All articles copyright 2007 Jeff Coleman
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Photography tips for Amateurs.
Framing:
The most important thing to learn about photography is how to frame your shots. You never want your subject in the center of the frame unless they completely fill the frame.
If your subject is looking to the right, you want them on the left third of the frame. When photographing landscapes, treat rocks, trees and water like subjects. Frame that cool boulder in the bottom left corner and get that cool old tree in the upper right corner. Use natural objects like trees to frame your main subject. These are all good rules to follow but the most important rule of all is don't limit yourself by strictly following the rule of thirds or any other rule. If you have the time, find the best view of your subject while looking through the viewfinder. Zoom in and out, pan left and right, include or exclude objects. You'll eventually find the best view. With practice you'll be able to recognize the best shot almost instantly. Most people shoot from eye level. If you want something different, shoot from ground level or climb onto something for an aerial view.
The last thing to remember when framing is... Your cameras aspect ratio is much wider than the traditional print sizes. If you want to make an 8X10 for example, you will have to crop about 20% from the ends of your image. Remember this when framing people. Shoot with some extra room on both sides. Otherwise when the image is cropped to print size later, you may have to cut someone out.
The new Nikon D3 can change aspect ratios to match most print sizes. |
