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photography equipment focus to
lighting mistakes meetups printer lighting workshops
Simplify the background Whenever shooting portraits or group shots, don’t let a background compete with your vision. Place your subject against a neutral, simple background. If that’s not an option, consider adjusting your depth of field to softly blur the background. This will put a spark of interest in the back, while drawing all eyes to the subject. Also, consider the number of subjects you have in the frame. A portrait can consist of more than one person, but watch the count. It’s easy to “read” shots with one, two, or three people, but photos with more than three people become congested and too busy to enjoy.
5. Follow the eye’s path
Follow the eye's path
As you set up your shot, pay attention to detail and anticipate how your viewer’s eye will travel through the final image. Eyes always go to the light parts first, so construct an image that’s logical and easy to follow. Don’t create too many competing focus areas.
6. Keep your distance . . . or not Vary your distance to introduce a new mood or tension to the image. Shoot close up, medium, and long distance. Experiment to see what makes the best image. Consider shifting the subject a bit off-center, a look often used in documentary films. Above all, plan your shots. While digital has made experimentation fun and inexpensive, a little methodical planning will save you time when you’re back at the computer deciding what to print and share.
Keep your distance...or not
Article by Alice B. Miller Alice B. Miller is the founder and principal of Plum Communications Inc. (www.plumcomm.com), a Long Island, NYbased editorial services and marketing-communications company that supports the photo industry. Formerly editor of Studio Photography magazine, Alice has a growing clientele that includes photographers, manufacturers, publications and associations. She is the director of public relations for the International Photographic Council and an
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PhotoMeetups.com Blog » The Right—and Left—Way to Create Great Images
10/11/09 5:44 PM
publications and associations. She is the director of public relations for the International Photographic Council and an advisory board member of NyghtFalcon photography studios. Share and Enjoy:
Tags: backgrounds, cameras, digital photography, equipment, exposure, how-to, images, lenses, light, subject This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Alice's Articles, Photography How -To. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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