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HP Digital Imagination 2007 is a fun and creative competition open to all primary and post-primary schools in Ireland. There are loads of fantastic prizes to be won and with a choice of themes to kick start your imagination, entering couldn’t be easier – so why not do it now! |
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Framing the rule of thirds. |
The best position to place your main subject when composing is usually one third from the top or bottom of the picture frame and a third in from either side. Experiment with placing your subject at different positions within the frame and see the difference in emphasis and effect.
Which way up - horizontal or vertical? |
When framing your subject experiment with holding your camera in a vertical and horizontal position and see which one works best for your photo. The vertical position is known as portrait format and is mostly used for photographing the face and the horizontal position is known as landscape, mostly used for photographing landscape.
Have different points of view. |
Photograph your subject from a low angle to add power and height to your subject then try a high angle looking down on your subject to diminish its scale and power.
Expand your view of things with a wide angle. |
The wide angle is great for taking pictures of panoramic views of landscape and cityscapes. You can also use it to show a person in relation to their work or living environment. However have you ever tried to photograph a person’s face using a wide angle? Try it and watch how the face takes on a new shape.
Using a telephoto lens or zoom on your camera will allow you to photograph situations where you cannot get close to your subject such as wildlife, sport or candid portraits. The focus will be on your subject and not the space around them. Watch out for camera shake though and use a prop such as a wall or tripod if you have one.
Catching the peak in action. |
To photograph action in sport try to catch the peak of the action. If you can change the shutter speed on your camera try these two techniques. To freeze the action set your camera to a fast shutter of at least 500th/sec. To make action seem faster, change your shutter speed to a slow speed of 30th/sec and pan your camera with the action. A fast speed film of 400ASA - 800ASA is very useful also as it allows more light into your camera. If using digital, your camera may allow you to make this change directly in the camera.
A common fault with photos is that the scene is either too bright or too dark. This is the result of either there being too much (over exposure) or too little light (under exposure) reaching the film or sensor in your camera. To avoid over exposure, point your camera more towards the brighter area of your scene or close your aperture down a stop to reduce the amount of light entering into your camera. For under exposure point your camera more towards the darker area of your scene or open your aperture up one stop to allow more light to enter.
Light up the time of day. |
Try taking pictures at different times of the day and see how the quality of light changes. Early morning and late evening light are generally good for creating softer, more low contrast images. The golden hour, usually about one hour before sunset, is a fantastic time for capturing warmer and richer colours. At midday the light quality is harsher and on a clear day images are contrast with deep shadows.
Get the most out of weather. |
You don't have to wait for sunny days to take pictures outdoors. Make the most of misty, foggy and hazy days to create atmospheric and mysterious type of photos.
Avoiding getting red in the eye. |
Red eye is created when the flash is reflected back from the person’s retina to the camera. It is most likely to happen when photographing in dark environments. Some cameras have a red eye reduction mode on the camera to reduce this or ask the person you’re photographing to look slightly away from the camera.
Using the built in flash on your camera to photograph a portrait can give you the result of lighting your subject to reveal detail but flatten any appearance of depth and atmosphere. Try putting tracing paper over your flash to diffuse its intensity or if you have a separate flash unit, point it towards the ceiling to bounce light on to your subject.
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Fun with colour filters - |
Make your own colour filters by using transparent coloured sweet wrappers and place them over your lens with a rubber band. Using a red and yellow filter can make a black & white image look very dramatic.
Add a touch of softness - |
Wrap the front of your lens with a layer of cling film and smear some petroleum jelly on the edges to create a soft effect around your photo.
Place your subject in front of a strong backlight to create a silhouette. This happens naturally in the evening when the sun is setting so choose to photograph a subject in the foreground to be the silhouette.
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