Techniques Essay !

Janel Mack

December 14, 2010

Digital Photography R3

A picture is worth a thousand words. A picture is very meaningful but it isn’t that meaningful if you can’t take a perfect picture. Pictures last a lifetime and hold many memories a picture is EVERYTHING to some people. People think you can just take a picture of a shoe and think its picture perfect it has to be structured and have a clear focus on point of interest. When the picture setting, structure and everything else is on point then that’s when you can say you have a picture perfect photo.

Children are known to be the hardest to take photos of. But many photographers have given new and unique techniques to make the picture speak a thousand words. Getting on your hands and knees or crouching down before you take a shot of a child takes you into their world and helps you to engage with them through the images you take. This was a good better yet excellent tip because when taking picture of a baby they either aren’t looking or crying because of the bright flash on the camera. But if you engage the child into something they’re interested in and have them focused and make them at least crack a smile you will definitely have a very decent photo. One of the best ways to a good shots of them also is to put them on a baby rug and too literally lie down next to them with your camera right on the floor. When you laying down with a baby and making them laugh and smile, the picture comes out amazingly cute. Their laying down and smiling, the picture can hold a lot of memories but not only would It be that but you captured a very picture perfect moment.

What is a focal point? A focal point is the item, color, or anything in the photo that catches the viewers’ eye. The reason a focal point is important is that when you look at an image your eye will generally need a “resting place” or something of interest to really hold it. Many people take a picture with many focal points so it’s hard to know what’s the main idea or the message of the picture is. But if the picture has a clear understanding and gives a clear and specific message then it’s a picture perfect photo. Don’t confuse the viewer with too many competing focal points, which might overwhelm the main focal point. Just because they say a picture is worth a thousand words doesn’t mean it has to have a thousand focal points. When you have a focal point it gives the picture a purpose and make it look decent and very understanding. A picture that has a lot going on is a worthless picture it doesn’t look well and hard to understand. A clear purpose / focal point makes the picture come together.

A positioning would be to step to one side of the tracks and let them run diagonally through your frame from a lower corner to the opposite upper corner. The way a picture is positioned is also important also. A picture that’s cricked and weird looking and has no set position is not a good photo at all. The way its positioned catches the viewer eye and makes them to start and tell a story from the picture for example they’ll wonder why did they position this photo this way? What made them want to have it from the lower to the upper corner instead of from the upper to the lower corner? A picture speaks for them.

To summarize all of this up I honestly believe before a picture is just a picture but that’s all not true. When your taking a picture make sure you look at the setting the way its positioned and also ask yourself do my picture has a clear and understanding focal point. When you’re taking a photo and show someone make sure it’s a picture that speaks for itself and a picture that tells you something. Not only that but a picture that tells you a story. Make sure your picture is worth a memory and a thousand words.