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photography

The Shot List

Prior to your worrying about your gear, you should find out exactly what photos are required. Some brides will already have this worked out. Other brides may just expect you to know instinctively what is needed. If so, be afraid, be very afraid. You’ll be much better off if you ask for and receive a list of the needed shots.

A shot list is best separated into three general groupings:

1. Prior to the Service
2. The Ceremony
3. Subsequent to the Ceremony

Prior to the Ceremony

These shots can include the following:

* The bride getting ready
* The bride and friends
* The bride and her parents
* The groom with his friends
* The groom and his parents
* The Dress
* Getting into the limo
* Sitting in the limo
* Arriving at the church

A number of of these can be candid shots. Some work better if you pose them.

The Service

These shots depend on the location and if you are permitted to shoot the actual exchange of vows, etc. Some celebrants don’t permit photography during the ceremony – ask if this is okay. You should try to get on the groom’s side with a clear view of the bride. Brides are usually the most important subjects during the ceremony].

These photos should include:

* Take medium distance shots of the bride and groom and celebrant.
* Take medium distance photos of the bride and groom.
* Three quarter length to full length of the entire bridal party including the maids and groomsmen.
* Frame the bride and groom medium or three-quarter length.
* The ring (close-up on the hands if you can zoom in fast otherwise go for the semi-close-up)
* The kiss (semi close-up)

Lighting plays a big part in the ceremony shots. Flash is too harsh and intrusive so do your best with the available lighting – it’s probably adequate. Don’t leave the lighting to chance on the big day – this is what rehearsals are for. Make sure you use a tripod.

Turn your camera’s shutter sound off. Do that so you can shoot many frames without disturbing the event. The more the better. Set the camera to multiple frames and hold the shutter down at the important moments. Many great pictures have been spoiled by the subject blinking. The remedy is to shoot lots at the critical moments.

Move fast to capture the newly weds walking back down the aisle. Now this is an important wedding photography tip: Plan your return route to the front door at the rehearsal.  Flash can be used when the couple face the congregation and leave the alter. For more information look under ‘Equipment’.

Following the Ceremony

Again some of these could be candid and some ought to be posed. These should comprise:

* The bride and groom outside the church/venue with well-wishers
* The confetti moment (just hold the shutter down!)
* The bouquet
* Groups of bride and groom and all parents
* Getting into the limo
* Sitting in the limo
* The limo itself if it has been tricked up with cans and graffiti etc.

Following on-After the Service

These usually need to be planned ahead. Now go ‘on location’ to a nearby park or garden. Now is a good time for some posed full-length shots of the dress before the reception. The subjects can relax here and figuratively let their hair down. Posed shots should be done first, then move off for shots with the zoom so they can be more spontaneous.

The Reception is included in this segment. Expect to be plagued by guests wanting their own photos, but keep an eye on your shot list and don’t stray too far.

Don’t miss the cake cutting. You may have the bridal table on your list – if not just do a general coverage of the toasts. The newly weds are your client and their big moment will be the ceremony so concentrate on that first.

You will probably need help at the reception to make sure you don’t miss any important groupings – ask the matron or maid of honor.

The Finished Product

It is best to supply a Compact disk or DVD with the bad shots edited out. Duds make photographers look incompetent. For added effect you can use video editing software to quickly make a slide show of the event in sequence. Don’t submit any image that wont zoom up to A4 and still be sharp. It is simpler to provide a CD of all the best photos and let the ‘clients’ print whatever they like.

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When you take your photographs, good lighting should be a priority. No matter how good is your composition, if the lighting is not good, then the whole photo will not be good either. It has this power to ruin a good image and make it useless, but it also has the power to make an ordinary photo, a great work of art. Learning how to capture the correct amount of light is an essential part of photography.

During the capture of a single photograph, the photographic medium (film or digital sensor) is allowed to gather a certain amount of light indicated by its exposure. There is no fixed value of a correct amount of light, because it depends on the available lights, the objects, and the photographer’s judgment. However, it is safe to say that there’s an acceptable exposure and an unacceptable exposure. Unaccepted exposures are, in general, due to a mistake rather than a photographer’s intention.

