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It's a beautiful photograph, but do you know WHY it's beautiful? Let's talk a little bit about pictures and why we love them. Pictures can be beautiful. They can decorate a home or and office; be published in books, magazines and calendars; they can even win ribbons or prizes in contests. A breathtaking landscape can transport the viewer to another time and place, if only for a moment. A beautiful still life can capture a mood of serenity, warmth, even magic. A great portrait of a person can look into their soul, and let you share their smiles or tears. A great picture communicates. Think about it. There is a huge market out there for photographs because publishers know that the people who buy their materials will be drawn to good photographs that reach out to them. Visual communication is something that we're all born being able to relate to. The subjects out there to take pictures of are limitless. The only boundaries are within your mind. But what makes a photograph successful? The answer is a fairly simple one, and you can improve your photography today by learning a few very basic rules. One caveat, however As the old saying goes, rules are meant to be broken. Some of my favorite photographs very purposely break . a lot of the basic "rules" of photography. But to break the rules in a way that enhances a photograph and effectively turns it into a great photo, you first have to know the rules and have a reason for wanting to break them. So today we're going to talk about simple photographic rules that will make your pictures better. Number one: Get in close. No, closer Nope, still closer There! You've got it! . . The first, and most important, rule: Simplify. The more you simplify a photo, the more attention you draw to your subject. The more attention you draw to your subject, the more successful you are in communicating your message to the viewer There are roughly a . million and two ways to do this, so I'll keep it simple and stick to my favorite technique here, and that's to get in as close as possible, thereby eliminating anything in the background that may detract from your subject. Over the years I've belonged to a number of photography websites where people post photos and then others can critique them. I can't count the times on these sites that I've looked at photographs of beautiful flowers. Haven't we all taken photographs of flowers? They're inherently beautiful, readily available and seem to just scream out to have their pictures taken. Before you snap your next flower photo, though, do this: look up close at the flower Really close - literally. Put your eye right down . there and examine the petals, all of the delicate little parts in the center of the flower any sort of unique characteristics the flower , has. Ask yourself what it is about this specific flower that is crying out to have its picture taken. Is it that stack of today's mail sitting on the table behind the vase that's really attracting you to it? Maybe the wooden table, or that placemat that the mail is sitting on? The vase itself? How about the green stuff in the vase with the flower? Are any of those things what you really want to emphasize in this photograph? No! It's the blossom itself that wants to be the star . So try this. Set your camera up on a tripod as close as you can get it to the flower, while still keeping the flower in focus. You may have to include some of the greenery in the photo, or perhaps even some of the vase or table. If so, for heaven's sake, get rid of the stack of mail. The people you show the picture to in the end will be looking at a rectangular-shaped print, and if what you want them to see is the flower, it should take up as much of that final rectangle - we'll refer to it as "the frame" - as you can possibly get in there. Getting in close seems like sort of an obvious thing when you think about it, but I can't tell you how many background stackof-mail type distractions I've seen in photographs, where the flower takes up maybe 1/10, (or less), of the final image and the rest is composed of distracting elements. One way to eliminate distractions is to simply move them out of the frame, but my favorite way is to just get closer and closer until there's nothing else in the viewfinder That way you hit your viewer smack-directly in the . face with your subject. This is referred to as "filling the frame". There's no question about what the photograph's subject is, and you've communicated with the person who sees the final image! The bottom line is to focus the attention on your subject by really thinking about what you want to emphasize. Try it the next time you're taking pictures and see what you think. Here are a couple of examples I've found right here on iStock!

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This is a classic beautiful rose shot. The frame is full of nothing but soft rose petals, with enough detail you feel you could reach out and touch them. The light hits the blossom just right, creating just enough shadow to make each petal stand out from the others, and you get lost in that beautiful swirl of pink. No distracting vase, table or pile of bills!

When I saw this image, I was so impressed that I nearly fell over The beautiful tones and the simplicity really work well here. . You'll notice how the photographer has gotten in really close - to the point of cropping off the man's chin and most of the top of his head. The focus is on that wonderful genuine smile, emphasized by the laugh lines at the eyes and a bit of a dimple on the subject's cheek - all bringing your attention right back to that fantastic smile.

