Member Articles

Three Articles available:
      +Composition Essentials in Photography by Gene Rimmer
      +Post-Production techniques to improve your image
  +Flash Photography by Dennis Ruga

Composition Essentials in Photography
by Gene Rimmer

Though we refer to them as rules, the following are guidelines to help photographers produce better images. Every image cannot contain every element listed here. And remember, rules can be broken and a wonderful photograph produced, but it is important to know how to take the guidelines and apply them or ignore them intelligently and purposefully. If you do not know what to look for in your image to make it better, you can’t improve on your work . Some issues are more important than others in a particular photograph. Composition essentially means a good placement or arrangement of the subject(s) of the image. The photo shows harmonious proportions and a dynamic symmetry in the placement of the most important objects plus attention to details. The following points help to explain this concept further.

The "Famous" Rule of Thirds

Picture a Tic-Tac-Toe layout of two lines dividing a frame horizontally and two lines dividing it vertically. "The Rule of Thirds" holds that your main subject should be placed on or near one of the four points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect. This does not need to be done exactly or inflexibly, but it tends to create a more interesting, dynamic, and visually appealing photograph. The rule also favors a one-third, two-thirds balance between background (or foreground) and subject. For example, usually the horizon of a landscape does not look best centered. The same applies to vertical compositions.

Viewpoint

Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo. Rather than just shooting from your first position and at eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on. As a general rule, shooting something like children or small animals should be done at their eye level. A more unique shot can be gained in an image if a subject is photographed from an unusual angle instead of just the usual viewpoint. So definitely consider using your feet, at least initially, rather than your zoom lens. Pretend you’re shooting with a big 4x5 view camera with heavy film plates, so rather than firing many shots and hoping for the best. Weigh your choices carefully. Changing your perspective and angle of view will change the relationship of the foreground and background elements differently than zooming your lens can do. Getting closer will create more depth than the compression of elements which happens when using a long focal length. Finding the right angle from which to shoot can make or break a photograph, so spend plenty of time moving around and making conscious decisions about your placement and your focal length.

Center of Interest

There should usually be a dominance of primary subject matter so that one center of interest prevails. A group of flowers may not hold as much interest as that a single primary subject surrounded by more subtle objects. Your attention is usually drawn to the lightest or most colorful area. The center of interest should always be in sharp focus. For a person or an animal, the eyes are the most crucial. The image may be complex and entertain good eye movement throughout, but the primary subject should bring the attention back to itself. Also, the human mind finds that odd numbers like 1, 3, 5, etc. create more satisfying tension and interest than do even numbers.

Background

Watch it! Depending on your subject, the background can help the eye focus on the main center of interest, or it can be very distracting. There generally needs to be a point of focus for the eye to go to. Having a darker background, possibly out of focus, can bring the eye to the primary subject. Vignetting, or framing with darker tones, is also a way of keeping attention within the frame. Lens focal length strongly impacts how the background is perceived. In a broad landscape, a wide-angle lens may help in showing all of the scene desirably sharp. A macro shot of a flower will be much more appealing with the background blurred and out of focus. You may also need to pay attention to the background behind the subject; the classic example being a limb growing out of someone’s head.

Leading Lines

When we look at a photo, our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking about how you place lines in your composition, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey through the scene. There are many different types of lines - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial, etc. - and each can be used to enhance a photo’s composition. We read left to right, so lines tending that direction are more natural to us.

Framing

The world is full of natural items which can be used as frames, for instance trees, archways, bridges, etc. Consider placing a natural frame around a subject, if feasible, to help isolate it from its environment outside. The result can help draw the eye naturally to the main point of interest. Mild and subtle vignetting helps keep the eye within the image.

Cropping

Allow "breathing room" around a primary subject by not cropping it too closely. Some space between it and the edge prevents a cramped feeling. On the other hand, leaving too much sky, ocean, dark shadow, etc. leaves the viewer observing too much "negative" empty space than is not pleasing. Crop out nonessentials to bring the viewer’s eye to the primary subject. Don’t cut through interesting elements of a picture since this will tend to draw the eye out of the frame. You may not always find the best crop in the viewfinder’s ratio, but you can use your program’s crop tool to fit the individual photograph. Some people crop to standard dimensions like 4x6 or 8x10 while others customize the crop to meet the needs of the specific image.

