Picture Practice - Focus

Day 6 - Focus

For a successful picture, a lot depends on the right focus.  If the main subject of your image is not in focus, the viewer's eye is drawn to other parts of the picture. Fortunately, most camera phones have an auto-focus feature, but this is not fail-proof. Its operation differs between phone models, so I will hit a few key points with both types of phones.

iPhones:  iPhones have an auto-focus feature. Before you take the shot, allow just a second for the camera to focus (you can tell by the square on the screen what it is focusing on).  However, sometimes, the camera doesn't know what you want to focus on. A quick tap on the screen sets the focus spot, and if you hold your finger on the focus spot for 3 seconds, it locks the focus in that spot. You will see a square with AE/AF Lock indicated on the screen.

Generally, you will want the sharpest focus to be on the object closest to the camera, since that is generally where the viewer's eye will tend to go first. Having the background objects slightly blurred often reinforces the main subject.

The rule to follow to get the background blur:

Keep the camera close to the subject and the background as far as possible.

Both of these photos were taken with my iPhone. In the first, I flipped the camera upside down so that the camera eye was closest to the ground.  That created the sharp focus on the acorns and the blurred background, which was relatively far from the acorns. (If you look closely, you can see that the focus is actually on the center of the pile of acorns, rather than the one in the very front, which was fine in this photo).

In this photo, the baby is in sharp focus, while the dogs playing in the background are slightly blurry. The camera was farther away from the baby, which lessens the overall blur.

Android Phones:  Android phones also have an auto-focus feature. I may work differently on different phones however. My husbands' Galaxy 7Edge phone, it behaves the same way as an iPhone: you tap the part of the picture that you want to focus on. If this capability is not enabled, you can go to your camera settings and enable it, if you like.  To lock the focus, hold your finger on the focus spot for 3 seconds--a AE/AF Lock circle will appear.

Ron's phone also has the capability to go into Manual mode, which is really cool!! By switching to manual mode, you can adjust the the aperture and the ISO to some degree. It gives you more control over your shots, much like shooting with a DSLR. I don't think I could ever actually switch from my iPhone because of its ease of use and compatibility with my other Apple products, which I love, but the camera on his Edge certainly makes me think about it!

Picture Practice - Composition - Pattern/Repetition

Day 5 - Composition - Pattern/Repetition

While repetition in the humdrum of daily life can at times be a bit boring, capturing it in your photos can create an image with great impact. Life is filled with patterns, many of which we overlook due to the busyness of our days.  It takes being intentional and also some practice, however, once you get an eye for spotting them, you'll be amazed by what you see.

Patterns appear whenever strong graphic elements repeat themselves, for example, lines, geometric shapes, forms and colors.


A good tip for photographing patterns is to fill your frame with the subject. This removes all distractions from the image, focusing the viewers attention on the main subject.  Filling your frame with a repetitive pattern conveys the message of size and large numbers. The key to this is to get close enough to fill your frame and make it appear that the pattern is bursting out of the photo. Examples of this might be a brick wall, tiles, a row of bicycle wheels at the same angle or just about anything that repeats itself numerous times.

Pattern is all around us if we just look for it.

Picture Practice - Composition - Framing

Wikipedia defines framing as "a technique used to bring focus to a subject."  In photography, it is the technique of drawing attention to the subject of your image by blocking other parts of the image with something in the scene. 

According to the Digital Photography School, the benefits of framing your shots are:

1. Giving the photo context (for example framing a scene with an archway can tell you something about the place you are by the architecture of the archway or including some foliage in the foreground of a shot can convey a sense of being out in nature).  In this photo, Rather than just shooting a squirrel on a bird feeder, the wreath lets the viewer know that the photo was taken from indoors during the Christmas season.

2. Giving images a sense of depth and layers (in essence framing a shot generally puts something in the foreground which adds an extra dimension to the shot).

3. Leading the eye towards your main focal point (some ‘frames’ can draw your photo’s viewer into the picture just by their shape). Some also believe that a frame can not only draw the eye into a picture but that it keeps it there longer – giving a barrier between your subject and the outside of the shot.

4. Intriguing your viewer. Sometimes it’s what you can’t see in an image that draws you into it as much as (if not more than) what you can see in the picture. Clever framing that leaves those viewing your image wondering a little or imagining what is behind your frame can be quite effective (get it wrong and it can also be quite annoying!).

 Below are two examples of framing--the first is straight out of the camera and the second is after cropping to remove the backpacks from the right side of the photo.  For our family, it is important to the story to see the two mamas behind the boys--sisters who are visiting in the lobby of the hospital where the youngest infant cousin is a patient.

After cropping:

 While architectural elements work well for framing your subject, it can be done in nature as well with things like trees or rock formations, so look for elements that you can use before you begin shooting.

Picture Practice - Composition - Simplify

Day 3 - Composition - Simplify

Keep your photos simple. In theory, creating clean and simple compositions is one of the easiest iPhone photography tips you can learn. However, in the excitement of the moment, it is sometimes harder to remember to take the time to clear the scene.