Basically, a dark scene will need long exposures, allowing more light to be collected by the sensor, which translates to a well exposed photograph. If less exposure is used, the photograph will become darker as a result of the underexposure. Alternatively, a bright scene will need short exposures, limiting the amount of light collected by the sensor, yielding a well exposed photograph. If more exposure is used, the photograph will become too bright with many blown highlights.

The camera controls the exposure through shutter speed and aperture. Shutter speed controls the time for which the shutter will stay open. The faster the shutter speed is, the less light will get to the sensor. On the other hand, aperture controls the degree of openness of the lens. Narrow aperture will let less light pass through it than a wide aperture. ISO speeds also affect the degree of exposure. Higher ISO speeds will make the sensor more sensitive to light, reducing exposure, but it will add undesired noise to the photos.

In manual exposure mode, aperture and shutter speed are usually set independently. When automatic exposure is used instead, the camera will calculate the optimum exposure based on the light meter used. Because of the lack of manual controls over exposure in many low-end cameras (including most digital compact cameras), exposure compensation (if available) should be used to fine tune the automatic exposure suggested.

Photographs with very dark and very bright spots will not show correct exposure on all their parts using any type of cameras. Usually, photographers take the same photograph at different exposures, and combine them together using software programs.

To understand exposure better, try to study your photographs through viewing them and the settings you used when you took them. Look for the exposure time (shutter speed), the aperture, the ISO speed, and the exposure compensation in the data that is stored in your image files. This is the best way to understand these things practically.

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Lines can have a very nice impact on your composition making it more appealing. Using them correctly can totally transform the mood of your photo as well as add a more depth to it.

While you may not notice, lines are abundant in our surroundings. Horizons are the most common of all horizontal lines that if placed on the top third will emphasize the landscape, while when place on the bottom third, more emphasis will be on the sky. To have the maximum impact, try not to cut your image into halves by placing the horizon on the center, and make all horizontal lines as horizontal as possible. Remember that this type of lines is usually more convenient to horizontal photos .

Vertical lines are even more obvious to us. Think of buildings, upright trees and light posts, they usually reflect growth and strength and when used correctly, they can provide interesting patterns especially when the photograph contains other elements. As with horizontal lines, the vertical lines should be perpendicular with the edges of the photograph because an inclined vertical line may harm your photo significantly. These lines look best in portrait orientation.

Diagonal lines are even more usable than the previous two types. Just look ahead of you along road or railway lines and you will sense a feeling of depth while your eyes will be set to their point of convergence of the diagonal lines. They also give a feeling of dynamic action. A compositional convention is to avoid placing diagonal lines on the diagonal of the photograph as the photo will look split.

The lines’ types and orientations are related to the viewpoint used in the photograph. Just by changing your point of view, you can turn horizontal or vertical lines into interesting diagonal lines. This can produce a totally different composition with more depth and more points of interest at the meeting point of the diagonal lines.

While lines may add a certain mood to your photograph, shapes usually provide the meaning. The shape is the first thing that identifies an object and it is usually considered as its 2D outlines.In order to let shapes have a strong impact in your photograph, try to make your object as different as possible from its surroundings in terms of colors or details . A good example for this is silhouette photography where the subjects are dark while the environment is colorful.

Objects may look the same from some angles and that may result ambiguity. To avoid this, choose an angle that will portray your object in a unique way.

Lines and shapes are abundant around us; we just have to remember how to utilize them efficiently.

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As an initial step, think about the camera you will buy, how you will use it and what do you want your pictures to look like. When doing so, you will be able to narrow down your search into a specific range of models, so the process will not be difficult anymore.

If you are looking for an ordinary camera to take your photos without caring much about advancing in photography, then a basic camera should be enough. You will be able to find a lot of cheap basic compact digital cameras. But even in this range you may still find some basic features like white balancing and autofocusing. These features were almost unheard of in the same range a few years ago.