Number two: Photographic Composition Most really strong photographs position their main elements in specific placement of the frame. When you think about where you put your subject in the photograph, you are composing your image. Think about it. When a painter starts out with a blank canvas, he or she has free reign to decide where to put that river, those mountains, the trees, clouds and anything else that needs to be included. By creating a photograph, you should go through the same process.

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Remember the flower we talked about photographing in rule one? Nine times out of ten when I've seen that photo of the flower with Barbie lying in the background, the flower itself has been dead center in the frame. This is simply natural instinct for us to compose a photograph this way. When we are looking at the flower our eyes are focused directly in front of us. We don't put the , flower on the table, bring our ear down to the flower and then try and shift our eyes to see the flower out of the corners of them. Some part of our brain knows that and wants to place the subject right there in the middle of the frame, where our eyes would normally look. The trick is to realize that when the picture is taken and all is said and done, you will have that small rectangle to hold out in front of you and look at, and then you can look at it by focusing your eyes straight forward. Until then, forget about centering your subjects. This is a harder concept to master than you might believe at first. Once you try it a few times and see for yourself with your own images the difference that it makes, it will get much easier . There are several "classic" ways to compose a photograph. To use these methods, you will need to train yourself to see your subjects in terms of lines and shapes. Sometimes lines in a photograph are obvious, like the horizon in a sunset picture, other times the main lines in a photograph are not. One way to see the main shapes in your photographs is by squinting your eyes until the image almost becomes a blur then you'll see any lines and shapes created by the shadows and light. This is a great way to , look at a scene when you're thinking about how to compose a photograph. You may notice how shadows blend together in a way that might not be immediately obvious otherwise, creating shapes and forms that the viewer may not consciously notice when looking at a photograph, but that will definitely impact their perception of the image, nonetheless. The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean One of the most commonly talked-about rules in photography is the rule of thirds. The concept is best explained by taking your canvas and dividing it up into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, so that you essentially wind up with a tic-tac-toe board.

The rule of thirds should be used as a guideline for when you have vertical or horizontal lines in your image. You will probably hear more about this photographic "rule" than any other so I'll explain it fairly in depth here and try to give you an understanding of why , it is so effective. The rule of thirds is derived from another rule called the "Golden Mean" that says that the main subjects of an image should be placed at the intersecting points created (roughly) by the lines mentioned above, thusly:

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So if you are composing a photograph of a sunset, try placing that horizon line one-third of the way from the top or bottom of your image, to include either more foreground or more sky. You'll notice a stronger landscape this way. I'll interject a little art history and math lesson here to explain the theory behind the Golden Mean. The Golden Mean is a number sort of like Pi, from your high school days in math class. Whereas Pi is equal to 3.14-yadda-yaddayadda, (math was never my best subject), and is handy for all sorts of geometrical things, the Golden Mean is equal to 1.618yadda-yadda-yadda. Mathematicians use the Greek letter Phi when they're talking about the Golden Mean. This is derived from something else you may or may not remember from your math days called the Fibonacci Series. Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician born around 1170 A.D. who one day decided to start with the numbers zero and one and add them together (for reasons unbeknownst to me, what really inspires mathematicians to do anything, I wonder? Maybe the , same thing that makes us take a pictures?). Okay, that just gave him the number one again. Big deal. Then what? Then he added the last number he used (one) to his new resulting number (one) and got two. He did it again by adding one and two and got three. Then next time Well, let me just lay it out this way, it's easier to visualize: 0+1 = 1 1+1 = 2 1+2 = 3 2+3 = 5 3+5 = 8 5+8 = 13 8+13 = 21 13+21 = 34 21+34 = 55 34+55 = 89 55+89 = 144 89+144 = 233 144+233 = 377 233+377 = 610 And you can keep going like that forever All right. What does that prove? Nothing, as far as I can tell; but, if you take the ratios . created by these numbers, an interesting pattern appears. (I promise, this is all going to get back to photography just keep reading) Ratio = 1 to 0 = 0 (Since the first time I published this material, I have been contacted by mathematicians everywhere, letting me know that this is mathematically incorrect. It's not "zero", but rather a number infinitely close to zero I think you get the point.) Ratio = 1 to 1 = 1 Ratio = 2 to 1 = 2 Ratio = 3 to 2 = 1.5 Ratio = 5 to 3 = 1.6666 Ratio = 8 to 5 = 1.6 Ratio = 13 to 8 = 1.625 Ratio = 21 to13 = 1.61538 Ratio = 34 to 21 = 1.61538 Ratio = 55 to 34 = 1.61764 Ratio = 89 to 55 = 1.6181 Ratio = 144 to 89 = 1.6179 Ratio = 233 to 144 = 1.6180 Ratio = 377 to 233 = 1.6180

