Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - Photographic Aesthetics

rev. 10/31/00
Photographic Aesthetics
Or, How Not to Shoot Snapshots, Even If
That’s All You’ve Ever Done Before.
What Is A Snapshot?
 Poor
composition.
 Background is distracting.
 People posed and stiff: looking at, and
reacting to the camera.
 Lighting is always flash-on-camera.
 Camera/subject distance too great.
 Poor control over camera variables.
 Poor exploration of subject potential.
Poor Composition.
 Main
subject is always centered in frame.
 People have limbs cut off at their joints.
 Important subject is close to edge of frame.
 Image lacks visual “balance.”
 Empty foreground diminishes sense of depth.
 Picture is “busy” or disorganized; without
center of interest.
 Size and format (vert./hor.) never vary.
Background is Distracting.
 Background
activity draws attention
from subject.
 Object in background connects to
foreground subject in way that is
objectionable.
 Camera’s lens is focused on the
background.
 Lighting emphasizes the background.
People Posed.
 People
are stiffly arranged in front of camera.
 Subjects “mug” or “play” for the camera.
 Everyone is always looking at the camera.
 The same people are in all your pictures.
 There are never any “candids”.
Flash-On-Camera = Snapshot.
 Bright
foreground, dark background.
 Red-eyed subjects.
 Harsh shadows directly behind subjects.
 Loss of environmental lighting ambiance; the
“sense of place” is diminished.
Natural Light is Used Incorrectly.
 Pictures
taken without the flash and with
natural light (available light) can also look
like snapshots if
• The sun (or other light source) is in the picture.
• The picture is composed so that people are
against a large area of bright sky (silhouette).
Camera/Subject Distance Too Great.
 Keeping
person at a distance introduces
sense of alienation.
 Distance inhibits perception of facial details
which convey deep sense of character.
 Potential impact of picture is lost.
 Inhibitions regarding personal space stop
photographer from getting better picture.
Poor Control of Camera.
 Picture
is too light or too dark.
• Exposure is incorrect.
 Moving
subject is blurred.
• Shutter speed too slow.
 Static
subject is blurred.
• Camera not held steady; tripod needed.
 Subject
is out of focus.
Subject Potential Not Explored.
 Descriptive
environmental details not
used well.
 Subject just staring at camera; could be
involved in some activity.
 Subject has awkward facial expression, or
lacks expression entirely.
To Avoid Taking Snapshots...
 Consider
the composition and design.
 Be aware of the background.
 Take both portraits and candids.
 Use natural light where possible.
 Get closer to your subject.
 Understand and use camera’s controls.
 Research subject’s visual potential.
Rules for Good Composition.
 Don’t
position main subject in the center of
the picture, like a bullseye.
• Consider the rule of thirds.
 Don’t
crop people at the knees or elbows.
 Do crop into the head, for impact.
 Strive for balance, not symmetry.
 Use horizontal or vertical orientation,
depending on subject.
Compose to Avoid Centering.
centered
not centered
More Rules for Good Composition.
 When
main subject is in the distance, place
some other object in foreground.
• Adds perspective and “frames” the main subject.
 Provide
each picture with a center of interest,
organize design elements to focus upon it.
• In image processing, other controls can be used
to add/subtract visual emphasis.
Design the Perspective.
 Particularly
with
landscapes and
“vistas,” enhance
the picture’s
illusion of
depth by
• Positioning something close to the camera
which provides an additional point of focus.
• Using a foreground element to “frame” the
vista in the background.
Rules for the Background.
 Be
aware of any activity in the background
which might draw attention from your
main subject.
• Exclude it when you take the picture.
• Crop it , darken it , or blur it when you edit
the picture.
 Understand
how the camera’s focus controls
work, and be sure the focus is on the subject.
More Rules for the Background.
 Be
sure the light is stronger on the subject.
 Examine the image in the camera’s
viewfinder carefully to avoid
• a tree growing out of someone’s head.
• a person with four arms. (Someone was
standing directly behind.)
• a vehicle driving into someone’s body.
Rules for Shooting People.
 When
making a portrait, pose subject,
control background, control lighting.
 Shoot candids whenever possible.
• Ask people not to look at the camera, but to
proceed with whatever activity in which they
were engaged.
 If
subjects insist on posing or mugging, take
candids afterwards.
Working With Subjects.
 To
create candid pictures you must work to
put your subjects at ease; when they are
comfortable with you, they will be able to
ignore you.
 Spend time talking and interacting with the
subjects before you begin taking pictures.
Then ask them to ignore you as you begin
photographing.
Taking Pictures Unobtrusively.
 To
take pictures without attracting your
subject’s attention, you must have your
camera’s settings correct beforehand.
 You may use the zoom lens from a position
outside your subject’s field
of view .
 Wait until your subjects are distracted
before you begin taking pictures.
