You’ll get more out of travel if you take a camera along. Good scenic or vacation photographs are about what you see and how you see it. You could be delighted by the results.
Shooting What You See
Sometimes you might have taken a photo that looked good in real life but didn’t look so great on the computer. This might be because of the type of lens you used. Normally the human eye views a field about 40 degrees wide. You can make your own test of this principle by examining a scene like a skyline. Don’t move your eyes right or left and note what you’re viewing. Compare how this scene appears through the camera. Note what is now omitted or included. You can use the zoom function to frame the image the way you see it unaided. Work this out by testing each setting so you know how to match what you are you are seeing with your eyes unaided.
Composition
Composition is the art of ‘framing’ the photograph or arranging the elements so that it draws the viewer’s eye to what you want seen or noticed. Here are some basic rules of composition:
1. The Eye Scans Diagonally
The eye usually scans automatically from bottom right of a picture diagonally across to the top left. If you flip any existing picture horizontally using photo editing software, you’ll get and idea of this rule. Depending on which way you flip, some elements are more noticeable, some less so. You can use this rule, for example, in portrait photography.
Ask the subject to turn his body slightly away from the camera. Get your subject to rest his hands in his lap or on his legs. Ask him now to move his head until he can see you. This is a medium-length pose. Now examine the image in your view finder. The hands usually attract your attention, but then direct the eye up to the person’s face. Take the shot, then use your photo-editing software to flip it horizontally. Which view communicates most effectively?
Try this exercise: look through a photography book and study this rule in application. Photographers and artists use this rule, arranging some element in the lower right hand corner that guides the eye to the subject - a color, shape, or line that gives the direction. Occasionally a photographer will achieve a startling effect by breaking this rule.
2. Frame the Photograph
The edges of a photograph are like the fence around a house. They define the space. You’ll get a clearer idea of this if you have one of your pictures framed. Now the picture and its contents are better defined. The sides of buildings, trees, windows, doorways can all be used for this principle. A contrasting effect can be achieved by choosing a neutral background like a seascape. The eye automatically moves to the subject without distraction.
Shoot to include background to create more mood or ‘feel’. Sometimes the background can be cluttered, or includes strong shapes that overwhelm the subject. These should be avoided. As a general rule, you can use the background to help tell the story. When you frame your picture ask yourself if the final result answers these questions:
This is what location?
Who is it?
Why are they located where they are?
What is the purpose for them being there?
The Rule of Thirds
This rule divides the image into thirds horizontally and/or vertically. The middle third is for the subject. Or put at the locations where the two grids intersect. Landscapes usually have the subject in the middle area and the sky in the top third. The subject is supported by the lower third or foreground.
With portrait photography, vertical composition is generally preferred. Imagine three horizontal lines dividing the frame from top to bottom; the face is at the juncture of the top two lines. This makes space and a better view. Arranging your space in this way balances the horizontal areas that frame the subject.
Sometimes extreme close-ups work well and create a feeling of intensity.
With photography the more you shoot the better you get. Shoot a lot of shots, then analyze both the good - and the bad. This is a great way to understand the basics of this enjoyable hobby.
Tags: travel photographs, travel photography, travel photography tips, vacation photography, vacation photos