Your Digital Camera Photograph Composition

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Your Digital CameraPhotograph Composition

• How to use your camera, and take better
  photographs!

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Who I Am

• Harvey Gershenson
• Palmia resident since July 2007
• Photography enthusiast since childhood
• My email address is consultme_at_msn.com
• My home phone is 949.600.5574
• Do not hesitate to contact me

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My Goals for This Class

• Teach you how to use your camera
• Make you a better photographer
• Perhaps have some photo fun, by taking photo
  trips to nearby locations.
• Make this class more like a photography club
  where we can share our pictures and enjoy them.

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New Help Service

• If you have a specific problem with your camera
  please do the following.
• Bring your camera and camera manual to the
  computer room 30 minutes prior to the SIG
  starting time of 3 PM.
• That means get your rear in gear and be here at
  230, first come, first served.

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Photograph Composition

• Today we are going to look at what makes a
  picture special.
• You are going to learn about elements that can
  make your pictures look professional.
• We are going to view pictures that contain the
  elements that will change your pictures from
  snapshots to photographs.

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Photograph Composition

• Image composition describes how different
  subjects and visual elements are arranged inside
  of the image frame. The purpose of image
  composition is to create a visually compelling
  picture, a picture that evokes the interest of
  the viewer. A successful shot attracts the eye
  for a while. Visual elements that a photographer
  uses in the composition are for example lines,
  forms, textures, balance, symmetry, depth,
  colors, perspective, scale, and lighting. A
  picture can tell a thousand words but how to
  create such a photo?

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Photograph Composition

• The key is to remember that in the same way as a
  chef rarely uses all the ingredients at their
  disposal in any dish - that a photographer rarely
  uses all of the ingredients of composition in the
  making of an image.

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Photograph Composition

• Pattern

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• Symmetry

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• Texture

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Photograph Composition

• Depth of field is a characteristic of a camera
  that can be used to enhance the image composition
  of the photo. Depth of field means the sharp area
  surrounding the point of focus. The magnitude of
  the sharp area is affected by several factors
  distance between the camera and the subject,
  focal length and aperture.

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• Depth of field

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• Lines

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Photograph Composition

• Works of art are often surrounded by frames.
  Frames guide the eye of the viewer inside of the
  picture. Frames also help to keep the eye of the
  viewer inside of the picture. Frames can be
  easily added to digital photos in image
  processing but that is not the only way to create
  frames. You can also include a frame inside of
  your photo to enhance the composition. You can
  take advantage of frames that can be found from
  the world around you.

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Photograph Composition
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• Framing

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• Perspective

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Photograph Composition

• When we see a person looking at something, we
  often tend to look at the same direction. We are
  also used to the idea that people, animals and
  vehicles have a certain direction to where they
  are going. We assume that they move forward. This
  is a matter that should be taken into
  consideration in photography composition. It's
  often distracting if there is a person, an animal
  or a vehicle on the edge of the photo that seems
  to be moving away from the photo and we can't see
  where to.

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• Space

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• Balance

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• Color

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• There is no right or wrong composition in
  photography. A composition that conveys a
  photographer's intended meaning is an effective
  one. A composition that doesn't or that confuses
  the viewer is not.

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Photograph Composition

• Rule of Thirds
• The Rule of Thirds is based on the fact that the
  human eye is naturally drawn to a point about
  two-thirds up a page. Crop your photo so that the
  main subjects are located around one of the
  intersection points rather than in the center of
  the image

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Photograph Composition
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Photograph Composition

• Your landscapes will be optimally pleasing to the
  eye if you apply the Rule of Thirds when you
  place your horizon line. If the area of interest
  is land or water, the horizon line will usually
  be two-thirds up from the bottom. Alternately, if
  the sky is the area of emphasis, the horizon line
  may be one-third up from the bottom, leaving the
  sky to take up the top two-thirds of the picture

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• Linear elements, such as roads, waterways, and
  fences placed diagonally, are generally perceived
  as more dynamic than horizontally placed ones

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• Often people place the main subject of the
  photograph into the middle of the frame. This
  only seldom yields to the best possible
  composition except if there is one clear subject
  which is photographed very close. You can call
  this filling the frame!

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• The saying "less is more" is often true in image
  composition. The photo is often more beautiful
  and effective if unnecessary elements are left
  out of the frame. A common mistake is to try to
  include all possible things in one photo.
• It is often wise to include only one clear center
  of interest into the photo.

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• When composing a photo one can think about things
  that should be avoided in the composition. In my
  opinion, once the good composition has been
  found, one should check certain things that can
  generally speaking be considered as mistakes in
  image composition.

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Photograph Composition

• Distraction on the edge.

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• Background

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• Conflicting edges

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• You have just seen a number of elements that can
  be used to improve your photographs
• One of my instructors from many years ago told us
  over and over again, fill the frame!
• Lets look at some photos and see how what we
  have learned has been applied.

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Sharing Our Pictures

• You can bring in prints.
• You can bring in a jump drive.
• You can bring in a CD or DVD.
• You can bring in a slide show.
• Lets share and enjoy our photographs.

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

• The next class is Friday November 20.
• Starting time is 3 PM
• If you have any questions regarding your camera
  or photography, lets talk!