Experiments with Editing

Some editing programs allow for more features than just cropping and red-eye removal. One of the best and most popular programs is Adobe Photoshop, which was used to create the following.

Works Cited

Busch, David D. Digital Photography All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies. New York: Wiley, 2003.

Digital Photography. DVD. Educational Video Network.

“The History of Digital Photography.” Digital-photography-tips.net. 27 Apr. 2009 .

Jacklitch, Paul. Composing Effective Photographs. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

Laybourne, Kit. Mediaedia. Guilford, Connecticut: Knack, 2009.

Muehlhauser, Luke. “52 Influential Photographs.” Lukeprog.com. 2007. 3 May 2009 .

All photographs used on this blog were taken by the author.

Imagination

The information presented here serves as simple guidelines for taking photos. One of the things that set great photographers apart is the use of imagination. Yes, there are general rules, but imaginative photographers aren't afraid to break the rules in order to try something new. Try to experiment. If you find yourself in a rut, try something else. You might be surprised at what you get!

Need some inspiration? Check out this site for some of the most influential photographs of all time.
lukeprog.com/personal/influential_photographs.html

Timing

Another very important aspect of great photos is timing. There are two parts to good timing: time of day and point of greatest impact.

Time of day is important because it affects the lighting of the photographs. Early in the morning and late afternoon provide the best lighting, because it is softer and not directly overhead like it is at midday. Shooting at night also has a lot of effect, especially with city shots, where bright lights make a lot of contrast.

The moment of greatest impact is also important. Often this means you may have to wait a few seconds for the best photo, but it will be worth it. This is especially important when photographing animals and people.

Exposure

Exposure is how light or dark a photo is. A photo that is overexposed was given too much light when it was taken, so it appears overly bright and washed out.

Underexposed photos did not get enough light, so they appear very dark and there are few details. Underexposure is the more common problem for digital photos.

Photographing Action

Taking pictures of action settings is one of the more essential parts of good photography. Adding action into a photo creates interest, and often allows more expression. Posed photos are boring, candid shots often are the best, if taken well. There are two main options when photographing action, and which choice used often determines the effect of the photo.

Option 1: Fast shutter speed. This freezes the action for a clear photo.

Option 2: Let the picture blur. By not using a fast shutter speed, the action will blur, giving a sense of speed and movement.

Background

What is behind your center of interest is often as important as the center of interest itself. A cluttered background is often distracting, and takes away from the focus. A simple fix is to make the background go out of focus by decreasing the depth of field. The depth of field is determined by the aperture opening. A larger aperture creates a smaller depth of field.

The background here is rather distracting.

The out-of focus background allows for the center of interest to be the focus.

Cropping

Try to get only what you want in the picture when you first take it. Cropping can be done later, but often it reduces the picture quality if the photo is cropped too much. Only crop if a photo contains something that could not have been removed from the frame.

An uncropped image.

The cropped version. Note how much quality is lost.

Vary the Format

Do not just take pictures either horizontally or vertically, switch between the two. This adds interest to your photos. A variety of formats also allows different subjects to fit better. Generally, taller objects are shot vertically and longer objects are shot horizontally.

Framing

Another way to draw attention to the focus is to frame the picture. This is simply finding something to surround your center of focus, like trees or a window frame. Be sure that the frame is in focus, or else it will be distracting.

Angle and Leading Lines

Two other things to watch are the angle from which the picture is being shot and leading lines. One of the first mistakes a photographer cam make is immediately shooting from the same position: at eye level. Experiment with different views and angles. Stand on something or lie on the ground. Move around. Take several shots of the same object from different angles, each one will be different.

Not a typical angle:

Another technique to try is to use leading lines, lines that lead the viewer's eye to the center of interest. Leading lines can be fences, roads or even power lines. Below is and example, with the leading lines being the fence.

Center of Interest

The center of interest is the focus of a photo. It draws in the viewer's attention and should stand out. Other objects in the photo should not distract from the center of focus. The center of interest should not be in the center of the photo, rather it should follow the rule of thirds. To follow this rule, divide your viewscreen into three sections vertically and horizontally, like so:


Line your center of interest along one of the lines or where two lines intersect.

Another important use of the rule of thirds is when taking landscape photos. First decide whether the sky or the land is more important to the shot. The more important element should take up 2/3 of the photo.

Purpose of a Photo

Photos are meant to tell a story. Most pictures are taken without ever considering what the point of the shot is. One of the most important things to consider is covering the entire story. Do not just focus on one object or event. Take multiple pictures, often the most interesting things are those that are not the first thing one sees.

