To Create a Photograph

Contents

• GET CLOSE • KEEP IT SIMPLE • EXPRESS A FEELING • ADD ACTION • LOOK FOR DRAMATIC LIGHTING • GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND • COMPOSE WITH CARE • WHAT WENT WRONG

Good pictures don't happen by accident. You make them. Although making the correct technical decisions, such as exposure and focusing, are important, more and more these decisions are being made by automatic cameras. The soul of a photograph springs from the artistic decisions you make. You choose the subject, you arrange the composition, you select the viewpoint, and you decide if the lighting is appropriate. How well you do these things determines the success of your photos. This publication will guide you in making the right creative decisions; it will help you make outstanding photographs. And at the conclusion you'll find a troubleshooting section for those few times when something technical goes wrong. GET CLOSE Some photographers look through a viewfinder and start backing away from the subject. Don't. Getting close to your subject can't be stressed enough. It is probably the most important technique a photographer can use. It clearly and unambiguously reveals the subject. It boldly states, "This is the subject." To emphasize the subject, you should move close enough so that it fills half or more of the picture area. Do this by physically moving closer or by using a telephoto lens. Getting close eliminates distracting elements from your picture and displays the shapes, colors, and textures of the subject. Naturally you should not place the camera closer to the subject than the minimum focusing distance of your camera. KEEP IT SIMPLE Simple scenes facilitate composition and clarify the purpose of the photo. Concentrate on showing one subject or one idea at a time. Before you squeeze the shutter release, inspect the scene in the viewfinder. Examine every part of the picture for distracting intrusions, because your camera lens will catch all that is in the viewfinder. Eliminate these distractions; use a new viewpoint or find a plain background, such as blue sky or a lawn. You might try blurring the background by using a wide lens opening, such as f/2.8. You can often make a background out of focus by moving in close to your subject. EXPRESS A FEELING She walks in beauty like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies... Why do you photograph something? Admittedly sometimes out of habit, but usually because you are stirred by the subject before you. Lord Byron didn't write those lines (from the poem "She Walks in Beauty") just because he had a quill in his hand. Photograph those things that interest you. Try to express yourself. With your camera you can make a statement, a story, a pun, or even a poem. Use expressive colors, subjects, places, and people to arouse happiness, sadness, or loneliness in your viewers. Make them feel what you were experiencing when you took the photograph. And if you want people to respond to your photography, consider what their responses might be. Will they be surprised, amused, or perhaps baffled? Strive to make the intent of your photographs clear by using the tips just discussed. ADD ACTION A galloping horse. A scrambling quarterback. A wobbling, teetering, and oh-so-briefly-upright-on-roller-skates child. Action is all around us. We live in a world busy with moving subjects. Photograph them. Action invigorates. It animates. And it entertains. You can show action sharp or blurred. Since most people like their pictures to be sharp, we'll discuss that first. To get sharp action shots, use a fast shutter speed, such as 1/500 second, to stop all but the fastest action. A high-speed film, such as KODAK MAX 400, KODAK MAX Zoom 800, or KODAK ROYAL GOLD 1000 Film, will make it easier to obtain fast shutter speeds, even with some snapshot cameras. When you can't use a fast shutter speed, position yourself so that the action moves directly toward or away from you. Or take the picture at the moment of peak action--when a halfback reverses field or a springboard diver reaches the height of his leap and pauses momentarily before plunging. At the peak, movement is so slight that even a slow shutter speed will stop it. With a slow shutter speed you can pan the camera to instill a sense of movement. In panning, you take the picture as you move the camera to track the subject. The subject comes out fairly sharp but the background is blurred. Use a shutter speed of 1/30, 1/60, or 1/125 second, depending on how fast the subject is. With nonadjustable cameras, you may not know what shutter speed is being used (refer to your manual), so you'll just have to experiment and hope for the best. Photographing action takes thought and patience. Learn to anticipate what will happen. Press the shutter release just before the climactic moment occurs. LOOK FOR DRAMATIC LIGHTING Professional photographers cherish light. They know that how a scene appears depends largely on how it is lit. Photographer Scott Griswold once sat in front of a partially submerged stump in New Hampshire for four hours waiting for the right light. In Yosemite National Park, Ansel Adams would repeatedly return to the same scenes over a period of years, knowing that each time the scene would be different because the lighting was different. Look at the light you are photographing. Note the color--the gold of sunrise or the blues and violets of twilight. Move around and study the effects caused by the direction (front, side, back) of the light. Experiment with backlighting the subject for dramatic results. Create a silhouette by using a background that is brighter than the subject. For example, place the subject by a window or an open door, or shoot toward the bright sky or sun. To emphasize a textured surface, choose a viewpoint and time of day that gives sidelighting. Use existing light, indoors and out. This involves picture-taking in dim lighting without a flash. You will need a high-speed film, such as KODAK MAX Zoom Film, and a lens with an f/ 2.8 or larger aperture. Have your subject face the incoming light and aim at the subject, not directly into the light. When you use slow shutter speeds, brace your camera on something solid or use a tripod. Try some nighttime shots of city streets, neon signs, carnival rides, or fireworks. GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND What's the most popular photographic subject? People. Each year in the Canada alone, photographers take enough pictures of people to form a sidewalk around the world--a sidewalk of faces frozen in expressions of "Say cheese" or "Watch the birdie." Let's toss the cheese and give the birdie a rest. There are other ways to get people to respond. With one bold move, Canadian photographer Yosuf Karsh immortalized the bulldog trait we associate with Winston Churchill. During a brief portrait session, he plucked a stogie from Churchill's mouth and simultaneously released the shutter--just in time to catch that famous glare and furrowed brow. Obtaining a likeness of somebody is fairly simple; revealing character and personality requires insight. Ask yourself what defines people in general. Their hobbies? Their work? Their possessions, family, opinions? Then ask yourself what specifically defines the person before you. Zany? Serious? Grump? Car buff? Antique collector? Use these traits to express personality. If you are photographing a guitar player, show her with her guitar. If you are photographing a gardener, show him with his favorite flowers. Keep your subject in familiar surroundings. Get him or her to relax, to forget the camera. Assure your subject that he or she looks good. Patience and good nature will take you a long way. If you want to make a portrait, place your subject next to a window or in the shade, where soft light (not direct sunlight) will flatter the sitter's appearance. Try several different poses to emphasize attractive features. Take plenty of pictures to be sure of capturing that momentary perfect expression--and to avoid getting stuck with eyes closed during a blink. Children are another story. Unpredictable, impatient, and often reluctant, they'll test your skills. Do not try to impose your will. Keep the session relaxed. Give them something to do and let them move around. A simple prop--a balloon, ball, or old hat--may put a child at ease and often brings out the "ham." Outdoors, use medium- or high-speed film, such as KODAK GOLD 200 or MAX 400 Film, to stop their quick actions; indoors, use flash. When the child tires or becomes disinterested, quit. Come back fresh another day. Prolonging the session will only frustrate the child and you. Stoop to the child's level. An eye-level view better reveals facial features and shows the importance of the child as an individual. Standing and shooting down at a small child often pictorially imparts the meaning of the expression "looking down on him." Photographing children with parents portrays relationships that are loving and strong. You can capture the feeling of security and affection, and a sense of pride. For example, show a child learning to ride a bicycle with dad's helping hand on the back of the seat, or a mother's comforting hug after a scraped knee.

