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Lots of great ideas and pro tips you can use, whether you area snapping your own family pics or shooting professionally for paying clients.
Want to learn more about taking better people photos? Join us for this ViewFinder class:
Creative People Photography
- Saturday, 11 September
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PHOTO 1Less can be more when it comes to improving the quality and impact of your photos. Great photos often have a strong, single point of interest, a specific element that captures the viewer’s attention.
Try simplifying your photos by carefully using framing and composition to “remove” uneccessary elements.
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PHOTO 2. Photo 1 (top) is a nice seascape at sunset, but it lacks a clear point of interest. Photo 2 (above) has more impact as it focuses on a single subject: the sunset. Imagine the final photo hanging in your living room and ask yourself, “What do I want people to see in this picture?” Then compose and shoot the image to draw attention to your desired point of interest.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
~ Hans Hofmann, artist
Image 1 - Return Journey by Shane Walsh
Before you press the shutter, be clear about what you want to share in your photo – not just the subject, but the mood and feeling. Now MOVE! Move around, move in, or zoom closer to your subject and frame your composition to capture and emphasize that specific element. Almost any photo can be improved this way – making the difference between an ordinary photo and one that wows.
Image 2 - Wicklow Tress II by Shane Walsh
Try moving yourself to frame the subject to one side of the frame or the other, not always in center. Move your camera from horizontal orientation to take vertical shots and see what works best for the image you want to create.
In these three photos, taken by Shane Walsh, there is a noticeable difference in mood achieved, in large part, by moving around the subject to create the composition and point of view he wanted.
Image 1 - The horizontal orientation is typical for landscapes, and he’s used a few other fundamentals – the rule of thirds and leading lines – to help make this a strong image.
Image 3 - Wicklow Trees by Shane Walsh
Image 2 - He moved in closer and turned the camera for vertical orientation, creating a portrait of the two trees.
Image 3 - By walking around the trees, moving in closer, and shooting from the side, he captures the more dramatic curves and lines of the branches. Black and white post-processing further adds to the impact.
Want to learn more about creating more intersting images? Check out these ViewFinder classes:
Creative Composition for Better Photos
- Saturday, 24 July
Color and Black & White Photography
- Sunday, 25 July
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Whether you are a beginner feeling overwhelmed by all the functions of your new DSLR camera or an experienced shooter debating over which lens to use, it’s easy to get caught up in technical details and lose sight of simply making good photographs. Our “One Thing for better photos” blog posts each highlight one specific thing to do - or learn - to improve the quality and impact of your images.
*Thank you to Shane for letting us feature his photos!
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photo: David Kai Piper
Getting out of Automatic mode and learning to control aperture is one big step toward creating more dynamic and more interesting images.
A lower aperture number – f5.6 or lower – will narrow the depth of field, softening or blurring the background and foreground, leaving only your subject in sharp focus. Even a single, simple subject, such as the farm cat in this photo, can be made more interesting when you shoot with more creative manual control. Our example image also demonstrates another point about making better images: Keep it simple! And it takes advantage of leading lines and framing too.
Higher aperture numbers, f8 or higher, will put the whole scene in focus, as in landscapes. But more about that in another post.
Want to learn more about using aperture? Check out these ViewFinder classes:
Creative Composition for Better Photos - Saturday, 24 July
dSLR Photography for Beginners - Saturday, 28 August
Need more inspiration for what you can do with mobile phone photos? Take a look at Bryon’s iPhone photography.
Photos: Bryon Paul McCartney
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While we are still in the middle of our summer Fine Art Photography Workshops in Tuscany, we’re already making plans for classes in Zürich in July and August. Find a class to help you improve your photos, get started with a DSLR camera, explore creative lighting, and more. The Zurich class schedule includes:
All of our one-day classes are held at our Zürich studio (Saturdays or Sundays, 10:30 - 17:30). For more details, click on the class titles above or check out our complete course schedule for the second half of 2010.
Have a questions? Send us an email or call us at (+41) 052 203 3044.
]]>Of course, it was a full and challenging week, but everyone produced excellent results and I was amazed at the growth and development of all our students. One student enjoyed the experience so much, he even decided to stay for our second week, which starts this evening.
Thanks to everyone, the students (Bernhard E., Dan D., Doris T., Eric A., Fabien Q., John H., and John M.), the models (Alycia D., Colleen D., Iveta N., and Nina R.) as well as our helpful staff (Dave P., Kellie M. and Michelé). I wish I could add more details, but there is much to do before everyone arrives for week two. For now, I will leave you with some backstage images from last week. Stay tuned for some examples of the students’ photos in the weeks to come.
Best regards,
Shooting at poolside in San Quirico d’Orcia: Dave P., Iveta N. and Colleen D.
John M. and Iveta N. shoot at an abandoned farmhouse near Pienza, Italy
Beach shooting at Marina di Alberese with Eric A., Fabien Q., Alycia D., Iveta N., and Nina R.
Photo: Bryon Paul McCartneyCheck out our “Travel Photography is a Snap!” feature (PDF) in the June 2010 issue of SwissNews for helpful tips and ideas for getting great travel photos on your summer holidays. You can get download the article here, or pick up a copy of SwissNews at Kiosks and bookstores throughout Switzerland.
This is the fourth in our continuing series of photography features for SwissNews. Catch up on previous ViewFinder photo articles…
Wishing you happy travels and great shots!
ViewFinder class tip: Better Travel Photography
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Photo: Kellie Nolan McCartneyEveryone enjoys sunshine on their holiday travels, and we always hope for sunny skies for our outdoor shooting classes, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate with our plans.
So it was grey skies and lots of rain for our Better Travel Photography class (Saturday, 15 May). But the weather didn’t dampen students’ creativity. Even juggling umbrellas, keeping cameras dry and dodging puddles, they were up to the challenge.
From the busy main train station and Bahnhofstrasse to the quiet of the Lindenhof and the Altstadt, students captured images of Zurich as a travel destination, with a fresh and personal perspective.
Check out our ViewFinder Student Gallery to see some of the students’ photos and behind the scenes shots.
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Here’s your chance to take a class and improve your photo skills before your summer holidays! We’re wrapping up our spring season with classes this weekend and next week. Then that’s it … we’re off for our summer workshop* break. With our emphasis on fun, hands-on learning, you’ll quickly pick up new skills, improve your photos and be inspired. Follow the links below for more info and registration details.
Zurich classes will resume in late July - Enter your email address below to receive the updated 2010 course schedule and news announcements about classes and events from The ViewFinder Center.
Add info@viewfindercenter.com to your email spam filter “white list”.
*Images may not be appropriate for viewing at work.
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