Advantages of Digital

Digital photography has several advantages over film photography, which is the main reason that film photos have become a dying art. Probably one of the most appealing qualities of digital is its instant feedback. Immediately after taking a picture, a photo can be viewed and critiqued. If the result is unappealing, the photo can be deleted. Storing photos is also a distinct advantage. Film can only be used once, but digital memory cards can have images removed and then be reused. Also, film may only be able to hold 30 or so images, but the latest memory cards can hold thousands of images before it needs to be replaced. Images can also be shared easier. After photos have been transferred to a computer, they can be sent to other people via email or web sites. Digital photos can also be printed out like their film counterparts, but without the darkroom or chemicals needed for film development.

How a digital camera works

A digital camera is very similar to a film camera in the way it works. The only difference is that the film is replaced by a sensor. The lens of the camera focuses the image and resizes it down to the size of the sensor. The aperture adjusts to let in more or less light as needed. When the shutter button is pressed, the shutter opens and light hits the sensor, where it is converted into an image and stored.

Camera Terms

Resolution: The number of pixels in one image. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image. Resolution is measured in megapixels (MP) which is one million pixels.

Shutter: part of camera that keeps light from hitting the sensor. When the shutter button is pressed, the shutter opens for a predetermined amount of time, allowing light to hit the sensor and the image to be created. The timing of the shutter is very important, because slower shutter speeds are more likely to blur. Anything with a shutter speed of less than 1/32 of a second should not be held in the photographer's hand. A fast shutter speed is good for freezing motion.

LCD Screen: serves as the viewfinder of the camera. Allows the photographer to see the picture they are about to take, or allows them to view images already captured.

Lens: the eye of the camera, focuses incoming light onto the sensor.

Aperture: An adjustable opening in the camera that determines how much light can be let in at once. Measured in f-stops, the largest being f/22, the smallest being f/2.

Film speed: a term taken from film cameras, film speed determines the sensitivity of the camera's sensor. Measured in ISO a higher number means a faster speed, which is great for capturing motion in low light areas. However, a faster speed often makes photos more grainy looking and less detailed.

Types of cameras

There are two main types of cameras: point-and-shoot and Single Lens Reflex. Point and shoots are more basic, with automatic focusing and basic features. They are made for quick snapshots. SLR cameras are much more complex. They use a single lens, hence the name Single Lens Reflex, and have interchangeable exterior lenses used to change the zoom of the camera. SLR cameras are mainly used by professionals because they allow for manual setup and controls for each individual photo, something that most people would not bother with.

Camera types can further be broken down by the skill level. Generally, most cameras fall into one of five categories: point-and-shoot, intermediate consumer, advanced consumer, prosumer, and professional. As one moves up the scale, features are greater and more complex and the cost also rises. Basic point and shoots start at around $100 and the prices go up to $30,000 for a professional model.

Early Cameras

The first consumer digitals were released in 1981, with Sony's Mavica, which stands for MAgnetic VIdeo CAmera. It was not technically a digital camera; it was a still video recorder that did not encode the images. Images taken were recorded to 2 inch floppy discs. The capacity of one disc was 1 MB and the Mavica could store 25 images on each disc. Today's images are usually 6 MB or more!

The first all-digital camera was the Fuji DS-1P, which was released in 1988. The first digital camera sold in the United States was the Dycam Model 1. The majority of these cameras were less than .5 MP. A good quality digital print needs at least 2 MP. Clearly, major improvements in sensor technology and storage were needed.

History of Digital

Digital photos actually started with videotapes. If you look at the film of a VHS tape, you cannot see individual images. Now look at a reel of film: each frame of the film can be seen. The VHS tape has to be decoded from a digital signal before images can be seen. The difference between digital and film photography is very similar. Digital photography got its start because of the space race. Governments realized that satellites launched into space could take photos from the air of enemy territory. However, film would not work because it would have to be physically brought back to earth for development. Therefore, digital means were created for taking pictures, which could then be beamed back to earth as a digital signal.

The other major development that paved the way for digital cameras was the scanner. Scanners detected different shades and intensities of light in a picture and convert it into a digital signal, much like cameras do today.

Intro to Digital Photography

Look around at the average American street and you see photos. Billboards, movie posters, ads: all are meant to catch the eye and fuel a want for the item being advertised. However, recent advances in technology, especially in digital photography, have made it possible for anyone to create eye-catching images. The simplicity of creating amazing images via digital means has fueled America's obsession with the visual.

This is the place to discover all of the options and techniques that will harness the power of digital photography. From taking the picture to editing and printing, everything here is meant to help the amateur photographer make professional quality photos.