For the past few months I have been creating photo pieces for my ailing grandmother. I have been using pictures of her grandchildren and great children (my daughter and my brother’s son) as the centerpieces of each project and as such I have really been able to examine my shooting style.
If you haven’t done so recently I highly suggest going through several months’ worth of shots you’ve taken in various elements. By examining the photos you can see what areas you need to work on the next time you frame up your shots.
Here are some of the notes I took while I was sizing up my recent shots:
I need to avoid always shooting from eye level.
Slight angle adjustments go a long way in making an ordinary photo much more interesting and appealing. Since my main photo subject is my 3-year-old daughter I often drop to my knees to take her picture. However, looking at my shots it would behoove me to mix it up a bit– get up higher and get more creative with my angles.
I need to avoid always placing the subject dead center in the frame.
I noticed that by placing my daughter in the center of the shot I often block lovely scenic backgrounds. While there are times when I put her to the side of the frame and give her something to look at, those photos are few and far between. If you must center your subject, try taking a vertical shot so you don’t always cut him or her off at the waist.
I need to work on face shots.
Not too much. I do have quite a number of nice shots of my daughter’s face, but I noticed that I also have quite a number of full length shots as well (this might be because I am trying to show off how big she is getting). But as a general rule you should try to avoid shooting a person’s entire body, head to toe– unless clothes are important (such as a uniform). You are more likely to get a frame worthy shot if you focus on the face; specifically the eyes and mouth since they are what best represent an individual. Crop tightly, and don’t be afraid to overflow the frame with your subject’s face.
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More Common Sense Tips To Capturing A Frame-Worthy Picture
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