Composition…A Science? Part II

Hiiiiiiiiii *sheepish smile* So it’s NOT quite tomorrow but two days later lol smh (busy busy) …I’m hie now*fake British accent* 🙂 …We were talking about shot composition-the science of it last time–but before that, SUSS…well, not really lol I was leaving TV Production class today and my lecturer, Franklyn ‘Chappie’ St Juste spotted my photography bible 😉 ”The Photographer’s Manual: How to get the best picture everytime, with any kind of camera’ in my hand and he was like “Oh, you’re doing a photography course?” real interested and stuff and I’m like, “No…just reading because I’m interested in photography…” and we went on to have a conversation and…guess what…………… he offered to TEACH me photography!!! *Heavens open and angelic fanfare begin* lol Like, how cool is that!!!??? Like, (I really need to stop using that word as punctuation tsk), yeah, like (tsk) one of my dreams is to become a film maker and Chappie’s among the best (if not the best) and most celebrated film makers in this region and yes, he lectures me but to have him tutor me, one-on-one in photography is like *Heavens open and angelic fanfare begin* (God is good) Awesome stuff I tell you 😀 Awesome!…..so, as I was saying, shot composition Useful-to-know-if-you’re-really-into-photography tips about Shot Composition cont’d…

Using the Background

Much like the foreground, the background can enhance a scene but as with Mr. Foreground, you must be careful to not have Mr. Background thinking he’s the main attraction at the party. 😉 On the converse though, Mr. Background can’t be too dull and uninteresting as this may leave you with an overall boring picture. The perfect balance has to be attained; Mr Background has to be like the host’s (focal point of the picture’s) new lover who’s a TAD bit younger so that he garner’s interest and curiosity but the bulk of our attention still stays with the host. LOL *I kill myself* heeehehe but yeah, u get the picture. 🙂

Details to note about Backgrounds

1 Does the background behind a human subject represent anything about the person’s work or environment?

2 Are the background colours harmonious or unusual in some way? Do they help to make a cohesive whole?

3 Does the sky appear in the background. Always seek to keep clouds clear and shown in great detail.

Choosing A Viewpoint

The viewpoint is the position from which the photograph is  taken. The viewpoint, through the use of angles, directly influences the level of drama apparent in a shot and the depth and interest a shot holds for the viewer. Feel free to experiment with different angles – it’s art and interpretation – not strictly a science- actually, not a science at all…

GO FORTH AND CAPTURE EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHS! 🙂

For more information, you may see

Freeman, J. (2007). The photographer’s manual: how to get the best picture every time, with any kind of camera. Hermes House. London.

Remember to visit http://photojourney.shutterchance.com to see some DARN good photos taken by moi (and leave a comment-lemme know what u think or if I’m the only one who thinks my pictures are DARN good) lol  Thankies for supporting

*Deuces*

❤ Tomz

 

Composition…a Science? Part I

I FEEL. I feel energies, I feel rightness and wrongness (of course I know those aren’t words-I feel them though 😉 lol), I feel music, I feel good literature…and I feel photography. I know I have a great shot not because I see it or deliberately set it up, but because I feel it – can I tell you? *whisper* The shots that I actually attempt to manipulate come out horribly – they just lack depth and soul and I HATE them! smh… I FEEL when I have the correct exposure and when the foreground, background and focal point of my picture are in harmony…..I’m a feeler! lol I’m not a technical, detail person AT ALL but…if YOU are, here are some Useful-To-Know-If-You’re-Really-Into-Photography Tips about Shot Composition

There seems to be a NUMBER of things to bear in mind and keep track of if you’re into the “Science of Photography” …boy am I glad I’m into the “Art of Photography” lol – Anyhoo, here goes,

General Areas To Be Considered When Composing A Shot

1 The Centre of Interest – decide the element/object you wish to make the focal point of your photograph and decide what viewpoint it is best shot from to give your desired result/effect.

2 Possible Distractions or Intrusions – take careful note of your potential picture, the focal point/centre of interest, foreground and background, and remove any object that may detract from the focal point of your picture.

3 Enhancing the Foreground – it is important to decide whether there may be anything that could be added to the foreground to make it  more interesting without detracting from the centre of interest of your picture.

