|
Photography can be a fun way to not only capture your memories on a trip, but to also make a little extra money as well. Stock photography is a way to possibly share your photos with the public and get paid for them.
So what do you need to know before you get started taking photographs, regardless of whether they are for personal use or stock? First and foremost, is choosing a camera. A 35 mm SLR is still the most popular type of camera, but is quickly being replaced by the digital camera for several reasons. An SLR, or Single Lens Reflex camera, has been state of the art for years, because of its ability to change lenses from standard, to telephoto, macro (close-up), and wide angle by simply unscrewing the lens and replacing it. You can also add or remove additional lenses on the end of the main lens tube for polarizing, color, or close-up shots without having to purchase an expensive macro lens. Some of the expensive digital cameras are now available in SLR format as well, and with the digital camera’s ability to instantly show the photograph, the photographer can scrap the shot and retake it if necessary.
Once you have decided what type of camera is right for you, you must learn how to compose your shot. This includes proper lighting, focus, and the proper location of important objects within the frame of the shot.
The proper way to compose the layout your shot is the rule of thirds. Imagine that you divide each frame into thirds in both directions. If you were to draw it on paper, you would have a grid with nine squares, like a rectangular tic-tac-toe board. You want the focal points of your shot to lie within one of those squares; not centered in the middle of the frame, unless it is a portrait. If you are taking a picture of scenery for example, you would want your thirds to take in the sky at the top, foreground at the bottom, and the background in the middle. If there is an object you wish to focus on, such as a deer or barn, hold it off slightly to one side or the other, or above or below, the imaginary middle “square” in the center of the frame.
Lighting is also very important in your shot. You never want to shoot into the sun for example, as it will blind the camera and create silhouettes of anything between the sun and the camera. You also want to be certain there is enough light in the shot to avoid underexposing the frame, and you do not over expose it either. You cannot control the exposure in most non SLR cameras, but in an SLR, you can adjust the exposure manually to enhance a shot. For example, in print film, slightly underexposing will enhance your contrast and give dark shadows. Slightly overexposing will give color saturation and allow you to see into the shadows. The reverse holds true for slide film however, so keep that in mind. Stock photography companies do not like dark shadows, so don’t enhance the contrast in any pictures you may send them.
Probably the most important thing to get correct in your shot is the focus. A blurry shot is not even worth the paper it is printed on, so be certain to learn how to properly focus your camera. Most non-SLR cameras are fixed focus, leaving that headache out of your hands, but if your camera has a manual focus, you must learn how it works. The split-image range finder is the most accurate, but also most difficult to use properly. It works by splitting the image you see in a bull’s-eye in the center of the viewfinder. When the two images come together, everything at that distance is in focus. The best way to get an accurate reading is on a straight line, such as an edge, branch, or other defining line. Learning to use this type of focus will take some practice and if your camera has one, don’t ask someone else to take your picture with it unless they have one, themselves. They will never understand how it works and the pictures will most likely be blurry.
Now that you have an understanding of the basics of photography, the only thing left to decide is what type of film is right for you, if your camera takes film. You have print film, which is developed into paper pictures, and slides, which insert into a projector. You also have what is known as the speed of your film, which basically has to do with the grain size and amount of light required. The higher the number, the less amount of light needed, which makes 800 speed film more suited for indoors. The problem is that the pictures are very grainy and cannot be enlarged too much before they begin to blur. If you want pictures that can be blown up without much distortion, then go with a lower number. I generally shoot 100 or 200 speed film, which needs a lot of light but allows me to enlarge my landscape shots from national parks to almost poster size if I wish to. Since most of my photography is done outside anyway, the light situation is not a concern for me.
Hopefully this basic overview will be helpful if you decide to take up photography for a hobby, or simply to remember those special family gatherings. All it takes is a little practice to apply the fundamentals.
|
|
