So Much To Learn!: April 2014

Assignment 1: Take 20 pictures of a handheld object using various angles, backgrounds, perspectives and settings.

What I have learned or relearned about taking pictures -

I own a Panasonic DMZ TZ4 that I purchased several years ago. I stopped using it because I was unhappy with the pictures that I was getting from it. What I learned is that it wasn't the camera, it was the operator. The first thing I did was re-read the manual. My camera has a multitude of options that I still don't understand. The three most important settings are Intelligent auto, normal picture, and scene mode. The intelligent auto does all the work for me. It reads the scene and makes all the optimum settings automatically. The normal picture setting allows me to take pictures with my own settings. There are all kinds of things I can change. For scene settings, the exposure, coloring, light, etc are set for certain scene types. I don't know what I was doing before but with all these options I know I can get some great photos again.

Here are some composition tips that I have picked up:

1. In general, don't center the picture. Use the rule of thirds. Your primary points of interest should sit along third lines.

2. Pay attention to the background! Plain backgrounds are best.

3. Pay attention to the light. Where is it coming from? Sometimes shadows add interest and sometimes they are distracting.

4. Only use flash if you have to.

5. Shooting with the sun directly behind you makes for a flat photo. Have the sun come from the side or better yet shoot in the shade.

6. Limit the palette to one or two colors that are predominately featured.

7. Try interesting angles.

8. Frame the subject with something in the foreground to show depth.

9. Move in close to fill the frame.

The most important tip I found was to STOP chimping (checking the photo on the back of the screen) and take lots and lots of photos!

Assignment 2: Editing

For this assignment I had to take 5 pictures and change them from their original. I made an album but couldn't figure out how to post them as a slide show so I have posted each original photo and how I changed it. I used Picasa for the editing and although they have a lot of fun features for manipulating photos, I kept losing what I had done. Clearly, I have a lot more to learn.