Not level

Level

Occasionally it adds to a photograph when a picture is taken at an angle.  However, It will take away from your photo if a horizon appears crooked.  Try to make yourself aware of the way you hold your camera prior to taking the shot.  Sometimes we are in a hurry and there is no time to prepare.  If this happens, don’t worry too much.  You can always use your cameras editing software to level the photo afterwards.

If you simply take the time to make yourself aware of this situation, it is easy to get in the habit of leveling your shots. So practice your reflex to hold your camera level in the first place and enjoy impress your friends with powerful photographs!

Tip and photo by www.photojanestudios.com

Most amateur photographers tend to center the main subject of their photos. This makes sense because we aim at the subject with the camera viewer. Instead you may want to experiment with placing the subject outside the center.  This will often result in a more dynamic composition.

This is known as “the rule of thirds”. Imagine the frame divided into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, like a tic-tac-toe board. Then place the subject on or near one of the lines or intersections.  Remember that the eyes are most important for people and animals. When zooming in and the head fills the image, the rule of thirds applies to the position of the eyes.

You will instantly notice an impressive difference when adding a few of these off center subject photographs to your existing collection!

Tip and photo by www.photojanestudios.com

Storyboard Shooting

Taking a series of shots is a fun way to convey the personality or mood of your subject.  This is a great technique to use with children.  Their face and body language is often as animated as it is endearing.  This is also very effective for couples or showing a relationships between people & animals.

This technique is easy to achieve if you switch your camera setting into “Burst” or “Continuous shooting” mode.  This will allow you to fire off more than one shot at a time.  Play around with grouping them in 2,3 or up to 5 in a row to create this fun storyboard effect!

 Tip and photo by www.photojanestudios.com

MOVE IN CLOSER

A common mistake made by photographers it that they are physically too far from their subjects.  This results in the subject being a small speck on the picture instead of the main event.  Too much background or space over top of the subjects head can turn a WOW opportunity to a hum drum photograph very quickly. 

Start by filling the frame of your camera with the subject.  Shoot your picture then move in closer.  Take another shot then move in again.  Keep going until the face of your subject is the only thing in the frame.

Practice again & again and enjoy the new impact your photos will make!

 Tip and photo by www.photojanestudios.com