© 2010 Cream Photo Workshops Mastering the Basics Level 1 © 2010 Cream Photo Workshops Version 230311 1

The Camera Frame At its most basic your camera is a light tight box The lens allows light into this box & focuses it to form an image on the sensor The boundaries of the image sensor set the limits of what’s in the picture – the frame

Important - You are in control You can decide what is in or out of the frame What you exclude is just as important as what you include

As a person you can turn and move around to see all Your camera frame captures only a limited section of the scene 360º Panorama You are in control of what your camera captures

What’s in the Picture = Framing What’s in or out of the frame is under your control Some of the most basic errors people identify as problems with their photography is down to framing Some we all recognise

Subject too small in frame Feet cut off

Face centre frame = lots of waste space in top third Not keeping an eye on the background

The face is often the most important part of a portrait so it’s easy to place it dead centre of frame & align it with the centre cross or circle Don’t do it It’s not good composition

These errors are easily avoided Don’t just look centre frame - scan your eye around the edge of the frame while asking how this relates to your subject

These errors are easily avoided Don’t just look centre frame - scan your eye around the edge of the frame while asking how this relates to your subject

Composition Composition is the way elements are arranged within the frame There are no fixed rules although the following have been found to produce pleasing images that work -

Rule of Thirds Curves & Spirals Converging Lines Point of View

Rule of Thirds The Rule of Thirds divides the frame into three equal sections both vertically and horizontally The positioning of elements along these lines & particularly at their intersections produces a pleasing composition

Horizon fills the bottom third of the frame Unless you intend otherwise the horizon should be level

Intersections of the lines are particularly strong places to position important picture elements

Curves & Spirals Curves & spirals lead your eyes around the image They guide you on a visual journey of exploration Consequently you are persuaded to become engaged with the image

The curved boundary between sand & water leads your eyes around the image to the island in the distance

Converging Lines Photographs are 2 Dimensional (flat) Not 3 Dimensional like the real world Lines that converge towards a vanishing point and foreground interest create the notion of depth in the 2-D image

Elements in the frame converge on a common vanishing point

Converging lines and foreground interest gives a notion of depth to the 2-D image

Point of View The position you use to take your photographs from can have a significant impact over the quality of your composition When photographing people & animals it’s important to be at their eyelevel

This shot is above the child’s eyelevel so they look unconnected with the viewer Being at the same eyelevel means your subject engages with the viewer If it means getting right down on the ground do so

Now the viewer can engage with the subject

Avoiding Camera Shake Camera shake – the slight unintentional movement of your camera while you are taking a photo frequently results in blurred images

It’s usually worse when light levels are low & with telephoto lenses A lens that sticks out significantly from the camera body acts as lever producing shake if inadequately supported as here

Even without a tripod or other support there is much you can do to reduce or eliminate camera shake Cradle lenses that stick out & for cameras with a viewfinder brace the body against your face

Natural supports like trees and rocks can be used to brace your camera and reduce shake

Stable manmade objects are equally suitable A coat or other padding can be used to bed the camera and prevent damage

Sometimes it helps to momentarily hold your breath while you take the shot Importantly – never snatch the shutter release Compose your shot then squeeze the shutter release slowly in a single smooth movement

Correct Focus Today most cameras are autofocus But focusing errors are still a reason why many photographs are ruined Being aware of how your autofocus works and its limitations will help you avoid focusing errors

Multipoint autofocus is often the default setting The points that are used for focusing momentarily flash in the viewfinder as you take the shot

Multipoint autofocus decides what’s the most important in the frame even if it’s off centre (usually the closest) and locks on that

Sometimes the closest thing in the frame is not the most important Autofocus is not foolproof Cameras with multipoint autofocus usually allow you to select a single central point for precise focusing

A single central focus point can only focus on what it’s pointing at even if it’s not what you want in focus

The problem occurs when the subject is off centre or when photographing two people & the focusing point is over the gap between their heads

There is an easy solution Most autofocus systems activate and lock when the shutter release is pressed halfway down The solution is to place the focusing point over the part of the shot you want in focus and press the release halfway down - hold it there while you recompose & shoot by pressing fully

Most autofocus systems work by detecting differences in contrast to find a lock When light levels are low contrast between different elements in the frame is usually poor too Some cameras in low light activate a focusing light or bathe the scene in infrared to help the autofocus to find a lock

Even in good light some scenes just don’t have much contrast The autofocus will hunt for but not find focus Digital SLRs allow you to select manual focus while compacts usually have a scene setting to lock the focus on infinity

SLR models usually have the focus switch on the lens barrel as here Remember to set it back to autofocus when you’re done

Choice of Lens Lenses fall into two categories Prime – fixed focal length Zoom – using the same lens the photographer can select any focal length within it’s range from wide-angle to telephoto

Most compact & bridge cameras have zoom lenses that are integral and cannot be changed SLRs have the advantage of interchangeable lenses that can be selected to suit the shooting situation Lenses are classified by focal length in millimetres

The shorter the focal length (low number in mm) the wider field of view you get – these are wide-angle lenses The longer the focal length (high number in mm) the narrower the field of view – these are telephoto lenses Lenses with an angle of view similar to the human eye are called standard lenses

Zooming & Moving Standing in the same place and zooming in or out on your subject to produce the framing you want just changes the angle of view 55mm 300mm

Moving closer or further away from your subject while zooming changes its relationship to the setting and the perspective Telephoto – stand back and zoom in Wide-Angle – move in and zoom out

Now you have the opportunity of putting what we’ve covered into action by working on the photo assignment

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