Okay - whew! - the boring part is mostly over Now we'll talk about what this actually means in the world of taking pictures. Let's . look at the following diagram:

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If you look at the gray lines in the image, they make up squares. When all of these squares are put together in the way they make up this picture, they come together to form a rectangle. The ratio of the squares in this rectangle is composed of our magic number , 1.618! Here's where it actually gets interesting. If you've hung on this long, I commend you. This ratio is found all over in the natural world. Have you ever seen a nautilus seashell that's been sawed open? Its growth rate follows the curve in this image, 1.618 - exactly. Same with the little spirals that compose the interior pattern of a sunflower where , the seeds are. Leonardo DaVinci based all sorts of his artwork, experiments and theories on the Golden Mean. The vast majority of flowers have petals that number 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 or even 89. Even symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven can be broken down into this ratio - whether that was on purpose or coincidental is anyone's guess. Mozart is rumored to have been a hobbyist mathematician. A study was done a few years back on top fashion models. Their faces, interestingly enough, have a number of characteristics with exactly the ratio 1.618. These numbers are everywhere in nature, and on some basic, instinctive level, the human eye tends to find beauty in things that correspond with this ratio. So that tells us where the idea behind the rule of thirds came from. Technically, if you draw grid marks on your frame and break it up into eighths, then draw your dividing lines down at the mark of three eighths on each side, you've got the spots where the Golden Mean hits.

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However when you're looking through your viewfinder it's not like you're going to get out your tape measure and divide everything , , into eighths, hence we use the rule of thirds, which is very close for all practical purposes.

This beautiful landscape shows you what I mean about the rule of thirds. There is nothing more boring than a landscape in which the horizon is placed smack-dab in the center If you place your horizon at the bottom third line, such as above here, it will . emphasize a beautiful sky, while still giving the viewer enough of the landscape to feel as if they're a part of the picture. Conversely, if perhaps your sky isn't quite so interesting, you can place your horizon at the upper third line of the photo. This will add more depth to your foreground and give the viewer the feeling that they are standing right there, with their feet firmly planted in your photograph, as in the photo below:

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Notice the feeling that you get that your feet are planted right in the dirt?

Back to flower photos for this example. Notice the subject itself, the white daisy blossom, is placed at one of the "Golden Mean" points. The background itself is not distracting. Notice how the daisy that is the subject stands out so well, even though there are other flowers in the background? This is done by using "depth of field" as part of the composition. The farther you place the camera from your subject, the more of the subject you can get in focus. Landscapes tend to have deep depth of field, while macros have a

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very shallow depth of field because the subject is so close to the lens. Since the daisy that is the subject of this photo is fairly close to the lens and the other daisies are further behind, you get the great effect that really brings your subject to the attention of the viewer . When you focus your lens on your subject, anything at that same distance will also be in focus. Things that are closer to or further from the camera lens will become less sharp. Your camera's aperture controls this depth-of-field zone. With your camera's aperture set on its smallest setting, (say f/22), more of the photograph will be in focus. With a large aperture, (i.e. f/2), less of the picture will be in focus.

And there are other ways to use lines and shapes to strengthen an image. Here's a quick overview of six additional methods of composition that can strengthen your images.

The Triangle

When you take a photograph in a rectangular frame, basing the composition on a triangle that goes from any one corner to the two

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opposite sides, like above, is always a good way to create a strong image. Note the following example:

The tree, chairs and little island spot out on the side of the photo create the perfect triangle in this image.. It won't be very often that you're photographing subjects that are actually triangular but by placing objects in your composition along strong diagonal , lines that create a triangle, you'll add strength to your image. Another way to use triangles that fits in with the Golden Mean is in the following manner - draw a line diagonally from one corner to the other of your frame, then draw another line in from either of the remaining corners so that it meets your first line at a 90 degree angle.

