Agenda Overview Tips for Taking Good Photos Editing Photos 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl1

Producing Good Photos Composing Editing Gadgets I’m not a gadget person. My focus is always composition, using whatever camera is available. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl2

Frame the Photo ◦ Hands, feet, heads Are they all in, if that is the desired look? Pay attention to how much sky and foreground are showing. Is it the look that you want? ◦ Camera angle Best not to point camera down at subjects, unless you are going for that particular look. Get level. ◦ Body and face looks and angles Are subjects slouching, legs hanging open, faces looking down, etc. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl3

Frame the Photo Examples 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl4 Feet are cut off Some eyes are closed Can’t see some faces Too much “sky”

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl5 Nicely framed Even “sky/foreground” All faces are showing People are smiling

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl6 Camera pointing down at Sophie. Camera at eye level with Sophie.

Sun and Lighting ◦ Time of day and sunlight Mid-day is the worst time of day to take photos outside. When the sun is directly above, there is too much bright, glaring, overhead light. Photos appear washed out. ◦ Shadows Watch out for bodies and faces in part shade, part sun. ◦ Position versus sun Best not to take photos into the sun. Have your back to the sun, but watch for your own shadow and watch for subjects squinting, looking into a bright sun. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl7

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl8 Good lighting in late afternoon. Good contrast and sun position. Otavalo, Equador. Bright sun overhead and shadows make the subject too dark.

Flash or No Flash ◦ Glare If a flash reflects off of something in the background, it can produce unwanted glare. ◦ Wash out Colors can appear washed out with a flash. ◦ Low light motion and blurriness In low light situations, you might not need a flash, but motion can appear blurry. Too much distance can cause blurriness also. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl9

Flash or No Flash Examples 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl10 Low light without a flash and motion, caused this photo to be blurry. Glare from flash and washed out colors.

Photography in Classrooms and Schools ◦ Be aware of the background Can clutter be cleared up? Cables and other distracting “stuff” laying around? ◦ Kids love to make hand signals We can’t use these photos. ◦ Remember sky/ground ceiling/floor and framing 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl11

Photography in Classrooms and Schools Examples 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl12 Hand signals Too much clutter around the room distracts from the subject.

Photography in Classrooms and Schools Examples 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl13 Too much ceiling.

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl14 Good examples of classroom photos. Framed well. Minimal clutter.

Photos of Groups Try to line up in even rows without some people too far in the foreground and others too far back. If the back of the group is too close to a wall you might get unwanted shadows. Can everyone see the camera. If not, their face will not be in the photo. I like to get kids to wave, but remind them not to cover someone else’s face. If outside, try to have your back to the sun, watch out for your shadow. If the sun is too bright people will have to squint. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl15

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl16 One girl way in the front of the rest makes it too difficult to see the others far in the back. One boy is holding a box in front of his face. This happens frequently with hands waving also. One girl in front of screen with glare Some students behind others and not visible

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl17 Photo by SAAM photographer.

Action Shots ◦ People speaking It can be really difficult to take a photo of someone while they are talking. Try to time the photo when they are in between words to avoid funny faces. ◦ Hand Movement Try to time the photo in between hand motions to avoid blurriness. 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl18

8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl19 No meaningful expression. Background too dark. This one is better. Could use to express making a point. Light background is better contrast.

My Four Favorite Fixes  Cropping  Lighting, Color, Contrast  Straightening  Red Eye Picasa Demo 8/22/2015Sarah Rosedahl20