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June 9th, 2008
| Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen, putting in a water garden, or refinishing an antique car, you’ll want to record it—not just the before and after, but each step along the way. |
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Tell a story
Take a sequence of pictures that conveys the main points of the project—tearing down a wall, digging a hole, framing a wall. Include all the steps. Make a sequence by standing in the same spot and taking a series of pictures from the same vantage point at various stages of the project. Who knows, that magazine just might want to do a story on your project! |
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Start with a “before” shot
Don’t forget to take a picture of your starting point before you begin any work. You’ll be amazed how plain the lawn looked before that garden was there. |
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Include people
Don’t just show the project in its stages; include pictures of people at work. Projects that are accomplished by magic only happen in storybooks. |
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Show details
Take close-ups of the final product or along the way of hands putting in a screw, goldfish being released, or a paintbrush putting on the finishing touches. |
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Shoot at different angles
Vary the level of your viewpoint. Kneel or crouch down, or stand on something sturdy, and see how a different angle can dramatically change the appearance of your subject. |
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Fill the frame
For a close-up view of small objects or details, shoot at your camera’s closest focusing distance. Some cameras have a close-up (or “macro”) setting or accept accessory close-up lenses. Check the camera manual. If the subject still isn’t big enough, you can crop and enlarge it on a Kodak picture maker. With a digital camera, shoot at the highest resolution and then crop the picture in the computer. |
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Camera up
Point your camera where action is likely to happen. Keep your viewfinder near your eye and your finger over the shutter button so you’ll be ready for the moment. |
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Take lots of pictures
The pros know how hard it is to capture great action. That’s why they take hundreds of shots to get one perfect photo. Use your camera’s burst mode to get a series of pictures within seconds of each other. |
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Get close
Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance. |
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Be invisible
Try to fit into the environment, so that your subjects don’t get self-conscious. Try shooting some images with your camera at waist level to avoid drawing attention to it. |
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Include a strong point of interest
Your eye needs a place to rest in the picture, so include something of interest—a clump of colorful flowers, a cloud in the sky, a mountain, a tree, a boat. |
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Include an interesting object in the foreground
A branch, a boulder, a fence—include an object in the foreground to add depth to your picture. |
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Place the point of interest off-center
The picture will be more interesting if the horizon or your point of interest is not in the center of the picture. Put the horizon a third of the way down from the top (or up from the bottom) of the frame, or the subject a third of the way in from the left or right. Experiment until you find a composition that appeals to you. |
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Include people for scale
The cliff may not look all that big, especially in a photo—until you put a person next to it. In some scenes, including a person adds a sense of awe by showing the sheer size of your subject. |
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Use lines to lead the eye
Lines, such as a road, a river, or a fence, direct attention into your picture. Select a spot or an angle where major lines in the scene lead your eye toward the main center of interest. |
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Wait for the right light
The best light is in the early morning, shortly after sunrise, or late afternoon when the sun is low. Noonday sunlight is harsh and less appealing, so if you have the option, take pictures early or late in the day. |
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Take pictures, even in bad weather
Don’t let rainy days discourage you from taking pictures. Polished by the rain, colors seem to glow. On overcast days, try to include a spot of color to brighten your picture. |
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Turn off your flash
For more effective lighting when you’re outside in dim light and your subject isn’t within FLASH RANGE(more than about 10 feet away), turn off your flash and capture the scene in the exsisting light. Hold your camera extra steady or use a tripod, and be sure to use a high-speed film if you have a film camera. |
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Avoid distractions
Is there a trash can in the foreground? A telephone wire overhead? Check everything in the viewfinder and reposition yourself to eliminate distractions. |
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June 6th, 2008
| For many people, dim lighting makes for difficult picture-taking. But it is also an opportunity for exciting pictures. So when the clouds roll in at the picnic or the stage curtain rises, you’ll be ready to create pictures that shine. |
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Hold the camera extra steady
To avoid blurry pictures, brace your camera on a railing, the back of a chair or a table, or against a column or tree. This helps keep the camera from moving and blurring the pictures. Or use a pocket or full-size tripod. |
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Wait for the action to slow
If your subject is moving, wait for it to slow down or stop before you take the picture. |
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Turn off your flash
For more effective lighting when you’re outside in dim light and your subject isn’t within flash range (more than about 10 feet away), turn off your flash and capture the scene in the exsiting light Hold your camera extra steady or use a tripod,, and be sure to use a high-speed film if you have a film camera. |
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Use a dim-light film
A dim-light film (also known as fast or high-speed film) is extra sensitive to light so you can get good pictures in very dim light. Use a film rated at 400, 800, or higher, such as Kodak Ultra Max 400 or 800 film. |
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Stay within the flash range
The typical digital camera flash range is 6 to 10 feet, up to 15 feet for film cameras. Subjects that are outside the flash range will be either too dark or too light. Check the camera manual and make sure your subject is within the flash range. |
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Press the shutter button smoothly
To avoid blurry pictures, don’t jab the shutter button and jar the camera. Press it gently and smoothly so your pictures are sharp. |
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Maui Photography Tip- Shoot a project
