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Last week, I received an e-mail from a young lady in 8th grade inquiring about my photography. Her name is Angy and she's taking a photography class. She found my blog while researching the "rules" of photography.
What is really interesting is that she is posting articles to an internal school blog as part of her class. I think it's great that students are interested in photography and even cooler when they are using technology to support their learning. I agreed to do an interview with Angy as part of her projects on the rules of photography. Here is the interview...
Dear Matt, thank you very much for allowing me to use the awesome photos (my teacher showed us an article about illegal copyrighting, and I got really scared)
Here are some questions that I would like to post about (including this interview, of course)
Q1. What is photography? (in your opinion)
A1. Photography is about expressing an emotion in an image captured by the camera and any post processing that you use to achieve your final photo. It's not about the camera, the tools, the software, it's really just about expressing yourself using a photo as best you can.
Q2. Are there rules? How do they affect the picture?
A2. There are some simple guidelines or rules that help in composing a photograph, but I wouldn't say that there are any hard and fast rules that you have to follow. The most helpful one that I use everyday is the "Rule of Thirds" Here's an explanation of that rule: http://photomatto.typepad.com/photomatto/2009/07/photo-tips-rule-of-thirds.html But in reality, there are no "rules" and for a good discussion on this subject take a look at this blog by Lidor Wyssocky http://www.lidorwyssocky.com/reloaded/2009/09/08/photography-tip-2-tell-a-story/
Q3. What are the three most common mistakes?
A3. Here are my top three pet peeves in photography;
A. Using the on-board flash for every photo. Nothing is more distracting than having the flash "blow out" the subject leaving the background dark. The flash can be used to fill in light on the foreground when there's a strong back light, or for other effects, but the flash should blend in and not be a noticeable part of the photo. For some great tips on how to effectively use flash check out this blog http://strobist.blogspot.com/
B. A small main subject with lots of surrounding area or background. The main subject, particularly in portrait photography, should be noticeable as the "main subject". I've seen a lot of family photos where it's hard to see that the family is really the main point of the photo because the people so small in the frame. If the camera doesn't have a zoom lens, you can always walk up closer to fill the frame more completely with the main subject. But again, this isn't a hard rule. It's just that if the point of the photo is to capture a family moment, then the family should be the focus.
C. Tilted horizons: it's something simple to fix either by carefully observation while taking the photo or by straightening the image in a post-processing program like iPhoto, Picassa or Photoshop.
Q4. How do you create a motion photograph?
A4. You can create a motion blurred photo by leaving the shutter open while the subject moves through the frame or while you move the camera past the subject. A really cool effect is to zoom the lens while snapping the photo, here's an example:
(warning: this may make you feel dizzy!)
Here's another example. Click on photo to an explanation of how to create a motion blurred photo:
Q5. What subject is the most difficult to shoot?
A5. I love taking photos of kids, but they are also the most challenging for two reasons, they tire easily and quickly of having their photos taken and it's a challenge to capture just that perfect moment. I'm not the best in this area and I'm amazed by people that can take great child photos.
Q6. Are digital cameras used in professional photography?
A6. Absolutely! In fact the vast majority of professionals use digital cameras. The technology has advanced to the point where the final product is almost indistinguishable between the two formats, and many people will argue that digital is superior. I think there's a place for analog film photography, but for most professionals, digital equipment will cost less over time, it weighs less, it's less susceptible to corrupted images (film is finicky to temperature and moisture). You can check out this blog for a "behind-the-scenes" look at a professional photo shoot by a world famous photographer: http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/ Just scroll down to find the videos regarding the SanDisk shoot in New Zealand.
Q7. What is the best way to shoot a portrait?
A7. I just finished a portrait shoot for a well known resort and so I can speak from some recent experience. Here are some tips to getting a good portrait:
A. Be prepared! I scouted a location the day prior and took some test shots at about the same time of day. This allowed me to visualize the setups and lighting.
B. Be ready for anything. Even though I scouted a location the day before, the client wanted to change the location the day of the shoot due to weather. So we ended up shooting indoors. I'm primarily an outdoor photographer, but I adapted and fortunately I had the right gear for indoors. So be ready for last minute changes in your plans.
C. Before you take any photos, take a deep breath and check all the setting on your camera. You'll only have the one chance with the client to get a good set of photos. A wrong ISO setting, or a wrong file type setting on the camera can really ruin your day. Check the following: ISO, white balance, file type ( I usually shoot in high-res JPEG or RAW files).
D. Take some test shots, let the client know that you're fine-tuning the settings and that these are just "test" shots. This allows you to adjust your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO if needed.
E. I prefer to use a 50mm or 85mm lens for portraiture. Other people will tell you they prefer other lenses. The key here is that the subject should be in sharp focus with a soft out of focus background. If you're in a cramped setting, a smaller lens will let you get closer to the subject. If you have room to step back, a larger lens will work.
F. Relax and your subject will be relaxed. It's OK to smile and laugh and talk with them. It puts them at ease and the photos will look more natural.
G. Take tons of photos! Digital files are cheap and you will be glad to have the extra images to choose from. My rule is that I'm lucky to get one good photo out of 20 photos. So I shoot a lot of pictures.
H. Clean up the photo in a program like Picassa, iPhoto or even better, Photoshop. Adjust the contrast and brightness and paint out any distracting parts of the photo. The client will appreciate that you've taken the time to make them look the best they can.
Q8. Is it against the rule to have a subject turned against the light? (i.e, a person standing with the sun behind him.)
A8. Not at all! You can get some cool silhouettes this way or if you use the camera's flash you can fill the foreground with light and have a bright background at the same time.
Q9. Are the equipments expensive?
A9. You can spend as much or as little as you want on equipment. A good quality digital camera starts at about $300. But don't limit yourself by your equipment. "The best camera is the one with you." is a well known phrase among photographers. Does your cell phone have a camera? Go out and start taking photos with it. You'll be amazed at how some of them will turn out. I bet you'll get some great shots! Of course if you have money to spend, you can go crazy on equipment. Professional photographers can spend $10,000 on a camera body and lens alone. So it's all about what you have to spend and what you have with you. Don't let the equipment stop you from being a photographer. For some examples of great cell phone photography visit this Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/73532194@N00/ or if you have an iPhone check out this great site: http://www.thebestcamera.com/ Check out this site for some do it yourself photography tips and great money saving ideas: http://www.diyphotography.net/
Q10. What was your most embarrassing photography experience?
A10. Well, I'm not sure how embarrassing this is but I was filming a video blog post for work in front of a house. I was facing the house with the camera pointed toward me, away from the house. The background was a beautiful view of a mountain range. The homeowner came out and started yelling at me wondering why I was filming his house. I was on a public road so I was legally allowed to be there filming, but he was upset thinking I was taking video of his home. I said that I was filming myself with the mountains behind me for a video blog. He must not have expected that answer because he stopped being angry and he sort of mumbled something and went back inside. Well, I'm pretty careful about where I do my video blogs since then. Also, it's important to know your local laws about what you can and can't photograph. Better safe than sorry!
Thanks for the chance to do an interview. Have fun in your photography class.
