Some better examples of the rule of thirds and a little explanation

 

I felt like my last post on this subject was a little rushed so I looked for a few more pictures from my portfolio that show how I used it to create interest.

 

 

The rule of thirds (not to be confused with the rule of 3) Def from Wikipedia:

The rule of thirds is a "rule of thumb" or guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as paintings, photographs and designs.^[1] The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.^[2] Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would

 

 

These two diagrams (I found them on line) show what is meant by dividing your image into thirds horizontally and vertically. 

 

You have to be cautious with this rule since using it incorrectly can make an image confusing.

This is the same picture cropped two different ways. It's cropped off center on purpose  (it's all I could find that would work for what I want to show)

 

the first picture shows my dad pointing out of the picture. You may not realize it immediatly but it creates an odd sense that he is pointing off into space .

 

 This second cropping of the same picture tells more of the story. He is pointing to the river and obviously talking to Bryce about it. The second picture just makes more sense visually. The problem with learning new tricks and not understanding why your doing what your doing can often results in confusing results that don't convey anything important. If I can convey one important thing to you throughout all of this it's that the most important thing you can do to improve your photography is BE INTENTIONAL when composing your picture (in camera, not in photoshop). Know exactly what it is that your trying to capture in the photo.

 

These are just a few pictures that I think tell more of a story because of the placement of the

subject(s)

{C} Family

I'll be back!

I am not going to be posting pics until after the new year so please don't forget about me :) I will try and get my facebook page up to date in the next week or so!

Out of Space

To say I'm annoyed with blogger right no would be an understatement. They say I'm out of space?!?!? Which means no more pictures! That doesn't work for me. Unfortunatley I have too much on my plate at the moment to deal with working out a new system. I do anticipate creating a .com site in the near future but I want to do it right so it might take some time. If anyone knows of a temporary solution I am open for suggestions.

Practice, Practice, Practice....And the rule of thirds

This is one of the first pictures I took when I had committed to myself to really learn my camera. I was so proud of it. The bokeh, the exposure, the subject matter all of it. I had soooo much to learn! If you want to feel better about where your at with your photography, head over to my old photoblog http://lwheelerphotography.blogspot.com/ and look at my first posts. The change is painfully slow but it does happen!

Before I go into controlling the settings on your camera the first thing that you can do to improve your photography is to learn the rules of composition. One of my favorite rules is the rule of thirds.
It's a rule I broke in the above picture. Breaking rules is my other favorite rule of photography :)
Learn about the rule of thirds HERE
The shortened version is this.... To add interest to your photo avoid having the subject or horizon line dead center (unless you are going for symmetry which can be beautiful). Decide what your focus is BEFORE taking the picture. Is it the sky or the boats? is it the umbrellas or the clouds? Simply shift your view up or down Left or right to emphasize why you care enough to take the picture.
I didn't take these pictures with this post in mind or I would have given more exact examples. I simply took one, thought it was a little boring and then took a second one that added a little more interest. These were taken with my point and shoot so don't let your lack of a fancy camera deter you from experimenting!!! I can't emphasize enough how important practicing is. Learn something then practice it then learn something new!

{V} and Family

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What to look for in a camera.....

Let me start by saying that writing is a major weak spot for me. It is something I yearn to be better at so I'll look at this new challenge of sharing the photography "luv" as an opportunity to practice those basic skills of punctuation and spelling. If your hoping for anything more than that in the form of creatively composed instruction, I hope your not disappointed. If any of you consider yourselves to be skilled proofreaders I'm open to critiques on my sentence structure! Melissa if your reading this I'm talking to you!!! Now that I have that out of the way. Heather you asked........
Q: What's the best camera for the best value for high quality pictures.
A: No I'm sorry I can't tell you what the BEST camera is, but I can tell you what to look for and what to avoid.
The first thing you have to ask yourself is are you buying the camera so that IT can take the best picture or are you buying a camera that will enable YOU to take the best picture? A photographer who really understands light and composition can take a great picture with any camera. You are however extremely limited if you can't control the ISO, shutter speed, and Aperture. Another major tool is being able to change your lens depending on the situation. This kind of flexibility is really only found in a DSLR. If your not financially able to make that purchase you can find a point and shoot that will let you change your ISO and make adjustments comparable to changing the shutter speed and aperture. If your going with a point and shoot make sure you will have the ability to turn off the flash and also be able to force it to fire when it usually wouldnt. My canon powershot (point and shoot) has a really easy to use button that allows me to control the flash. I love that I don't  have to find it in a menu because that takes time that you dont usually have when your trying to catch the perfect shot. These are all words that might be scary but with practice these tools will completely change your photography.

The shortened version of the answer is this.
1.READ CUSTOMER REVIEWS!
2.Look for something that offers you the ability to force the flash, change the ISO, shutter speed, Aperture and also has an automatic easy to use setting (usually a friendly green square on a dial:)
3. If you can afford it and are serious about learning the art go with a DSLR
4. If your going with a DSLR Canon and Nikon are extremely experienced in the industry and create really quality cameras. They both offer a lot of growth with there lenses.

This last one leads me into what I use and why.
My first camera was a film Canon SLR in the year 2002!
In 2005 I upgraded to the Nikon D50 camera body and the kit lens it came with.
It was a 6 megapixel camera but I was still able to really learn on it and improve.
I outgrew it and in 2009 I started using the Nikon D300S and I use a 50mm 1.4 lens at this point it's the only lens I own but plan on adding a few more to give me more flexibility when it comes to focal length. Lenses are EXPENSIVE and addicting, so it is one of the last things you need to worry about if your just getting started.

The shortened version of what I use and why is this.
I love love love Nikon I love their cameras and I really love their lenses. Buuuuut I know some really great photographers who are way better than me who use Canon. So do your research and find your best fit!

I love fall!

{L} Family

 

 

 

{T} Family and {B} Senior Pictures