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You can see how the photograph above is loosely broken down into three sections that fit in with this. Upon first appearance, if someone told you this image was composed of triangles, you'd probably tell them that they were nuts, but that's where the idea of implied lines comes in. The Frame Within A Frame Another way to strengthen a composition, especially landscapes, is to use materials near you in your foreground and include them in your photograph around two or more of the edges to create a sort of "frame". This is most often done with trees or branches on two or three sides of the image, as seen below, and you can be very creative with this. Oftentimes rock formations will have holes through them - you can use this sort of natural "frame" by including it in an image and taking a landscape view through the hole. Another interesting thing to try is taking a photo through a window frame of an outdoor scene. Archways, doorways and all sorts of other architectural features work great for this as well. I would suggest staying away from doing this with only one edge of the frame, as that tends to make a photograph feel off-balance. Notice in this image how the dark green of the leaves frames almost the entire image. It's particularly striking as the landscape below is created with such soft, muted colors.

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The following image is a phenomenal example of the use of architecture to frame a subject. The backlighting and beautiful tonal range, with little details still visible in the very bright spots of the window makes this a wonder to look at.

Leading Lines

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Roads and footpaths are a great way to use leading lines to your advantage and draw your viewer into your photograph. The path in this image is made of a beautiful curving line, and with the trees so close in the foreground, it invites the viewer to step into the photo and follow along the path. Any sort of path or roadway can be very effectively used in this manner as seen in the following , photo. I have a gazillion of these types of shots in my portfolio. I just love taking them.

Notice that the painted line on the road leads your eye into the image, meeting the horizon line, which is one third of the way

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down into the image. The depth of field technique that we talked about earlier is also used to create an interesting effect. By using a wide aperture and focusing closely on the ground, the rest of the cityscape is thrown out of focus. The effect in its entirety gives the viewer the feeling they are there in the photo, being led ahead, but into a dream world where they might not know what to expect next. Leading lines can be found in many other ways, not just paths and roads. The edges of the petals of a daisy can be leading lines moving into the center of the flower A row of trees or street lights that vanish in the distance can create very strong leading lines . that take the viewer's eye all the way through an image. The Circle After my long-winded explanation of why it's best to use the rule of thirds and the Golden Mean, I'm going to toss in a rule that breaks that rule. The circle can be used very effectively when composing a photograph, if the subject is right.

The main circle here keeps the viewer's eye from escaping from the picture, taking the viewer's attention to the center of the dartboard. Those two elements of the photograph work together here, giving the image a strong composition, even while breaking the traditional rules. "The Circle" is a tricky element to use in a photograph effectively, but when done well, makes for an outstanding photograph. This is really a fantastic shot - the moody lighting adds a gritty, realistic feel. Rhythm Another way to create dynamic impact in your photograph is with the use of "visual rhythm". This is a way to use repetition of form and shape in an image to create interest.

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All of the similar vertical lines work together in this image. The simplicity of the brown bark contrasted against the snow and colorless sky particularly makes the visual pattern of repeating lines stand out in this shot.

Another use of rhythm, created by the replication of the lines of each archway. Negative Space Negative space is a term used in photography that implies only a tiny fraction of the frame is taken up by the actual subject. Negative space is usually used either to make the subject seem very small, or to give the impression of the subject being in a wide-open space.

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In this image, technically the subject is the line of three ball players; however since they are surrounded by so much vivid green , space, the feeling that you get is that of a wide-open, never-ending field of grass - turning the negative space itself into as much of the subject as the players. The contrasting, saturated reds and greens really make the picture as a whole stand out, as well as the fact that they players are facing out into the vast expanse of green. Fantastic stuff! My suggestion in learning the rules to composition is this: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Set up a day for yourself strictly for a photography expedition and don't come back home until you've used each of these, (or a day in your home studio would work just as well). Then when you've completed your task, look at each of your photos and be your own harshest judge. Ask if you could have done it better If the answer is yes, go out and try again. Practice makes perfect! . Photo Credits: Pink Rose / maodesign Big Smile! / upsidedowndog Norway001 / cmisje Long Road / wolv Single daisy flower / geckophoto Corona not included / FANDER09 An old shack by the sea / mkf Framed valley / Track5 FREEDOM / gremlin Autumn Trail / Jeiru Between the lines / hidesy Target / gremlin winter road / sasasasa Arches - Vertical / fullvalue Batting Practice / ToddSm66

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