I am guilty of posting photos that are very busy with lots of details.  Yet, the photos I am most drawn to on other people's feeds are those with clean lines and uncluttered backgrounds.  Images that are too busy confuse the viewer's eye by creating distraction, making it difficult to see what is the most important part to focus on. Sharing photos on Instagram means that they are usually viewed on a small phone screen, making it even more difficult to find the main subject.  Using "white space" or removing unnecessary objects from the photo make a more pleasing image and one with more impact. While certainly not always attainable, keeping extraneous objects and even color out of your frame will make your photo have more impact. 

While taking a walk one afternoon, I noticed the leaves on the sidewalk that were heart-shaped and snapped a picture of them. 

Then, I took a moment and removed all but one of the leaves and snapped another. I think this shot is more striking because my eyes are immediately drawn away from the pebbles on the sidewalk to the main subject--the heart shaped leaf.

In this set of pictures, seeing so much of the yard and the neighbor's house makes the photo too busy.

Recently, I wanted to document my afternoon with BabyD2 as we enjoyed the spring-like weather on the hammock, watching the birds and dogs. This first photo shows too much of the yard and the neighbor's house to be pleasing to the eye.

In the second photo, while you can still see some of the neighbor's house, I shot from a lower angle and there are fewer extraneous details. Unfortunately, he seems to have a lantern growing out of his head, though, and that isn't a great look.

This last photo eliminates much of the building distractions and highlights the fact that the baby was sitting on my lap on the hammock, watching the birds.

Picture Practice - Composition - Leading Lines

Day 2 - Composition Leading Lines

One of the most powerful ways to create impact in your photos is to use leading lines.  Leading lines are lines within an image that lead the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image. They're used to draw a viewers attention to a specific part of the frame, whether it's a person, or a vanishing point in the background of the frame.

There are several different ways leading lines can be used to make your picture have greater visual impact.  Lines can be actual objects, such as a fence or a road, but they could even be shadows on the ground. 

Leading lines do not have to always be straight or vertical.  While diagonal leading lines are especially effective, they can also be horizontal and even curved. The fence below provides both diagonal and vertical leading lines.

Whenever you spot a leading line in a scene, always experiment with different shooting angles. It’s amazing how a simple adjustment can have a big impact on the resulting image. Simply angling the camera a bit higher or lower, or moving to a different place can dramatically alter the shape of the lines, and help your composition to take a completely different turn. Below are two examples of photos taken at the exact same vista. The first photo is nice--the fence peeking out provides a nearby object that helps to create depth.  However, by taking a few steps to the right and including more of the fence, the fence becomes leading lines and the sense of depth is intensified.

Picture Practice - Composition - Rule of Thirds

Welcome to our Instagram challenge of phone camera techniques. Most of the photos that I use in the examples have been taken with my iPhone 6, but there are few examples that were done using my DSLR because they illustrate the principle better than photos I already have on my phone. The photos I post on Instagram however,  will be made using solely my phone, however, these are basic principles of photography that are applicable for any camera you use.

The first area we will concentrate on is the area of composition. Even when you have every camera setting perfected, if the composition is lacking, your photo will not be very interesting. Today, the prompt is "Rule of Thirds".

The goal of the Rule of Thirds is to create a photo that is both interesting and captures the attention of the viewer.  When the main subject is placed away from the middle of the image, the photo is usually more interesting. 

Here is a reference for how to think of your camera screen.  

The intersection points are where you want to place your main subject.  

 

For a landscape, placing your horizon along either the lower third line or the top third line is almost always visually pleasing. In the photo below, placing the horizon near the top third lines allows us to view the boats and reflections in the water.

Most DSLR cameras have an option to let this grid show on the screen (or in the viewfinder) as the photo is being taken.  (don’t worry, it doesn’t actually show up on the photo itself).  But, did you know that you can find this option on many smart phones as well???

I have an iPhone 6, but my husband has a Galaxy (that takes amazing pictures, by the way), so hopefully, I can give you some basic information that will help you find this option on your own phone.

FOR iPHONE:

1.     Go to your phone settings.

2.     Click on Photos & Camera.

3.     Be sure the Grid selection has been toggled to green.

4.     That’s it! The Rule of Thirds grid should show up on your camera now!

FOR ANDROID USERS:

1.     Go to Camera Settings

2.     Scroll down until you find the Grid option and turn it on.

3.     That’s it! The Rule of Thirds grid should show up on your camera now!

One thing to remember when using the rule of thirds for people, animals, or even vehicles. You should always let the eyes be looking (or the front of the vehicle) toward the blank space, as if they were moving forward into that space.  Here are some examples--in both cases the bubbles and the baby have somewhere to move. If the open space were behind them, it would appear that they were running into the edge of the photo.

And finally, rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes, it makes sense and is visually pleasing to see something perfectly centered. In the photos below, you can see that slight changes in the scenery dictated what would look best for these photos.