subject: Take Better Pictures for Scrapbooking [print this page] Take Better Pictures for Scrapbooking Take Better Pictures for Scrapbooking
Here are a few tips to help with the most common problems:
1: Zoom In: Often, amateur or "weekend" photographers take pictures without a clear idea of what their subject is. If you are too far away from the subject there will be too much extraneous information in the picture. One way to judge... if you are constantly having to crop your photos when you use them, you probably need to get closer or zoom in more when you shoot the photo originally.
2: Another way to take better pictures is to try to avoid "mergers". Mergers come from not paying attention to your background and objects surrounding your subject. An example of a merger might be a tree behind your subject that appears to grow right out of his head. Take time to notice objects in the background that blend or merge with your subject because they have the same color. Your subject should stand out and be the center of attention. A term to keep in mind is, "framing the shot". As you set up your shot, visualize a frame around it and notice everything that will be inside your frame.
3: Another type of merger is a "border merger" in which the edge of your picture cuts off part of your subject. If your primary focus is a person, try taking more vertical than horizontal photos and get closer to the subject. This approach usually eliminates unwanted background "clutter" and prevents cutting people off at the waist.
4: Rule of Thirds: It's a natural tendency to place your subject right smack in the middle of the photo. (After all, it IS the subject, right?) However, if you place the subject slightly off-center, you will actually end up with a more appealing photo. To do this, imagine your frame divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically (like a tic-tac-toe board).Then place the subject on or near one of the lines or intersections. For a great example of using the rule of thirds, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds.
5: Research others' work. Go online and just spend some time consciously looking at photos that other folks have taken. When you see a shot that grabs your eye, stop and look at it for a while. Why did it catch your eye? Notice how the photographer framed the shot. Note the lighting. See what is around the subject - does it distract? Note how the subject is positioned. Go back to the same photo later and see if you notice anything new. Take some notes about what you learn. You can get a lot out of just paying attention when you look around.
For more stamping and scrapbooking ideas, tips, and tutorials, visit our blog at http://stampmaven.com or drop us an email. dave@stampmaven.com.