Balance

In this category, I am including a number of facets:

Consider how the image conveys contrast of light against dark and how it use tonal ranges. It also may be high key (bright, light) or low key (dark & heavy) to convey the intended mood.

The use of color impacts a composition by having the subject either more saturated or muted, or by having subjects and backgrounds contrasting versus complementary colors.

The lighting is extremely important in bringing balance to an image. Normally the eye tends toward the brightest, lightest subject and the one with the sharpest focus. Soft versus hard subjects will draw the viewer’s eye differently.

A sense of depth can be conveyed by overlapping subjects, partially obscuring one object with another. In a landscape, a stepping of foreground, midground, background is pleasing and natural and should lead the eye through the image.

Good rhythm in repetitions or patterns can be interesting, but may need to be broken up to introduce tension or a visual focal point.

Subjects should be looking or moving into a frame rather than leading the viewer out of it.

Now go out and break some rules!

by Gene Rimmer

taught May 19, 2010 at the 3^rd Wednesday Education & Support meeting

Caveman Camera Club, Grants Pass, OR.

Principles of composition

–Post-Production techniques to improve your image –

by Stephen Payne

Issue: Judges often comment that there’s no central point of interest in a photo; they’re not sure what the main subject is; it’s not clear what the photo is trying to say. One solution is to reduce distractions that compete with the central point. Simplify the image by removing distractions so that the focal point jumps out and the message is clear. Several ways to do this are:

1) Zoom in on the key area of interest – use the crop tool

· Crop away anything which detracts

· Today’s high-megapixel cameras allow cropping a horizontal capture as a vertical image (good for action shots which are often centered on the subject)

2) Remove background distractions – use the clone tool or healing brush

· Photoshop CS5 now has an amazing tool for this, Content Aware Fill. Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH0aEp1oDOI

3) Light areas in the background – burn in, especially near the edges

· Light areas can compete with your subject, or lead your eye out of the image

· To darken areas you can use the burn tool, or make a selection and either reduce the brightness or increase the shadows

4) Focus attention on the subject – desaturate the background

· This will really make your subject pop!

· In Elements: Sponge tool, or else make a selection, and then Enhance, Adjust Color, Adjust Hue and Saturation, adjust slider

5) Direct the viewer’s eye – use a vignette

· There are several good ways to make vignettes. Search “vignette” in the help file of the software you’re using.

· In Elements, the easiest way is: Filter, Correct Camera Distortion, then adjust the Vignette and Midpoint sliders

6) Highlight the area of focus – blur the background

· Blurring a busy background helps focus attention on the subject

· This gives the effect of having used a fast, expensive lens with a shallow depth of field

· In Photoshop you can use Gaussian blur with a gradient, but it will produce a halo or shadow around the selection, which then needs individual work

· Several commercial plug-ins are available which help with selective depth of field. Either of the following may be downloaded and used on a free-trial basis:

o FocalPoint2, by OnOne Software, $160. Video description at: http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=35

o Bokeh, by Alien Skin, $190. Video description at: http://www.alienskin.com/bokeh/Bokeh-tutorials.aspx

Taught May 19, 2010 at a meeting of the Caveman Camera Club, Grants Pass, Oregon

Flash Photography

Off Camera Speedlights

Dennis Ruga

Caveman Camera Club
April 21, 2010

The following assumes that we are using speedlights in MANUAL MODE.

Key: When shooting with flash, we have to account for TWO separate exposures:

1. One for the natural light (at times, underexposed to create shadows)

2. One for the flash exposure (used to fill the shadows)

F/Stop controls the flash exposure

Shutter speed controls the ambient light

What can I do with just ONE simple strobe?

Use it in conjunction with natural light, as the main/side/backlight

to give you nearly studio lighting and now light a subject with "two" lights.

COLORING LIGHT

Gels are used to both color/warm light, & balance color temperature of

existing "bulb" light. (incandescent/fluorescent)

SOFTENING & HARDENING LIGHT

Closer to the bounce/umbrella, the softer the light.

Using a "snoot" to focus the beam hardens the light.

