Learn Digital Photography

February 26, 2010

We have been going through some of the elements of digital photography in order to help you learn some of the best techniques to use when photographing your children. Each post has been meant to help advance your knowledge and to encourage you to continue to photograph your children.

But perhaps you are more interested in delving deeper into the subject, and to learn even more about digital photography. Whether you have a point-and-shoot camera or the latest Canon or Nikon digital camera the more you know about digital photography the better the photographs you will create.

As you improve in your photography skills and compare photographs you took earlier on with the ones you can take today you will be amazed at how much you have improved. I don’t know about you, but when I am looking at photographs on the internet or tv some really leap out at me with their clarity, and how they strongly draw my eyes to the subject the photographer wanted me to concentrate on.

Well, I have recently reviewed a great product that can help you achieve those kinds of results. The program is called 123di (1,2,3 Digital Imaging), and was written by a professional photographer who began his career at the age of 11.

Vincent Bockaert has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University, and he has combined his lifelong passion for photographer with his deep interest in computers, software and digital technology.

Over the years he has developed algorithms to seamlessly transform digital images, published digital imaging content on the Internet, extensively researched image enhancement methods, alpha and beta tested several software packages, developed Graphical User Interfaces, judged digital imaging contests, and conducted digital imaging seminars.

Now you too have the opportunity to benefit from his work and learn how to take great photographs of your children for yourself. Take a tour of his website at www.123di.com where you can learn more about his product and even view some demos about this wonderful product.

Again, you can find this wonderful photography course at www.123di.com.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

Clothing

February 24, 2010

Taking photographs of children is a challenge, but we want to record the life and history of each of our children through photography. Sometimes we just have to take what we get, when we get it, and hope for the best.

But on other occasions we have some options. For example, when we know we are going to take a trip to someplace interesting like a park, playground, museum or fair, we can use a little planning to assist our photographic efforts.

There is a saying that “clothes make the man”, and in child photography we can say “clothes make the photograph”. Kids are so cute when they are young, perfectly proportioned, full of life and energy. We want to capture those attributes in our photographs, and the right clothes can make a big difference.

For example, my kids would simply pick out their favorite pants and shirt without regard as to co-ordination, and for the most part I did not care. But when you are going to take photographs, a little planning can go a long way. I love to photograph kids in OshKosh B’Gosh bib overalls with brightly colored shirts.

So, when I know we are going on a special outing, I will pick out what I want them to wear and set it out for them the night before. I explain why I want them to wear those clothes, and usually it is not a problem. Kids don’t think about clothes, they are just excited to be going on an adventure, so co-operation is usually not a problem.

The next time you go on an outing plan ahead. Pick out some clothes your kids look great in, and work with them ahead of time so that they don’t resist you. Believe me, clothes may not make the child, but they sure can help.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

Using Lines

February 22, 2010

One thing about children, they are always in motion. However, from time to time they will stop when something catches their attention, and if you are ready you can catch an interesting image. As you frame your photo it pays to be aware of the natural lines which are available as you get ready to take your photograph.

Lines come in many varieties including parallel lines, diagonal lines, converging lines, straight lines and S and C curves. By being aware of the lines around your subject you can use them to create some very interesting images.

In composition parallel lines can be very useful, particularly when taking photographs outdoors where visual lines are often formed by horizontal planes created by land and sky. In this case the best photographs come if you divide the framed view into thirds placing the subject child’s eyes along the top third parallel line when the photo becomes more pleasing, less static and more balanced.

Diagonal lines can give the impression of motion to your photograph, and be created using such things as shadows, paths, roads or even railroad tracks like the photograph on the right.

Converging lines also can be very powerful as they lead the viewers eyes directly to the subject of the photograph. For example, a child leaning against a brick wall with about 1/3rd of the photograph having the wall in the foreground naturally leads the observers eyes directly to your subject.

Exploring curving lines is one more way to explore lines as you learn to compose your photographs. Although the diagonal leading line is more direct and powerful, a curve is a more subtle and gracious way to direct the viewers eyes. Photographing children on curved paths gives a sense of freedom and adventure with forward movement, security and direction.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

The Golden Rectangle in Photography

February 18, 2010

Photography and painting are related as we have discussed in an earlier post about the Rule of Thirds. Perhaps more important is the theory that when God created the world he used mathematics, and in particular Fibonacci number sequence where each new number is the sum of the previous two numbers.

The result of these numbers turns out to be a spiral known as the Spira Mirabilis, and this spiral can be found throughout nature in such things as the shell of a nautilus.

The relationship between the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Rectangle comes from a visual representation of the sequence geometrically. By using successive points to divide the Golden Rectangle into squares creates a logarithmic spiral known as the “Spira Mirabilis”.

Simply stated the Golden Rectangle in photography refers to using a 3:2 aspect ratio in framing a subject. Many times when using the 3 to 2 ratio it appears the same as the Rule of Thirds, and if we overlay the Rule of Thirds over the Golden Rectangle as in this image to the right you can see the relationship between them.

This lead to the concept of perfect composition by the famous photographer Cartier-Bresson who learned this from the visual training he received from the Cubist painter Andre Lhote. Starting in 1928 Henri Cartier-Bressen studied painting under Lhote, and this training eventually lead to what he called “The Decisive Moment” in photography.

Cartier-Bressen never cropped any of his photographs, instead relying upon applying the visual learning he acquired from studying with Lhote. All of his photographs were framed within the geometry of a 35mm film frame.

This attitude requires concentration, a discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry.” By looking at several of Bresson’s photographs, we can clearly see the close relationship between his compositions and the Golden Rectangle. The amazing thing is that, unlike a painter who can create his compositions at his leisure, Cartier-Bresson had to discover them in the unpredictable and relentless tempo of everyday life.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

Color Temperature or White Balance

February 17, 2010

Color temperature refers to the color of light in an image. If you look at a photograph you took indoors without flash lighting the image will have an orange cast to it. If you take a photograph of a subject outdoors when it is overcast you without flash lighting you will see it has a bluish tinge to it.

Both of these cases highlight how important color temperature can be regarding your images. Digital cameras have eased this problem with the gift of white balance, but you need to know how to use it properly. If you have done any experimentation at all with your digital camera you may have found that Auto White Balance doesn’t solve every problem.

If your images have weird colorcasts to them (like too yellow, too blue, greenish and so on) it means that your white balance settings aren’t working the way you would want them to. So you need to check out your camera’s manual, or go through the menus on your camera, to see if you can manually set the white balance to match the type of light you are shooting in.

Here are a few examples of lighting situations that might trick your Auto White Balance and require you to choose a specific white balance setting on your camera:

Daylight: Digital camera settings are geared towards daylight photography, but if you place the child in shadow or overcast the image might wind up with a blue cast, or if in the early evening light you might wind up with a yellow cast.

Flash: Flash units are balanced to daylight color temperatures, and using a flash might be the best solution if you are having problems with colorcast.

Fluorescent: When shooting under fluorescent light your image may wind up with that sickly greenish skin tones. If you are shooting under fluorescent lights see if your camera has Fluorescent setting in the White Balance menu.

Tungsten: Tungsten is just a fancy name for our regular light bulbs and gives an almost orange light, giving your photos a warm look and feel.

Shade: Shooting images in shade can end up having a bluish cast, so select Shade on the White Balance Menu of your camera if available.

Custom White Balance: Check your camera’s manual and see if your camera has a Custom White Balance setting. This is the manual way of setting your preset white balance options correctly.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

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