Make the Most of that New Camera, Part 1.

Photo courtesy of phlearn.com

So, you just received a new camera for Christmas, maybe even that DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) you've been wanting. Such cool features as interchangeable lenses, lots of settings and a nice, big sensor that you are sure will take your photos to the next level. You're ready to step up and start taking those "professional looking photos" that the salesperson said that new camera is capable of producing (and it is.)

While such a camera is an upgrade over a compact point and shoot or a smartphone, a sophisticated camera with larger sensor and nicer lens doesn't guarantee better photos. They may look nicer, especially when taken under conditions where other cameras or a phone are lacking, but there are some things to remember to really make your photos shine.

I'm going to touch on a few basic points, especially that have to do with portraits, that will make the difference between "nice shot" and "Whoa, you ought to become a professional!" (OK, maybe not the latter.)

Eyes in Motion.

The main thing that makes a difference between a photo someone likes to keep looking at and one they simply glance at for a few seconds is how much his attention moves throughout the photo in a comfortable way. A good photo has a main subject, but also other "points of interest" that lead the eye around the image. This creates visual interest that draws the viewer into the photo and keeps her there longer. The points of interest can be secondary subjects, highlight or shadow areas or areas of differing colors. The following are some ways to get the viewer's eye to skip merrily through a photo, making it stand out in the mind of the viewer.


Rule of Thirds.

This is the most basic "rule" of composition (more like a guideline, really) that frequently sets good photos apart from mediocre ones. There is a tendency for people to place the subject of a photo dead center in the frame. Sometimes this can work, especially if it's a closely framed portrait. Much of the time, however, it results in a very static composition that quickly loses interest.

Rule of thirds is simple: the frame is divided into thirds (many cameras with electronic viewfinders and phones even allow for this grid to be shown.) By placing the main subject and ideally, secondary subjects either on the intersection of the grid lines or along one of the lines, the eye is more apt to move across the photo, thus increasing visual interest.

Example:

See how the goose falls almost exactly on the intersection of two of the grid lines?  (It doesn't have to be perfect to work.) This helps lead the eye around the frame of the photo: the brain likes that visual motion and finds the photo more interesting. What adds to the effect is the gradation of the light and color as well, due to the reflection of the trees along the top. Now here's a version with the goose just positioned in the center:

Pretty boring, eh? Even with the interest provided by the reflection, the eye just sort of sits there. This might be OK for a guidebook on birds or a science article, but it's not going to get anyone thinking how great a photographer you are if you took it, at least not compared to the other image.

Take the Lead.

Leading lines is another way of keeping the eye moving through a photo and providing interest. It's a pretty simple concept: use lines in the photo to draw attention to the main subject. They can be actual lines, or simply lines created by light and shadow. In either case, it's a great way to get a photo to say "Hey, look at THIS!"

Example:

Notice how the various lines created by the folds in the sheet, as well as lines of highlights and shadows, all point toward the partially hidden face and eye? Your eye travels around the photo, but never rests in one spot, always being redirected to the main subject which is the eye. What other guideline does this image incorporate? That's right, the Rule of Thirds. The eye is placed along the line dividing the upper third of the photo, though it's not at the intersection of two grid lines. It doesn't have to be for the Rule of Thirds to work.

Remember: most of the time you want to create this sense of visual restlessness because that's what makes the photo interesting.

Curvessssssss.

Another guideline that helps promote visual interest is the "S Curve". It's exactly what the term describes: an invisible (or sometimes visible) "S" snaking through the photo, leading the eye around the image, providing the restlessness and visual interest to keep the viewer interested.

Example:

I bet you're thinking "Hey, that's cheating!" because the curve is right there in front, and looks like the main subject. But does your eye return there, or to the lady bending over to look at the other sculpture? Ahhhh. That's because there are other curves involved that lead your eye around the image.

We often don't notice "S" curves at work in photos because they can be subtle, (or in this case both obvious and subtle). No, "S" curves don't always have to be a complete "S" to help the image maintain visual interest. A curve in a photo can "hand off" the path of motion created for the eye without being a complete "S" itself.

While a photo of a meandering river or curving path with someone walking along it are obvious ways to use the "S" curve to help a photo shine, practice in observation and analyzing photos teaches you to notice "S" curves in otherwise mundane scenes. In this example, you probably see now just how many curves are involved in provoking visual interest that I didn't mark off. Sometimes the subject calls for "S" curves to be subtle, but other times the curves themselves can become the subject. As is the case here. If the woman had been standing upright as her companion was, this would have been a much less interesting photo.

That brings up the last point I want to cover in Part One of "Make the Most of That New Camera": timing. With this shot, I'd watched as the woman had already bent over to read the small tags on other sculptures, so I anticipated she would do the same thing with the one she is looking at here. I positioned myself where I wanted all the elements to fall into place, and hoped she would bend just right...and I got a single frame before she stood up again and walked on with her companion.

Master photographer Ansel Adams said that good photographs are not taken, they are made. These basic elements of composition, combined with some patience, timing and determination to make the best photographs you can, will help you get the most of your new camera, or even that trusty cell phone you take with you everywhere except into the shower.

Part Two will concentrate on portrait techniques, since people pictures make up 90% of photos taken and shared.