FOCUSING LIGHT

A tube or "snoot" over the strobe can focus the light beam,

or create a spotlight effect. (also used as hair lights)

MOTION ANALYSIS

Manual flash power, when turned down, uses very short flash durations, (10-25,000 sec.)

this is the equivalent of a using an extremely high shutter speed. Use it to freeze motion

and illuminate at the same time, unlike just a high shutter.

Experiment with it to reveal what you can't normally see.

Practice CREATING LIGHT:

You can now carry all the light you need in your pocket

to both fill existing light or be the all light in your shot.

When using multiple strobes. Shoot off one at a time to

see the effect & determine proper exposure for each. Then turn on all for the final shot.

Use snoots/backlights/fill lights to "shape" flat objects.

Remember the cabbage shot? That's how it was created.

REMOTE TRIGGERS

Enable you to hide and/or set lights off from 200ft +.

Stash in night shots. Long time exposures can now also

render defined clarity with a subject in them.

Transmitter required on hot shoe. Receiver required on flash.

see below:

Paul C. Buff remote triggers

(my recommendation for performance/value. Call if you have questions before buying)

http://www.alienbees.com/cybersync.html

CyberSync™ Trigger Transmitter (CST) $59.95 (mounts on hot shoe)

CyberSync™ Battery Powered Trigger Receiver (CSRB) $69.95 (connects to each flash unit*)

* see link above to verify flash connection/hot shoe required for your flash.

GET STARTED EQUIPMENT: See links below.

Please NOTE: I chose the equipment below for maximum portability/backpacking.

if this is not your need, you might want larger umbrellas, etc.

Your Speedlight

Light stand & clamp

Umbrella

Gels

Manfrotto Umbrella Bracket/Swivel 026

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,430.html

Flash Gels

To correct color & add effects

http://www.photogels.com/

Compact Umbrella

Westcott 43" Collapsible Umbrella with Removable Cover 15" FOLDED

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,4635.html

Compadt Light Stand

http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,4944.html

Manfrotto 5001b Nano Light Stand (3373/001b)

BALANCING FLASH with Ambient Light: DAYLIGHT

Indoors: interiors to about 1/60th at f/4 at ASA 400

keep the aperture at f/4 and go to a 250th of a sec., or go to 125th at f/5.6. Whatever.

The idea is to build an ambient-light-only exposure that would result in an underexposure of 2 stops.

That will be your lighting ratio. You can choose another ratio (and you should experiment) but 2 stops is a good starting point.

Move your lights accordingly.

Outdoors:

Step one: Think of the sun as your main light, and your strobe as a secondary light.

set your camera at the highest shutter synch speed (i.e. lowest aperture)

to ease the burden on your flash. Now, get your base (ambient) exposure.

Call it a 250th at f/11 at ASA 200.

Now, with your strobe on manual and on a stand, set it to somewhere around

a quarter to half power if you are working close.

If you are not lighting a large area (and you usually are not) zoom the flash to a 70mm

or 85mm lens angle to make it even more powerful.

Pop a test frame and eyeball it.
If your flash-lit area is too bright, dial the flash down or move it back.
If it is too dark, dial it up or move it forward.

For Nikon users ONLY:
Nikon CLS:

wireless capability ALREADY built into your camera with Nikon strobes.

Nikon has their own completely wireless capability with most cameras after the D 70,

and their flash units.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/ittlslave.htm

I would be happy to show anyone who needs a demo.

How Light Changes with Distance/Moving Flash/Altering Flash Power

Illumination Falloff:

The Inverse Square Law

It's useful to know a little about the inverse square law especially when using flash or studio lights. Basically all the inverse square law says is that an object that is twice the distance from a point source of light will receive a quarter of the illumination. So what it means to us photographers is that if you move your subject from 3 meters away to six meters away, you will need four times the amount of light for the same exposure. This can most easily be achieved by opening the lens aperture two f-stops or using a flashgun that is four times as powerful.

CHALLENGE:
Try to use flash in conjunction with natural light in your next great shot!

I would be happy to answer anyone's questions orhelp them out as necessary.

Dennis Ruga
djruga@ix.netcom.com
http://ruga.zenfolio.com
660-9168