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By Anne Davis, August 4, 2010 8:24 am

I have spent the last month just practicing taking photographs in an attempt to internalize some of the technical information I have been learning. It is helping but  lots more practice is still the order of the day.  I thought I’d post about “composition” of photographs and what I have been learning there. In the past I have managed to takes some good photographs but it just sort of happened – circumstances were right and background worked with the subject at hand, etc. but I never really thought about composing in the sense of thinking about the entire picture. Here are some things I’ve begun to focus on when composing:

Learning how to see the world though a lens was my first step. I didn’t realize how I would just instantly focus on the specific subject I was photographing. I didn’t give much thought to the background and how distractive it can be. I just wanted my subject in focus and looking good. You may get a great shot of your subject but background clutter can pull you eye away from the subject. Now I try  to scan the four corners of my picture through the lens. This habit will help me eliminate any clutter or distractions.  I’ve also learned to look at how the light is affecting the photo to be. It can take away the focus on the subject. So I try to remove the clutter, if possible and if that is not possible I use a shallow depth of field to blur the background.  This is something that I had no idea how to do. I plan to post more about depth of field later.

Here are some basic rules and things to think about  for composition that I have either read in my books or read on the web. You need to learn the rules and then be OK with breaking them in a way that enhances your own individual photography.

The rule of thirds
In your mind, divide  your image  into nine equal parts. The human eye is naturally drawn to a point about two-thirds up a page. Crop your photo so that the main subjects are located around one of the intersection points rather than in the middle of the image.  This will enhance your image by adding balance and interest to your photo. The T1i has the option to superimpose a grid on the LCD screen to help you even further with applying this rule. So remember not to put your subjects dead center in the photograph.
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Balancing your photograph
Place the main subject off-center to make a more engaging photo.  You don’t want the scene to  feel empty so think about including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.

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Leading Lines
When you view a photo your eye is naturally drawn along lines. The lines may be straight, curvy, wavy, diagonal, zigzag, etc. You need to place lines in your composition so it draws you into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey ‘though’ the activity in the scene. There are many different types of line – straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc – and each can be used to enhance your photo’s composition.

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Symmetry and Patterns
There is  symmetry and patterns all around us, both natural and man-made, and they can make for very appealing compositions, particularly in situations where they are not expected. Another effective way to use them is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene.

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Viewpoint
Consider where you will shoot your subject from before you actually begin to  take the photograph. Think about 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.

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Background
Search for a plain and unobtrusive background and compose your shot so that it doesn’t distract or detract from the subject. Make sure there is nothing in the photo that may distort your subject in some way. You don’t want a tree right behind you subject as it may end up looking  like the tree is growing out of your subject’s head. When you are photographing you are turning a three-dimensional world into two dimensions. You are flattening everything the camera sees into one visual plane. So be careful not to include any objects that may be a problem.

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Create Depth
Create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. Also you can use  composition technique called overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure one object with another. This creates an image with more depth.
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Framing
There are many objects in nature that make perfect natural frames, such as trees, arches, and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to make the main subject stand out in a way that pulls your eye naturally to the main subject.
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Cropping
Watch out for clutter around you subject and crop tight to eliminate the background ‘noise’ to make sure the subject gets main attention.

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By Anne Davis, May 29, 2010 7:54 pm

This is a technique I learned in class and have been practicing. I know, I know, I need lots more practice! Also, you would not believe how many shots I took today trying to do this. You can do this with zoom lenses that have a manual zoom ring. The trick is to zoom the lens while the shutter is open with a slow shutter speed, usually below 1/60th of a second.

Here are the steps:
1. Focus on your subject.
2. Use a slower shutter speed in either Shutter Priority or Manual Shooting mode. Shutter speeds can range from 1/60 to 1/8.
3. Click the shutter release button and twist to zoom the lens simultaneously.

You can zoom from the shortest to the longest focal length or vice-versa. Using a tripod is suggested.

Now I have to figure out what subjects are best for this technique and just keep practicing. Any suggestions are welcomed!

My settings for the car shot:
Exposure Program: Shutter Priority
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
Aperture Value: f/36
ISO: 200
Focal Length : 55m

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By Anne Davis, May 29, 2010 7:46 pm

I have been practicing panning in the current class that I am taking. I do need more practice but this is the first one I got that is kind of on track! I will get better – I’m determined! Here are the steps I attempted for “panning”:

1. Tried to keep my feet planted, my arms, wrist, and hands still and pivot at the hips. (glad there is no picture available of me!)
2. Used a shutter speed of 1/15. and worked in Shutter Priority mode.
3. Pre-focused on Genesis on her bicycle.
4. Used continuous shooting mode.

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By Anne Davis, May 29, 2010 7:39 pm

I’m having fun with silhouettes – gives you a chance to be creative! Here are the steps:

1. Make sure the subject is backlit. If you are using the sun, let a tree or something else block the sun’s direct light.
2. Use “spot” metering and meter off something other than the subject. I metered off the sky.
3. Choose a strong subject that is a recognizable shape that will be interesting to look at. It should be a definite shape.
3. Get as close as you can to your subject and frame your image so that the brightest light sets off the subject.
4. Make sure your flash is turned off.
5. Try different angles and if you have more than one shape, try to keep them separated.
6. Have fun!

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By Anne Davis, May 29, 2010 7:29 pm

Needless to say, one of the most important skills for a photographer to learn is how to focus correctly. You need to be sure you are focusing correctly on what you want to photograph and not something that is beside it, behind it, or in front of it. You need to set your autofocus to one of the main focal points on your camera. On the T1i there are 9 focal points.  You need to put your camera on something other than automatic to do this. I usually use the Manual mode. Then look through your viewfinder and hold down the Focus Point Selection button that is located on the camera back at the top right side. While you are holding down that button, use the rotating dial (on the camera top in from of the ISO button and this lets you move between the numerous focal points. Set one particular focal point as the default main focus and then come back and change this, as needed.

