What should you wear for a holiday portrait?
Click the link for audio: What to wear for a holiday portrait
What is a megapixel and how many do I need?
Picture quality is measured by megapixels (MP). The more your camera has, the bigger you can print your pictures.
Here’s a guide to let you know how much you really need.
- Viewing only on a computer- .5 -3 MP
- Prints up to 8”x10”- 4-5 MP
- Prints up to 12”x16”- 6 MP
- Posters or murals- get the highest MP you can afford
If you don’t need large prints, then a high megapixel camera may not be worth the extra cost.
The middle doesn’t work in pictures
Several weeks ago I wrote about keeping your subject out of the middle of the picture. This article takes that idea one step further with a compositional guideline called the Rule of Thirds.
In this example you see a grid of intersecting lines. Each line is one-third into the picture; one-third from the top, one-third from the bottom and one-third from each side. See where the rule gets its name?
By placing your subject and other important elements close to where the lines meet, you’ll get a much more interesting picture. Part of the reason is that your eyes will travel around the image more instead of getting stuck, like they do when the subject is right in the middle.
Some cameras have a special feature that will show this grid on the display while you take your pictures. I love this feature on my camera and rarely turn it off.
Actions:
- Look at some of your pictures. What is in the areas where the thirds lines meet?
- Check your camera manual to see if your camera has a grid for the display
Looking for the Light
Take a look around you. Are some of the areas around you lighter than others? Maybe there is light coming in from a window or a lamp is lighting up the room.
Our eyes can see very well in both bright areas and dark areas, but your camera works best when your subject is in the light. In this example most of the area was too dark to take a good picture, so I focused on the animals that were in the light.
Try looking around at different times and in different places to see where the light is and the shadows. Seeing both will help you to see good pictures.
Share with us where the light and shadows are in the room you are in right now. Is it easy to see?
On the Level
You see a shot, aim your camera and take the picture. Have you ever thought of getting down to the same level as your subject?
In this example, the shrimp were at about waist height. Most people took their shots from eye level, which was above the animals. Shooting from the same level gives you a sense that you are right there with the shrimp instead of just looking at their backs. It also let me get more detail in the shot because I was able to get right up to the aquarium glass and get closer than if I had shot it from my eye level.
Anytime your subject is lower than your eye level, try squatting or sitting down to get to his/her/its eye level. You’ll see the world and your pictures differently by just changing your perspective.
Picture opportunities are all over
Sometimes getting a good picture is just a matter of having a camera with you. I found this shot by accident when sitting on a bench during a summer stroll.
How to get super blue water
Have you ever taken a picture of water only to have it turn out gray and washed out? This frequently happens when you take pictures looking toward the sun. In this example not only is the blue of the water grayed out, but the sky is too. Plus the sun is reflecting off the water and causing a lot of glare. Glare creates hot spots in your photos and can easily fool your camera’s autofocus.
One very effective way to get more blue from water is to shoot with the sun behind you. This cuts down on the glare which lets more of the color show.