The Foreground

The foreground can make or break your picture – according to the experts. 🙂 The foreground can be used to frame your point of interest or as a tool to lead the eye into the centre of interest of the photo.

Using the Foreground as a Disguise

Foregrounds are sometimes used to hide uninvited to guests who decide to go ‘photocrashing’ and just HAD to start with your photo. 0_o Bastards lol Really though, if you have any unwanted intruders in the middle or background of your photo, call Mr. Foreground and he’ll throw them out. 🙂 You have to be careful though, cuz Mr. Foreground could very well believe it’s his party and try to do some dominating of his own.

OBJECTS in the Foreground

Objects in the foreground can add interest to a piece, BUUUUT, you have to be super duper careful with its exposure in relation to the rest of the picture. You don’t want an object in the foreground that’s shadowy and seems to be a big dark blob (like a mobster) in your otherwise beautifully lit, well composed shot (I personally think it could work depending on what you’re feeling and envisioning for the piece and exactly what you want the piece to say), however, the men who write books say if you have an object in the foreground that’s shadowy, try to correct it using a reflector or fill in flash – and be sure that the object doesn’t fill the frame too much – that thing I said about Mr. Foreground thinking he’s the main attraction at the party, yeah… poor soul. smh 🙂

That’s it for now, m’daahlings 🙂 Look out for “Composition…a Science? Part II” tomorrow (Backgrounds and Viewpoint)

For more information, you may see

Freeman, J. (2007). The photographer’s manual: how to get the best picture every time, with any kind of camera. Hermes House. London.

Remember to visit http://photojourney.shutterchance.com to see some DARN good photos taken by moi (and leave a comment-lemme know what u think or if I’m the only one who thinks my pictures are DARN good) lol  Thankies for supporting 

*Deuces* 

❤ Tomz

 

Black and White – It’s Classic :-)

I LOOOOOOOOVE Black and White (herein after referred to as B&W) pictures! They have, THE most awesome quality, they have such character and depth-they speak to a body, I tell you…how can you NOT be in love with B&W photography? *sigh* smh …In my humble opinion, if a photographer does B&W well, he is a true artist. B&W imagery is more of an interpretation of a scene and can so much more aptly tell a story and evoke emotion…all of this in my humble opinion. 🙂

Anyhoo, here are some Useful-To-Know-If-You’re-Really-Into-Photography Facts about those classic Black and Whites

The story told in B&W utilizes texture and tone to create the picture. The tonal range from black through white is known as the grey scale…a B&W print where most of the tones are from the extremes of the scale – without any mid tones – is referred to as high contrast print. If these tones are mostly toward the white end, it is called a high key picture. A picture where most of the tones are near the black end of the scale is a low key print and one that uses the full range of tones is called a full tone print.

It is not necessary to use light filters for black and white films. You may add coloured filters however, to add interest to your piece.

When shooting B&W,  use the lowest possible ISO possible. (For those of you who have no clue about what ISO is, lemme tell you, 🙂 – I learnt it today! Yay me! lol) ISO is abbreviation for International Standards Organization and refers to the speed the speed at which the object is captured onto the film. ISO – International Standards Organization speeds range from 25, the slowest to 1600 (and beyond). The slower the film, the finer the grain and sharpness and the greater the saturation and contrast. The opposite becomes true for the faster film; the result would be very grainy. Therefore, the advice to shoot black and white with film with a lower ISO, unless of course you are going for the feel of the grainy – it’s art, it works. 🙂

A notable B&W photographer to study is Ansel Adams. Michael Mironov is worth a look up as well (Y).

For more information see

Freeman, J. (2007). The photographer’s manual: how to get the best picture every time, with any kind of camera. Hermes House. London.

Remember to visit http://photojourney.shutterchance.com to see some DARN good photos taken by moi 🙂 (and leave a comment-lemme know what u think or if I’m the only one who thinks my pictures are DARN good) lol  Thankies for supporting 🙂

*Deuces* 🙂

❤ Tomz

 

Pride Cometh Before a Fall

The door of an old, abandoned Mercedes Benz in my yard.

More pictures at photojourney.shutterchance.com 🙂

*Deuces* 🙂

❤ Tomz