A Guide to Photographing Fall

In this beautifull, very photographic season there are some basic tools you can use to improve your images. Check out this link for some great tips.

A Helpful Guide to Proper Exposure

Courtesy of FilmakerIQ.com
For a larger image click here.

Journal #5 - Compositional Tools

Grade 11 Compositional Tools

Using the Techniques discussed in the last post and related Required Reading take three photos. You should use a shallow Depth of Field for every picture. A shallow Depth of Field is created by using a large aperture like f2 or f4. Choose your focus carefully.
Picture: One Rule of Thirds
Picture: Two Lead-in Lines
Picture Three: Framing

Grade 12 Foreground Interest

You will be focusing on a variety of technical elements as well as Compositional. Read this article on composing a shot with foreground interest.
Use the techniques discussed in the article to take a Landscape photo with:

• a low view point
• a small aperture (f11-f16) Pay attention to where you focus.
• take two images from exactly the same spot one with an exposure set for the sky and one set for the forground.  
• If you have a wide angle lens use it, if not zoom out as much as you can

We will work in Photoshop to add a simulated "Graduated Filter" in a lesson later this week. See this tutorial for a step by step guide in creating this effect.

Creating Visual Interest Part One: Compositional Tricks and Tools

So far our focus in class has been how to get a well exposed picture which has primarily been about learning to use the camera as a technician. As we have discussed, it is necessary to know these things but this will only get you so far. We are going to build on the technical and move into the more artistic realm now.

Part One will focus on Compositional Tools. Contemplate the pictures below:



John Alexander Photography

Dougie Cunninham

 

Phillip Colla

 
All 4 are well exposed Landscape shots but I would argue the last three are more visually interesting than the first. Why? Because of some simple Compositional Tricks, Lead-in Lines, Rule of Thirds and Framing.

Required Reading