Photo composition

What really makes a good photographer? In days past, it used to center around camera knowledge~ like knowing how to fidget with aperture and shutter speeds to get cool effects. But now, technology has improved so much that most cell phones can capture a decent picture; they can even put on effects with one touch.

So what really is a good picture?

That my students, is still worth learning.

Mike Browne is a professional photographer and has a series of Youtube videos on teaching photography. In this clip, he explains that good photography is more a way of thinking than a camera:

tutorials from Mike Browne photography on YouTube

So you can see that moving is essential in getting good composition. And, that there is a time commitment to photography as well. Your assignment is will be to take Brown’s advice and get moving, thinking and practicing.

At the end of the assignment (and for class tomorrow) you should have completed:

A. You must use a theme~ for example ” summer” or “Ireland“.

B. Using this theme, you must take ten pictures and save them in one location (like on a flashdrive or folder on your computer). Each shot should exemplify one rule of composition and highlight the theme. Here again is the student tutorial on some different composition rules we played in class.

student video produced by photomoviemad21 on YouTube

The ten rules I want you to focus on and take pictures with are:

  1. lines
  2. rule of thirds
  3. simplicity
  4. patterns (such as repetition)
  5. perspective
  6. framing
  7. motion
  8. color
  9. light
  10. key elements (center of interest)

Remember, your pictures should all share the theme

C. After you have your ten pictures you will then compile them together into a visual representation. I like to use a 30-second  Animoto. Click HERE to sign up for Animoto. It’s free and easy to use. When you are done, you will get a link  to share to your new project you created. 

The final result will look something like this:

Photo Comp example.

D. Sharing…we may choose to share this link together through Twitter, e-mail, or a class Facebook page.

See you next time!

~Ms.M

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