If you take your photographic artistic expression more seriously, or if you still want ordinary photos but with better quality, try to look for a camera that will give you better control over the photographing process. Cameras in this range usually have a decent overall quality of the pictures they produce, and they provide the photographer with higher light sensitivity, better zoom options, and more manual settings.

Aspiring photographers with somewhat limited budgets may still be able to produce professional quality photographs using high-end compact cameras . The results may not be as good as those of DSLRs, but these cameras are capable to produce very high quality photographs compared to other compact cameras due to the manual settings they have (aperture, focus, and shutter speeds), the better lenses, and the stronger sensors. They also usually provide the ability to take RAW type photos which allows later precise adjustments.

The camera with the best value is the one that you will make use of all its functionalities. Maybe you have a video camcorder and you don’t need to record video with your compact digital camera. In this case, you may choose a compact camera with the same price but with no audio or video features as this will usually mean better photographing capabilities. Another feature that is usually emphasized so as to confuse the buyers is the amount of megapixels that constitute an image produced by the camera. If you are working with large prints, you should be interested in this number. However, it is not enough to produce high quality prints if the camera has a bad sensor or lacks many features.

There are a lot of online resources that can help you make a decision about which camera to buy. Search for photographs taken with different cameras in photo sharing website, or look for test photos taken by reviewers. Thus, you may know what to expect from the one you are going to buy.

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From a scenic point of view, taking a photograph of a subject filling a small area in your frame may leave you with many empty spaces that if not effectively used, will render your photo boring. An effective remedy to this is to fill the frame with your subject, so as to get rid of these empty spaces.

Moving closer to your subjects can make your photo more interesting by removing the surroundings altogether. For example, consider this situation in which you are photographing a wild animal at the zoo. The most common composition is one that consists of an animal, a cage, and maybe spectators. But if you fill your photo’s frame with the animal’s face only, anyone might think that it was taken in the wild. The ambiguity resulted from close-ups lead observers use their imaginations to complete the picture . A photo of legs of a man and a woman standing in front of each other can tell many things. The focus here is on the action being performed, rather than who is performing it.

Portraits are usually a strong candidate for closeups. Sure you can take a great portrait with your subject in an interesting environment, but you can also get a very nice one too with just focusing on him. A portrait in which your subject fills the whole frame gives some sort of a personalized feeling. A facial portrait usually makes you in direct contact with the subject, as if you are looking to someone sitting in front of you. Close-ups on other body parts produce great photos too; they may create an abstract feel, or emphasize a certain action.

Close-ups also suit still life photographs very well. Getting close to object show new details that are not obvious when photographing from a distance. This is particularly important when photographing products and machine parts.

Zooming and cropping are the tools used to create close-ups. Cropping allows you to cut any part you want from any photograph, making it flexible to carefully choose your composition, but you have to know that the image size will be smaller than the original.

The simplest compositions may sometimes be the richest. So use your imagination, and make your audience use theirs.

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The reason why this rule is very well known is that it is pretty easy to apply. All you need is just to know how you should frame your subject.

Imagine that your photograph will be divided into three horizontal and three vertical parts. This is done by putting four lines (two horizontal and two vertical) each at one third of the photograph, hence the name of the rule. Thus, we will have four intersection points, each of which is a hot-spot for framing the subjects . In general, the lines together with the intersection points should be used to align the main subjects of your photos so as to have one that complies with the Rule of Thirds.

Photographing at close range will yield a subject that is too big to be framed as a whole. Instead of aligning the subject itself, interesting parts within it are the ones that should be aligned. In case of facial portraits, for example, the face usually covers most, if not all, of the viewfinder leaving the facial features to be aligned. Most photographers align the eyes to the first horizontal line from top. This is mainly because eyes are the most important feature of the face, and that by doing so, the rest of the facial features will be well placed inside the photo too.

