Photography

Photography IMAGINE...  The principal was doing the chicken dance at Grad, and you did not see her do it or that all 4 basketball teams made the provincials, but the only photos are from a practice session of the jr. girls IMAGINE...  The spring musical is a sell-out, but there is not one photo available – same for the talent and fashion show IMAGINE...  You can’t find one picture of yourself in the yearbook, except that horrible one taken the first week of school... would you not ask yourself why you paid good money for a yearbook.

Photography  When the yearbook first comes out, the photographs are the most important part of the yearbook  The concept, theme and design of the yearbook are important, but without GOOD photographs it is difficult to create good content  You want to create a yearbook that people will want to look at again and again  Use photographs to draw readers into the book

Photography Story Telling Ability of Pictures  Your photos have to tell a story  Photographers need to arrive BEFORE the events starts and STAY LATE Dramatic Appeal of Pictures  Tell a story with dramatic appeal  Capture true candids  Don’t be afraid to take pictures

Coverage Systematic Coverage  Filling out an events calendar  Clubs and teams can be photographed on set days Fair & Honest Coverage  Photos should NEVER be staged  NEVER make a caption up to suit your story Inclusive Coverage  Look for photos that include students rarely in the spotlight  Include everyone in the yearbook

Photographers Need To Be...  PHOTOGRAPHS CAPTURE A TIME AND ERA  Creative – getting right in the action  Committed – arriving early and staying late  Confident – with a positive attitude  Competent – knows their equipment and schedule  Concerned – caring and conscientious Remember: Photographers take the photo – Not the camera!

General Camera Tips 1. Make sure that all the equipment is working properly 2. Know the limits of your camera 3. Turn off any date imprints 4. Shoot first, ask later 5. Get the details, bring a pen and paper 6. Take lots of pictures 7. Get better

Technical How Many Megapixels Do You Need?  4 to 8 megapixels are recommended  4 – 5 megapixels = 4 x 5 inch final image size  8+ megapixels = full page image size

Technical Screen vs. Viewfinder?  With digital camera’s (especially point & shoot) we tend to hold up the camera and look at the screen. This makes the pictures shaky and useless.  Tuck in your elbows and steady the camera against your face, use the viewfinder, then press the shutter gently and hold the camera steady until the photo is taken.

Technical What Is The Difference Between Optical vs. Digital Zoom  USE OPTICAL ZOOM ONLY  Optical zoom moves the camera’s lens to bring the image closer and capture more detail  Using digital zoom, the image that is captured is simply being enlarged and cropped, losing resolution and quality

Technical Focus and Flash  Use the camera’s pre-focus feature by depressing the shutter button halfway and allowing the camera to properly focus for the intended subject distance. This will allow you to be ready when the action enters the viewfinder/screen.  Keep within the range of your flash power. Inside and outside.

Photo Composition Taking GOOD Pictures  Practice  Learn the basics of good composition  Developing and ‘eye’ for what works

Composition techniques  Focus and Depth of Field  Camera Orientation  Stance or Angle of View  Distance  Balance and The Rule of Thirds  Framing and Shapes  Leading Lines  Pattern and Repetition  Blurring and Freezing Action  Patience and The Peak of Action  Light  Shoot Relationships

Focus and Depth of Field  Depth of Field refers to the part of your picture that is in focus  Limiting focus to the centre of visual interest in your image emphasis's your subject and holds the viewer’s attention

Camera Orientation  Take ½ your shots landscape and the other ½ portrait  This will give you more choice when designing your layouts

Stance or Angle of View  Use tables/chairs /ladders/roof to get higher up and don’t be afraid to lie on the floor  Unusual angles tell better stories and hold the eye better

Distance  Great photos show detail  The closer you get the more impact your photo will have

Balance and Rule of Thirds  Try not to center the subject  Balanced photos and images using the rule of thirds satisfy our visual craving for order