2. Dramatic light
3. Capturing a moment Rarely do we get a photo that stands on one of these points alone. Usually we have to work to get the best of all three to make a great photo. Composition: We’ll all work on mastering this for the rest of our photo careers. There’s always something new to learn. Fill the frame; remember to take verticals vertically. All photographers can learn to get closer to their subjects. You’ve paid for the real estate on the film; use it to your advantage. If you want a stunning photo of a person, move in close enough to be cutting off an ear on either side, then back up just a touch. Most of the “frames” in our world are horizontal, we tend to think and see photos that way. Our frames are all too often the TV, windows or windshields. All are longer than they are tall. Many of the subjects we want photos of are taller than they are long. If they are, shoot ‘em that way! Remember to put only what you want the viewer to see in the photo. Anything else competes for the viewer’s attention, and therefore detracts from the photo. Dramatic Light: Light and shadow help give your viewer a sense of form, or texture to your subjects. Flat lighting, that is, light hitting the subject straight on, leaves few shadows and therefore little texture or form. That’s why photos taken mid day look flat and dull. The best natural light occurs early and late in the day. A rough guideline is to shoot before 10 AM or after 4 PM. Capture the moment: The most important, and hardest to describe. The moment we’re after is the peak of the action. Some actions have obvious peaks, like a great sports play or a car accident. Most of the time we’re looking for more subtle things, the best smile or expression or the right mood at sunset. You often can’t describe ahead of time exactly what it looks like, but you’ll know it when you see it. We’ll talk about these in detail in future classes, and continuously when we critique photos.