COMPOSE WITH CARE Carefully composing your picture will mean the difference between a boring photograph and an attractive one. Good composition is the most effective way of showing your subject. Edward Weston called it "the strongest way of seeing." A few people have the creative ability to compose a photograph quickly. But most of us must work hard and keep experimenting until we get it right. Try following these guidelines to improve your compositions:

1. Use the rule of thirds. Divide your scene into an imaginary grid. Place the main subject near one of the intersections. The point is to move your subject away from dead center, because that's one position that lives up to its name. 2. Use strong lines and shapes. They attract and entertain the eye. When photographing a road, fence, or stream, make sure it runs into the picture and towards the subject. This leads the viewer's eye into the photograph and right to the subject. 3. Experiment with the viewpoint. Kneel or lie on the ground to show tulips towering like trees or a toddler looming like a giant. Shoot from a high angle (a porch or a second-story window of a house) to reveal intriguing patterns not apparent from other angles. 3. Add interest by framing your scenes with a tree branch, a window, or something unusual like a pipe or the rails of a fence. The frame can be slightly out of focus to give a feeling of depth. Rules of composition are not absolute. You'll know the composition is right when it has what Cartier-Bresson called "its own inevitability about it."

WHAT WENT WRONG

Problem Cause Solution No picture Unexposed film sent for processing Sorry. Be sure film is exposed before sending in for processing. Lens cap left on Remove lens cap. Shutter didn't open Have dealer check camera. 35 mm camera: did not load film properly Make sure to engage both rows of sprocket holes when loading film. Picture blurred a. Fuzzy background and subject Camera movement Squeeze shutter release gently. Use higher shutter speed and faster film. Dirty lens Clean lens. Out of focus Improper focusing or too close to subject--review camera manual for focusing. b. Fuzzy subject only Subject movement Use higher shutter speed. Reposition yourself so that subject moves toward camera. Autofocus camera: subject outside autofocus marks Use focus lock or center subject within autofocus marks. Picture too light Wrong film-speed setting Use correct setting. Wrong aperture or shutter-speed setting Review manual to check setting and metering procedures. If OK, camera may need service. Flash too close to subject Check camera or flash manual for correct distances. Picture too dark Wrong film-speed setting Use correct setting. Wrong aperture or shutter-speed setting Review manual to check setting and metering procedures. If OK, camera may need service. Flash too far from subject or not yet fully charged Check camera or flash manual for correct distance. Wait for flash ready light to glow. Exposure meter broken Check battery. Not enough light for simple camera Use flash. Light streaks or fogging Stray light struck film Load and unload film in subdued light. Make sure camera back closes tightly. Rewind film fully before opening camera back. Obstruction Object blocking lens Keep fingers and camera strap away from lens. Flash photos a. Partial flash Used incorrect shutter speed for 35 mm SLR camera Review manual. Typical flash shutter speed for 35 mm SLR camera is 1/60 sec. b. Photos too dark Flash did not fire Replace weak batteries. Wait until flash ready light glows before taking photo. Too far from subject See manual for flash distance. Wrong film-speed setting Set correct film speed on flash or camera; see manual. 35 mm SLR cameras: used wrong aperture Set correct aperture as indicated by flash or manual. c. Photos too light Too close to subject See manual for correct distance range Film-speed setting wrong Set correct film speed on flash or camera; see manual. 35 mm SLR cameras: used wrong aperture Set correct aperture as indicated by flash or manual. d. Red eyes Subject looking directly at camera Have subject look away from lens. Turn on all room lights. e. Glare spots Flash reflected from shiny background Shoot at angle to shiny background. Exclude shiny background. f. Uneven exposure Subjects at uneven distances from flash Arrange main subjects so that all are at about the same distance from flash.