The Rule of Thirds is commonly used in landscape photography as well. A lone subject in the foreground (a tree for example) is a perfect candidate to be aligned to one of the vertical lines. As for the background, horizons are usually aligned to one of the horizontal lines. A landscape scene may contain fields, mountain or clouds. In this case, a more general approach is recommended in which the different parts of the scene are considered as layers to be separated in the different sections (thirds) of the photograph.

Despite being important to the composition, some flexibility should exist when applying this rule. There are some instances where the perfect alignment should be sacrificed for a better overall composition, such as when some important details are missing just outside the frame. Another example is when trying to create the mirroring effect using reflections. Here, the mirror line (the line separating the reflection from the real) is usually aligned at the middle.

In general, this rule is a main element of good composition. By using it, you will be able to produce photos that are very appealing to the eyes.

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Knowing your camera’s features very well will lead you to make better decisions about what settings to use in different situations. Most compact cameras come with a preset of automatic settings used in specific situations. They are sufficient in most conditions, however, being able to manually adjust your photos will generally yield better results . That’s why manual setting are usually more preferred. The give you the ability to fine tune your photos as you wish.

It is always recommended to take all your photos at the maximum resolution using the highest quality available, especially when you plan printing these photos. Prints usually require high resolution, and any compromise in the photo’s quality is not a good thing. Consequently, the size of the images will increase, so it is advisable to make sure you will have enough space in your storage media, while at the same time trying to find a reliable backup solution.

Nearly every compact camera sports an autofocus feature these days. When taking your picture, just press the shutter button half way down and keep holding it that way. The camera will perform the analysis and try to automatically set focus on the subject. That’s why pressing and holding the button should be done while aiming at the subject and then the camera can be moved (while still holding) to get the desired composition. After choosing the desired composition, the button should be completely pressed so as to capture the photo.

Even if your camera has an anti-shaking feature, it is usually better to use a tripod (or anything equivalent) to hold the camera still while photographing in low light situations. Unless you can rest your hand on something, it is nearly impossible to hold the camera still during long exposures. Always try to improve the lighting as most compact digital cameras will usually produce noisy and blurred photo in low light.

Not all features are valuable though. Most compact cameras produce bad photos at high ISOs (>400) and they should only be used for capturing fast moving objects. Using the built-in flash should be avoided except when there is no other efficient light source. The small distance between the lens and the flash source will produce very harsh shadows behind the subjects making them look like cardboard. It is usually better to consider external light which will give your photos a better professional look. The only feature that you should never use is digital zooming.

Getting to know your camera well requires experimenting . Fortunately, this can only increase its worth by making it produce better photographs and increase your experience by making you a better photographer.

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Any photograph lacking a focal point will not attract except a few quick glances. This is because naturally the eyes will search for the unique and different things in the composition. Whether it is a flower, a barrel, or a human, any interesting object will do.

The impact of the focal point on your photo can be further enhanced using many techniques. Next time you are taking a photograph, think where the focal point should be. A good place to start is at the four hot-spots or along the lines of thirds. Another possibility is to place it at the convergence point of leading lines which naturally grab attention into the photograph. In this case the Rule of Thirds can be neglected for a more symmetric composition.

Making an object more significant can be done by having a strong contrast between it and patterns around it. This contrast will add more definition to the shape of your object yielding an excellent focal point. A strong colorful contrast can only improve the effect further. Always remember that the brighter and bigger your object is, the more attention it will grab.

Another form of contrast that can be used is that of details. This is achieved by blurring out the foreground to bring the focus on an object in the background, or vice versa. The abrupt change in details will give the object a definitive and clear shape, making it the center of attention. Thus, selective focusing becomes very handy tool to underscore your focal point. The strength of this effect is determined by how shallow or deep the DOF is. If you are photographing in a dynamic surroundings, you can make use of the movements around you to achieve a similar effect without messing with DOF. A still object will stand out in a photograph with many moving objects when utilizing a slow shutter speed.

A photograph may have more than one focal point, but be careful as too many may make your photo crowded and will confuse the observer. Therefore, when capturing your next photo, try to think about it from an observer’s point of view.  

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