Photography powerpoint

Some ideas and techniques that are essential when taking a good photograph:

•Shot distance

•Use of tilt

•Shot composition

•Eye line

•Tone

•Composition

•Line

•Colour, including vivid, primary and monochromatic colour

•Texture, and hints on creating texture

•Patterns and hints on capturing patterns

 

Shot distance types

ELS/LS Good for showing the insignificance of character or for showing characters as powerless within an overpowering environment. Also good for establishing location

MLS/MS – good for showing movement or for  a balanced tracking of characters and their environment

MCU/CU – good for portraiture or for

Moving image interviews

BCU/ECU Good for showing the significance of character or for showing characters as powerful. Also highly useful drawing attention to character emotions

Tilt up shot (Low angle) – used to convey power or dominance

Tilt down shot  (high angle)– used to convey vulnerability or weakness of person in shot and to demonstrate dominance of  point of view

 

Tone

 

•Control of tones, including variations of light and dark, emphasising important parts of the image, and colour, generally set the ‘mood’ of your photograph.

•Tone control can be used to emphasise the shapes of the most important elements in your image.

Photographic/moving image techniques

Composition

 

•You need to think very carefully about how you compose a photograph.

•Many photographers place their subject in the middle of the photograph, which can often result in a dull image.

 

•Use of off centre composition can create a focal point

Lines

•Lines are useful for emphasising and leading the viewer towards a main area or subject.

•They may also divide up the picture space into segments, which vary in size and shape. The shape of lines and their general pattern can strongly influence the mood of the photograph.

•You can easily control the appearance of lines in your pictures by camera viewpoint.

Using colour

•Taking control of the way in which colour is used in your photos is a key way of improving your images

•Keep your eyes open for vibrant coloured subjects, but also look for delicate coloured subjects and ones with muted tones

•Colour Sells. Bright, bold colours are used on magazine covers, so choose or plan the shots that you will take when producing your magazine cover

Red, yellow and blue can always be relied upon to make an impact, especially combined with sunlight.

 

 

This image shows the primary colours combined with sunlight, and it has made a very clear and vibrant image

It can also work well to use just one or two colours within a picture, such shots often have an intensity and sense of harmony. These sunflowers  has a sense of harmony and intensity which is often lacking in more conventional photographs

Textures

•Most of the time when we are taking photographs we think about the subject, but there is another way of approaching picture-taking, which involves thinking beyond the subject and looking at it in terms of textures and patterns.

•Photography is especially effective at conveying the impression of texture. This is a quality which can be extremely powerful close-up.

•Direction, height and the quality of lighting make a big difference to the appearance of textures.

 

 

Hints on creating texture

•A critically sharp image is a vital factor in enhancing the effect of the texture in a photograph.

•It is best to use a tripod to eliminate the risk of camera shake

•You should also make sure that the subject you choose is small enough to provide enough depth of field for all the important details to rendered sharply

•As a rule, subjects with bold, deeply indented textured surfaces will be more effective when lit with a soft light, whereas those with  a more subtle texture need less diffused and more acutely angled light to enhance it.

 
Patterns

• Harsh light and shadow can reveal the shape of something so well that it is unnecessary to actually show the subject itself.

•Patterns are frequently caused by the effect of shadows.

•Patterns are also created when a distinctive shape is repeated within the image and it can have a powerful impact when used as part of a composition

Hints of capturing patterns

•To exploit fully the shape of a subject you must ensure there is a good tonal or colour constant between the subject and the background.

•Lighting can help to create bold shapes when the subject is lit more strongly than its background, or when it is backlit so that the halo of light defines its outline.

People

•Photographs of people and children are the most common form of photography.

•One of the key things to consider is whether you want the person to pose for the shot, or whether a ‘candid’ photograph would be better so that your subjects are unaware of you and your camera.