Photography Basics

The modern camera is capable of super many things.
It can work out the best recommended exposure;
In P('Professional' Mode) Pun Intended is selects
a suitable shutter speed or aperture along
with alot of other functions. On yea, it even helps you to focus too!
However useful these functions are in helping you get your
perfect picture. There is one thing a camera
cannot do is compose your picture for you.
It does not have any idea what you are trying to achieve
or what you want to shoot so you have to do it yourself.

Composition.
If you are using an 'auto-everything' camera like a 35mm compact
or program mode (P Mode) in your SLR then what you have to do is
basically
is composing your photographs. Sadly no one tell you how to take
a great picture as to some degree it comes down to your own ability to
'see' a picture or the potential to create a picture.

However there are loads of rules and techniques you can use to improve
the
final look of your photographs. Lets take a look at a few of the more
popular,
effective and easy to understand techniques that you will be able to
start using right away.

There are 3 basic ways to arrange the elements within your composition.

* Physically move objects. Only really works with still life
photography or if you are Hercules.
* Tell people to move!
* Move yourself! The best zoom you will ever have are your own
legs! (Where applicable)

The 3rd is probably the easiest but yet most people forget and grow
roots.
How often have you think to yourself That will make a GREAT PICTURE!
then you snap away and take your photograph. I bet more than 90% of your
pictures are shot this way!
You are most welcome to do that. However right after doing this,
please walk around
and see if you can improve your original picture from a different
perspective.I guarantee
that you will be surprising yourself. And this will greatly help in
horning your 'creative eye' too!

Always Try to Fill the frame.
Most of the time, what we see with our eyes and what is actually
captured on frame are
pretty different pictures. This is the part where you really have to
train yourself to see and
to feel and know what makes a good picture. Mostly we our perspective
and the camera's
perspective are different because the lens is fixed. Our eyes rove
around all the time! Unless
you are a zombie!

Frame is loose... n boring..

Filling in the frame makes the subject look much better

So USE THAT ZOOM!!!
So... moving on....
The Best way to fix this problem is to fill the frame with your subject.
Move closer! Use the best zoom u got! Make sure that the space around
your subject is not too distracting snatching attention away from them!
How often have you seen street lamps, buildings and what not growing
our from the top of your beautiful subject? More times than most of us care to admit I bet!

Always remember, our world is 3 dimensional, Photographs are 2 dimensional.

The pole that sticks out of that background in our 3D world will look like it grew out of someone's head in 2D world... till the next time...