BASICS FOR CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY#mwresilience #citizen2014

RESILIENCE PHOTO COMPETITION#mwresilience

We’d love to see your photographs of what resilience means to you.

We hope you come up with an image that captures resilience, support, coping or transformation in your life or community. Or perhaps something that provides sense of your core self when everything else around you seems to be changing.

WHAT WILL THIS WORKSHOP COVER?

Photography basics - Composition Avoiding blur and using focus Using light Patterns and lines Concept photography

Nothing technical! The tips in this workshop are useful for camera or smartphone photography

COMPOSITION

The organisation of elements in a picture so as to make the picture visually appealing, interesting

and understandable for the viewer

Composition can be the difference between a good picture and a great pictureThere are several rules for good composition – the most common and the simplest to use is called the rule of thirds

RULE OF THIRDS

Try to align your subject on one of the points of focus – the eye is naturally drawn to these pointsAvoid placing your subject in the centre of the pictureHave your subject moving towards or looking into the empty space in the picture

RULE OF THIRDS

Try to make sure your horizon is straight – but play about with this. Rules are made to be broken... The same goes for the rule of thirds. If it looks good to you then go for it!

BLUR

It doesn’t matter how interesting your subject is if the picture is out of focus!Most cameras or smartphones have an autofocus functionHold the camera or phone with both handsSpread your feet apart, one foot a pace in frontKeep your elbows tucked in towards your torsoPress the shutter button lightly

FOCUS AND DEPTH OF FIELD

Always make sure your subject is in sharp focusFocus can be used to draw attention to your subject using depth of field

-People-Objects-Colours

PATTERNS AND LINES

Look for interesting patterns and repetition – shapes, objects or colours

Leading lines help to guide the viewers eye towards a point or object

Create a sense of distance, scale or movement

Reflections - in water, glass

PATTERNS AND LINES

LIGHT

Exposure - how bright a scene is and how it effects our image.Quality - how focused or diffuse (spread out) light is.Colour - the colour of the light in an image.Direction - where is the light coming from?Contrast - The difference between the bright part of an image and the dark part of an image

LIGHT

Soft light:- Closer and larger light source (e.g. Lamp, window)- less shadows (more gradual)- Less contrast- Softer texture and less detailHard light:- Distant, smaller light source (e.g. the Sun)- More detail- More contrast

LIGHTTry to use soft light for people and objects (near a window or lamp)Avoid having the light source behind the person

Contrast can be good for buildings

For sunsets its better to have a dark foreground and a sky that is properly exposed

To avoid shaky pictures at night use a tripod or try sitting your phone on something stationary and level (a wall, table etc)

LIGHT(Examples of hard and soft light)

CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY

Literally “a picture speaks a thousand words”

The art of conveying a message through photography

Used in advertising, stock photography and photojournalism

What is the story you’re trying to tell? How best can you capture a concept or idea in an image?

Not about analysing the scene, but mentally preparing for how to convey your message

CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY

Things to consider:

What is your message?What emotion are you conveying?How could colours represent this?How can depth of field (focus) and composition represent this?Lighting?Symbology?

EXAMPLEMessage: global warmingEmotion: Sad, negative, foreboding Colour: None – stark, dramaticContrast: Dark, broodingSymbology: Nature, flooding, humanity

Examples

Love?

Temperature (hot or cold)?

Happiness?

Busy or hectic?

FREE APPS & SOFTWARE

Smartphone:Snapseed Photoshop ExpressInstagram

Desktop:GIMPPaint.NETPinta (Mac)

FLICKR

www.flickr.comFree photo sharing websitePhone app or onlineUpload photos to your profile straight from your phone or from your computerCreate and join groups to share photos, and view other people’s photos

LINKSMind Waves photo competition: http://www.mindwavesnews.com/get-involved/resilience-photo-competition-mwresilience/

Workshop Flickr group:https://www.flickr.com/groups/2671945@N24/

Twitter:#Citizen2014#mwresilience@mindwaves1

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