Intro to Photography:

The most important camera is the one in your head. Your ability to “see” a photograph before you take it is more important than the gear you use. Your camera doesn’t matter. A famous quote says “the job of the camera is to get out of the way of making the photograph.” Composition and framing are two of the most important elements in making a photo.

Composition:

“Composition is the pleasant arrangement of elements within a frame which give the most powerful ability to attract the eye, and to keep it exploring within the frame for as long as possible.” (Ken Rockwell)

Good composition often means simplifying the photo. Get rid of anything within the frame that is distracting from the subject. Often this can be fire extinguishers on the wall, signs, power poles, or trash cans in the background. Move around your subject and try shots from many different angles until you find one with an uncluttered background. If something isn’t adding anything of value to the photo, it is taking away from it.

Look at thumbnails of your photos; the ones with good composition should stick out from the others. If it is a good photo, even seeing it from far away it should catch your attention.

“A wimpy image (one with a lot of random stuff in it) is a poor image. The strong image that says “Pick Me!” is the simplest and best balanced possible image. You need to organize the stuff within your image so it makes sense to every viewer who wasn’t there with you at the scene, otherwise your photos will stink.” (Ken Rockwell)

Framing:

Framing is choosing how much or how little to include within the frame of the photo. This comes second to composition. Remember:  You can always crop later, but you can’t go back and add things to a photo.

 Don’t be a “sniper” photographer –where the subject is always dead center in the photo. Try framing the subject closer to one side of the frame or the other. In most cases, you want the subject looking towards the open side of the frame.

Don’t be afraid to get in close to your subject and fill the frame with them. Try taking some shots with your camera turned vertically when shooting people. Be careful not to cut off the tops of heads, hands/fingers, and feet.

Shooting a set of photos:

The most important thing to remember when shooting a set/slideshow is to include a variety of shots, including wide (overview) shots, medium shots, close in shots, and very close detail shots.

Start off with an overview of all the people at the meeting, for example. Then include a medium shot of two people greeting each other and shaking hands. Then get a close in shot of the speaker where their head and torso fill the entire frame of the photo.

Tips & thoughts:

•  Only consider using at most your best 10% of photos. If you want ten photos for a set, you should be shooting a minimum of 100 photos. I cannot stress enough to shoot more, shoot more, shoot more.
• Move around as much as possible. Take shots from all sides. Take some from higher if possible, some from lower. Try unique perspectives and try shooting the subject with different backgrounds. Shoot some with flash and some without. If you subject is lower than you, try to get down on eye level.
• Getting sharper images is simple; hold the camera steady. Also, shooting more photos will ensure that at least one will be sharp and in focus, even in low light situations.
• Get closer on portraits, have the subject fill almost the entire frame, but watch for cutting off hands, tops of heads, etc.
• It has been said that a portrait is really a portrait of the eyes. Make sure the eyes of your subject are visible and well lit.
• Take your time. Somebody who takes snapshots does not give much thought to the composition of the photo. A photographer thinks about how the subject fits into the background, and how balanced the photo will look. Simplify the photo by removing as much clutter from the background before making the photo.
• Practice shooting people. Get comfortable with shooting strangers up close. The beginner photographer is afraid to get close to their subject. They shoot from far away, and the subject is too small in the photo. Get up close, and then get up ever closer. Be obscene about it.
• If your subject has dark skin, hair, or clothes; try to shoot thing against a lighter background to give good separation between the subject and background. If the subject has light skin, hair, or clothes; try shooting them against a dark background for separation.
• Almost all cameras have a white balance setting. Are your photos too orange indoors? Choose the incandescent/indoors setting on your camera. Are your photos to greenish? Try the fluorescent setting on your camera (if you have one). If you are shooting in shade or on a cloudy day, most cameras, even point and shoots, have setting for shade or cloudy. This will bring out more color in your photos.
• Wait for the defining moment. That one moment that conveys emotion. The photo that tells the story visually, often through the facial expressions of the subject. Patience is key to getting the perfect photo.

Additional reading/viewing:

Ken Rockwell — Composition http://kenrockwell.com/tech/composition.htm

Ken Rockwell – What makes a great photo http://kenrockwell.com/tech/basics.htm

Zack Aries – A great portfolio critique