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By Anne Davis, May 10, 2010 9:02 am

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1. There is a correct way to press the shutter button. After you frame the shot, press and hold the shutter button  halfway down. When focus is established, the camera will give a little beep.  The focus indicator is a little green light that indicates that the camera has locked focus. It is located on the far right side of the viewfinder screen. Then you press the shutter button the rest of the way down to record the image.
2. Early morning and late afternoons (right before the sunrise) usually provide the best lighting so try to take your photographs at that time of day. For any time of day though make sure the sun is at your back as much as possible.
3. You can adjust the viewfinder focus to suit your eyesight. Right at the top-right edge of the viewfinder is a tiny black knob called the dioptric adjustment control.  To do this first remove the lens cap from the front of the lens. Look through the viewfinder and you will see the focusing screen which contains a group of nine autofocus points. They are little squares with dots inside. Rotate the viewfinder adjustment knob until the autofocus points seem to be in focus. Don’t worry about the actual picture now; just pay attention to the sharpness of the autofocus points.
4. A lot of the buttons on the T1i have multiple names because they serve multiple purposes. It all depends on if you are taking pictures, reviewing pictures, or doing some other function.
5. You access many of your camera’s features through the internal menus that appear on the monitor when you press the Menu button. There are nine menus. Color has a purpose on these menus. Shooting Menus and the Movie Menu are red. Playback menus are blue. The “My Menu” icon is green.

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By Anne Davis, May 6, 2010 3:29 pm

Practice is the name of the game now. I think the best thing I can do to help my learning curve is to use my T1i and try to take specific shots. Practice! Practice! Practice! I need to play around with the different settings. I have taken a lot of photos but it’s been a kind of hit and miss approach as I would find myself out in the field and not remembering many of the things I’ve learned. There are so many things to remember that I never considered when I was pointing and clicking.   Staying away from the automatic settings has made me focus on settings and exposures and things are beginning to come together a bit more.  I’m still not getting the kind of shots I know this camera is capable of producing. But the best thing you can do with your SLR camera is to use it. Play around with the different settings. I plan to make a few more posts to help me remember some things and give some tips that may help others new to the T1i and other slr cameras.

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By Anne Davis, May 4, 2010 12:34 pm

Program mode

The camera selects both the shutter speed and aperture. You choose ISO and white balance. This is a semiautomatic but shiftable mode. When you press your Shutter button halfway, the camera shows you its ideal exposure setting in the viewfinder. You have to remember that this is held for only one shot as it goes right back to the suggested exposure. Another thing is that you cannot shift the exposure if you are using the built-in flash. Use this mode when you want to quickly change the depth of field and shutter speed for one shot while experiencing minimum camera adjustments.

Tv mode (Shutter Priority)

In addition to ISO and WB you select shutter speed and the camera chooses th appropriate aperture. This mode is used when you want to control how motion comes across. A slower shutter speed will show motion as a blur. A faster shutter speed will freeze motion. This mode is also helfpul when you want to make sure that the shutter speed is within the limits for handholding the camera and getting a sharp image.

Tips  that I want to remember: (credit to Charlotte K. Lowrie’s book “Canon EOS Rebel T1i/500D)

• Use 1/250 second when action is coming toward the camera.
• Use 1/500 to 1/2000 second when action is moving side to side or up and down.
• Use 1/30 to 1/8 second when panning with the subject motion. Panning with the camera on a tripod is a really good idea.
• Use 1 second and slower shutter speeds at dusk and at night to show a waterfall as a silky blur, to caputer light trails of moving vehicles, to capture a city skyline, and so on.

Av Mode (Aperture Priority)

You set ISO and WB as well as aperture (f-stop). The camera chooses the shutter speed. You use this mode when you need to control the depth of field (DOF). A larger aperture (smaller number) will give you a shallow DOF and is good for isolating points of interest like flowers/portraits. A wide aperture like f/5.6 will create a shallow depth of filed with a softly blurred background.  A smaller aperture (higher number) gives a greater DOF and is good for landscape photography. A narrow aperture such as f/8, f/11, f/16, and so on, gives an extensive depth of field that will keep both foreground and background in focus and sharper.

Tips I want to remember for Av: (credit to Charlotte K. Lowrie’s book “Canon EOS Rebel T1i/500D)

• Since the only lense I have at this point is the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens) , this  tip is specific to it. When you have the lens set to 55mm, the widest aperture you can choose is f/5.6, and you can’t choose f/3.5 at this zoom setting. This is called a variable-aperture lens.

M mode (Manual)

This mode allows the most creative control. First you determine the ISO and WB settings. Then, based on a meter reading, you set aperture and shutter speed in order to get the scene as you desire. You have to think about how motion and DOF will come across.

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By Anne Davis, April 24, 2010 7:56 pm

Now I’ve tried to simplify these defintions but that is no easy task. Whole books are written in great detail about these terms. However, for now I am going to concentrate on remembering that all three of these directly relate to each other and work together to enable a photographer to capture images in creative ways. That said, I need to get lots of practice using different settings in each feature so I can begin to understand their relationships and power.

Next I am going to post about the different shooting modes.

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By Anne Davis, April 24, 2010 7:39 pm

ISO stands for International Standards Organization. It is the film’s sensitivity to light. The ISO lets your light meter know exactly what combinations of aperture and shutter speed it can use to record an exposure. The higher the ISO number is, the less light that is needed to make a picture. The lower the ISO number is, the more light that’s needed to make a picture. Higher ISO numbers can make the image grainier but it depends on what you want in your exposure. A higher ISO might be good if you want to freeze the action in sharply focused detail.