They are more like guidelines than actual rules.

Composition: Rule of Thirds

This is perhaps one of the most common composition rules taught to help use the space well and create visual flow. It's a simple rule for strong compositions.

Imagine a tic tac toe board on top of your viewfinder (what you look through/at to compose your photo). The subject should be placed along the lines and intersections.

"Your Camera takes such good pictures!" Well, actually I do. :)

We live in an era of photography! Everyone is a "photographer", so people think. We have cameras constantly attached to our hands and clever filters to give them spunk, however, there are great benefits in pulling out your actual camera.

I am regularly asked, "Will you teach me to use my camera?".  

There are excellent amateur SLR cameras out there, such as the Canon Rebel and whatever the Nikon equivalent is, which are common and affordable these days. If you are an owner of such a camera, do you find yourself shooting on full automatic? Do you get overwhelmed trying to read the manual? Guess what?! You are smarter than your camera and perhaps you just need some tips and tricks to better understand and use it. 

I am starting this blog as a class for anyone interested in taking better photographs. I won't go into the technicality of each function but rather give you just what you need to get a good grasp of what you are easily capable of. Photography is exciting and fun! Getting started is simpler than you might think.

My first tip:

Don't Get Lazy! Use your camera often, love your camera... Your iphone might be more convenient but it is not comparable in quality to your SLR. It drives me crazy to see people traveling around the world and the only camera they have out is their phone!

Your camera shouldn't be just for special occasions, you should use it regularly. The more you use it, the more comfortable it will be for you.

Let's start at the very beginning: Composition.

Before we start learning about your camera, the first step to successful photography is composition. How your subject is composed in the frame is extremely important. You can have the most interesting subject but if composed poorly, the photo will just be mediocre. You can have a boring subject, composed well and the photo can be award winning!

Simple Composition Rules (just two for starters):

1. What is your primary subject?  

What is most important? Does the background and/or foreground add or take away from subject? Don't let your subject get lost by unnecessary busyness. Move in closer, simplify, change angle and perspective to make your subject more defined.

This is documenting the firefighter visiting the school. The first image is very busy, too much going on and you notice the truck more than anything else. By changing position and being aware of the background, I end up with a much stronger image.

2. Fill the frame. 

The frame is the boundary of your photo; what you see through your view finder. Use all the space purposefully.

Be aware of your subject, background & foreground. Decide what compliments the subject and what does not. This will become very natural through practice as you train yourself to prioritize what is in your photographs.

Photo Challenge #1

Take a dozen photos of one subject. Try different zooms, angles, some with and without background included, then look at each of them and pick your favorite. Why is it your favorite? What makes it a strong photograph?

Then try it again with a different subject. Practice makes perfect and no film is wasted! Feel free to email me your photos and tell me about them. I am happy to offer advise/critique. :)