A Variety of Perspectives.
 Experiment
with shooting different aspects
of your subject.
 Try a variety of camera positions: high, low,
near, far.
 Use the camera both vertically and
horizontally.
 If appropriate, take a “detail
shot” using the camera’s
close-up focus settings.
Rules for Lighting.
 When
the available light helps to set a
mood, try turning off the flash, if possible.
•
•
•
•
Use a tripod to get a sharp picture.
Outdoors at dawn or dusk.
With dominant window light.
With directional incandescent light.
More Rules for Lighting.
 Whenever
possible, position yourself so that
the sun is behind you.
 If it is unavoidable to have the light source in
front of you, use an exposure compensation,
if your camera allows.
 When there is a large expanse of bright sky
behind your subject, turn a “fill flash” if your
camera has that feature.
The #1 Rule for Lighting.
 Most
importantly, use your eyes :
• Explore the ways that the natural light
contributes to the sense of place.
– If a landscape, can it be made more interesting by
waiting for the sun’s lengthening shadows of the late
afternoon?
• Are there ways that you can adjust the balance
of the existing light source(s) to create a
photograph that captures the emotional content
of the lighting?
Rules for Getting Close.
 More
than anything else, moving closer to
your subject will avoid the snapshot look.
 If subject is uncomfortable, begin by taking
pictures from a conventional distance.
 Be aware of the difference between actual
distance and psychological distance
(personal space).
Rules for Camera Controls.
 Know
when to override automatic exposure.
 Understand how to capture motion effectively.
 Use a tripod when needed.
 Understand your camera’s focusing controls.
• Depth of field.
Rules for Exploring Potential of Subject.
 Determine
which objects within the
environment should be used in the picture to
provide meaningful context in a portrait.
• Exclude other things if possible.
• Determine if the object should be placed in the
background, in the foreground, or used in some
fashion by the subject.
More Rules for Exploring Potential of Subject.
 Since
you know why you want the subject’s
picture, you may suggest an activity in
which he/she might be involved.
 Wait for (or try to elicit) the best possible
facial expression and body language.
• Engage the subject in animated conversation.
• Spend enough time with the subjects so that
they become comfortable enough to ignore your
presence.
A Thousand Words...
 A photograph
does have great
communication value; a photograph with
accompanying text has more.
 By placing the image within a factual
context, giving names to people and places,
the text accompanying the photograph can
greatly enhance the picture’s value.
Captions: Pictures with Text.
 The
caption (also called the “cutline”) is an
important component of visual communication.
• The caption should provide information to the reader
that is not available by looking at the image.
• Especially when the picture stands alone and is not
accompanied by a story, the caption must answer the
questions which the picture raises in the mind of
the reader.
Facts in the Caption.
 The
caption information should include (but is not
limited to) the following:
• WHO?
– Full names for adults; first name only for kids (unless
you have parental consent). Correct spelling is essential.
– Names may be optional when there is a group of four or
more persons.
– After the first mention of a person, subsequent references
should be by pronoun or by last name.
• • Age (usually only for the children and the very old).
• • City of residence.
More Caption Facts.
• • Occupation (or “major” for a student).
• • WHAT is going on? What activity are the people
engaged in?
• • WHEN did this activity take place? Watch for
consistency of tense: if it was a one-time activity then
using the past tense is best. For continuing situations,
the present tense makes more sense.
• • WHERE was this happening?
• • WHY did this occur? Depending on the needs of the
publication, the caption information can be as in-depth
as required.
Captions Do’s and Don’ts.
 Do
use a quote where appropriate.
• A quote may add a significant dimension to the portrait
of a person It can also improve the credibility of the
photograph by tying it to the actual words of the person
pictured. Be sure your quote is given attribution (“...,”
said Jones.) and is correctly punctuated.
 Don't
use phrases such as “In this picture, you can
see...” or “This photograph shows...”.
• The reader knows it’s a photograph; no need to draw
attention to that fact.
More Caption Do’s and Don’ts.
 Do
use the caption to tell the reader interesting
facts about the subject even if those aspects of the
subject are not evident in the photograph.
• e.g. “Jones, who was an Olympic silver medalist in
1938,....”
 Don't
put yourself into the caption.
• Never use phrases such as “When I took this picture...”
or “When asked about his army days, Jones said...”
Parts of a Typical Caption.
 A typical
format for a caption will often
have two parts:
• The “caption head.”
– Similar to a newspaper headline.
• The “body” of the caption.
– Answers all the important questions; may contain a
quote from the subject; 3-5 sentences.
A Typical Caption.
Fierce Competition. Myrna Collins, 86, of Sparks, is
deep in concentration as she waits for the next ball to be
drawn in her Bingo game yesterday. “I haven’t won in
two weeks,” she said, “but today I feel lucky.” Collins is a
retired University of Nevada groundskeeper.