tyro TY-roh
, noun: A beginner in learning; a novice (dictionary.com.).
As photographers, we also began somewhere. If someone has helped you along the way, take some time today to let them know how much you appreciate them.
Posts Tagged ‘photo tips’
{ WORD for the Day } Tyro – a beginner in learning; a novice
Monday, May 4th, 2009{ Tips TUESDAY } Fill the Frame – Get in Close
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009- Fill the frame – GET IN CLOSE – vary your shots in a number of these ways:
- Get in close or step back for a wider angle shot.
- Zoom in with the lens or move closer { zoom with your feet } to your subject
- Move around your subject to shoot from different sides
- When using your flash, stay further away and zoom in on the subject. The light on your subject is softer when you’re further away.
- Filling the frame or tight shots, takes away the distractions/clutter in the background – it keeps the focus on your subject.
{ Tips TUESDAY } Perspective – Change the Angle
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009- Change the angle to give you a different perspective.
- Walk around your subject. Take shots from different angles. Your natural reflex is usually to take the picture straight on.
- Changing the angle changes the look of the image and makes it more interesting.
{ Tips TUESDAY } Clothing: What to Wear
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009Clothing:
- Wear bright colors vs. white/light or dark colors.
- Try to stay away from white or very light colors for clothing. Although white polos and khaki’s make for classic shots, light colors absorb light more than darker colors. You lose detail in your shots in bright light.
- Stay away from busy patterns and logos!
- 500 cars or trucks zooming across a shirt can be very distracting in snapshots. It draws your eyes away from your main focus, the child/person/thing whose snapshot you are capturing.
- Patterns such as polka dots, or a really cute plaid will not overwhelm the child.
{ Tips TUESDAY } Keep Your Background Simple, and more
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009- Keep your background simple, or find an interesting place to take your shots.
- Check the background of a shot to look for clutter or distraction.
- Scan the background (and the foreground) of an image quickly. Change your framing if there are too many distractions. Otherwise your shots will end up with all kinds of objects growing out of the heads you photograph.
- Look for places that have a somewhat simple background, or find an interesting place that provides some interest to the shot so that you can include the environment in the shot for a different look. Simple is good for keeping the focus on the child/adult/thing, and not what’s behind or around the person/object being photographed.
- Tight shots – filling the frame – takes away the distractions/clutter in the background. It keeps the focus on your subject. Examples:
- Fill the frame with a _______ (graffiti wall, brightly colored door, rustic wall, etc.).
- A colorful lifeguard stand as a backdrop would be a neat place for photographs on the beach.
{ Tips TUESDAY } How to Keep Yourself From Throwing a Tantrum
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009Before I go any further, Pam M.’s got the most important post of all. It’ll keep you from throwing a tantrum.
- Keep your camera ready at all times:
- Be sure it has fresh batteries, and for Pete’s sake,
- Make sure there’s a digital media card loaded and formatted inside the camera—you tell we’ve done this at some point in our digital photography journey—LOL!
- How to throw the tantrum mentioned above:
- Go on, squeeze your shutter and see the “no card inserted” message pop up. That singular experience can induce a hissy fit worthy of what only a 3-year old can dream of having.
So, stop reading and check your camera right now. You can thank Pam later- with lots of dark chocolate. 
{ Tips TUESDAY } How to Hold the Camera
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009- Hold the camera straight – most of the time: While shots that are not straight can be quite effective (they can be playful or have a more candid feel to them), you should check the framing of the shot before hitting the shutter.
- How to hold the camera to prevent camera shake
- ‘Camera shake’ causes images to be blurry. The camera was not held still enough when the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light, where the shutter is open for a longer period of time. The smallest movement of the camera can cause the image to blur. The only way to eliminate it is with a tripod. While it is tempting to shoot one handed, two hands increase stillness (three legs on a tripod being better than one). How you grip your camera will depend upon the type of digital camera you have. It varies from person to person, depending on your preference:
- Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera.
- Your forefinger should sit lightly above the shutter release.
- Your other three fingers should curl around the front of the camera.
- Your right thumb should grip the back of the camera.
- Squeeze the shutter, don’t jab at it.
- The position of your left hand will depend upon your camera. Generally, your left hand should support the weight of the camera and will usually be under or around a lens, or under the camera.
- If you’re shooting using the view finder, line up your shot by holding the camera close to your body. This adds stability. If you’re using the LCD to shoot, don’t hold your camera too far away from you. Tuck your elbows into your sides and lean the camera out a little from your face.
- You can add extra stability by leaning against a wall or a tree. You can also sit or kneel down. If you have to stand and don’t have anything to lean on for extra support put your feet shoulder width apart to steady yourself.
- Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera.
- Holding the camera this way will allow you flexibility to line up shots quickly. It will also help you hold still when you open your shutter. Before you take the shot, you may want to take a gentle, deep breath. Hold it, then take the shot before exhaling the breath. This will also help you to be steadier when pressing the shutter.
- ‘Camera shake’ causes images to be blurry. The camera was not held still enough when the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light, where the shutter is open for a longer period of time. The smallest movement of the camera can cause the image to blur. The only way to eliminate it is with a tripod. While it is tempting to shoot one handed, two hands increase stillness (three legs on a tripod being better than one). How you grip your camera will depend upon the type of digital camera you have. It varies from person to person, depending on your preference:
{ Tips TUESDAY } Take lots of photos
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009Don’t take lots of shots of the same thing; experiment with taking shots of different things.
{ Tips TUESDAY } Taking Better Snapshots from Different Perspectives
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009Because I think everyone usually wants family snapshots to capture memories of a time and space in their lives (and a professional photographer isn’t usually available 24/7), beginning today I’ll post { Tips Tuesday } to help you take more memorable photos of your family. Now on to today’s tip:
Get down to the child’s level – shoot from a different perspective – up high, down low, etc.!
- For babies and crawlers, lay on your belly to take the shot.
- For a busy toddler, crouch down to his/her level.
- Put your subject on a chair or steps to bring him/her up to a higher level.
- Experiment with different settings
