Those of us who truly have an interest in photography know there is a difference between taking pictures and making images. To make the most of your images it is vital to know and learn various techniques that will bring out a camera full potential.
In this thread I am asking everyone to share different tips and techniques you commonly use to bring new life to what may be by any other means mediocre. (for information on shutterspeeds, and aperatures see Primax's thread
Understanding aperture, shutter speeds and exposure)
A very important and very useful tool in creating an above average image is using composition to its fullest potential. Composition is the way you frame up the subject and the surroundings in an image. Something that seperates photographers and those who just point and shoot is how one will compose his image. Amateurs will often times use static images because they don't know any better. When in most cases a static image is looked down upon. By static I mean setting a subject in the direct center of the frame, and setting a horizon in the middle. By setting a horizon above or below center you can create a whole new feel to your photo. Also when looking at your subject think about your image to be seperated into 1/4's. It is often better to place your subject, not in the middle of the frame but into one of the quadrants. here are some examples.
In this image it is very obvious what the subject of the photo is. Yet by placing the lamp into a quadrant of the frame I've created an abstract and much more interesting image
Again I've set the phone(subject) off to one side of the frame to give the image a more interesting feel.
Of course there are times placing an image in a static position is useful and sometimes even considered better in the case of automotive photography. Many people will consider it right to place a car in full frame.
Showing Motion.
Subject Blur
A good way to implicate the feel of movement there are 3 techniques that come into a lot of use. These techniques are known as subject blur and pan, the only downside is that both of these techniques require low lighting situations as you need a long shutter speed.
As a general rule you can use a shutter speed as slow as 1/30 before needing a stable stand (such as a tripod) to avoid camera shake. So in the case of a subject blur and pan a tripod is very useful.
Subject blur example
in this example I took for a photostory assignment I used a table top tripod and set a shutter speed of, I beleive, 1/8 of a second and obviously the aperature to compensate. Notice how the background is in relatively clear focus considering our subject is obviously blurred. so to capture a subject blur remember long shutter speed + tripod + moving object and you have yourself something fun to play with. This is common with photographs of lightning, and light trails from cars (very common)
Pan
Pan example
Obviously a pan is just a variation of a subject blur, but instead of keeping the background in focus we use camera movement to keep the subject in clear focus while the background blurs with the camera movement. To capture this photograph of the Skyline I used a monopod and as the car passed a tried to keep the subject in the center of the frame as it passed. Now many of us use SLR cameras and when you release the shutter you know we lose sight of the subject through the viewfinder. To help make that less of an issue it is usually better follow the vehicle in frame for a short time before actually taking the picture that way you get a feel for how fast it is moving in relation to your camera. When you feel you are following the subject at ample speed then you can release the shutter and continue to follow until the shutter closes back up. This will cause the background to blur, while the subject stays in relatively sharp focus. For sports photography it is common for the photographer to use a monopod instead of a tripod because of its lightweight features and ease of mobility, but like subject blur you still want a steady surface to make sure the background stays somewhat in order althought it is definatly not 100% necessary.
Zoom Blur
Another way to manipulate a blur try using a slow shutter speed and as you release the shutter zoom in or out on the subject with your lense to create a sort of a "tunnel vision". Again this is only possible with a slow shutter speed.
Zoom Blur example
*I will need to scan my example and I will post it once I have the chance*
Selective Focus
Aside from using motion to bring more to the subject of a photo, there is one other technique that is very common even if you don't realize you are doing it. This method is called selective focus. As you open up your aperature your depth of field will become more and more shallow. Selective focus uses this fact to pull a subject into focus while making everything else in different planes of focus soft.
remember:
f1 (f4 is more common) = shallow depth of field
f90 (f32 is more common) = deep depth of field
also a telephoto lense is very effective for selective focus
Selective Focus example
Linear Mode
