Rural Missouri - May 2011 - (Page 16)

Shoot like a pro Tips to turn your snapshots into wall-worthy art reat photography is all around us. Magazines, newspapers, advertisements and websites display amazing moments frozen in time by photographers. For the amateur shooter, it can be hard to imagine how professionals consistently get such great shots. Shoot during the “magic hours.” The magic or golden hours include the ﬁrst and last hours of the day and are the best times to capture dramatic lighting. It also is the best time to capture wildlife, as most animals are more active in the morning and evening. Scout out a scene during the day and determine where the sun will be setting or rising, so that when it comes time for the magic hour, you are prepared and ready to get a killer shot. G 1 by Kyle Spradley kspradley@ruralmissouri.coop Capturing memorable images doesn’t require a long list of expensive gear or years in photography school, however. With basic camera knowledge and these simple tips, you can improve the photos you take with simple point-and-shoot cameras and even cell phones. So hopefully the next time you are out on a hike, at your kid’s soccer game or on vacation, you can bring back images that will look great hanging on the wall. 1 2 4 Take your time. Don’t just snap one photo and move on. Patience is key to getting that right moment. Wait for a bird to ﬂy into your scene to add more interest to a sunset, or wait for the light to hit just the right spot on a far-off hill. Walk around the scene to scope out different angles and perspectives. Landscape photographers will spend hours at the same place waiting for the light to change. Remember the rule of thirds. This compositional rule of thumb is embedded in the back of the minds of pro shooters, painters and even designers. Get away from placing your subjects in the center of the frame. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over your picture and place the subject of the photo along these grid lines or at their intersections. This makes the image more appealing to the eye and adds a more dramatic emphasis to the subject. Most digital cameras have settings that overlay a rule-of-thirds grid on your image to help you properly compose the image. Try this concept when shooting wildlife, ﬂowers, portraits and even landscapes. Check your camera’s manual to learn how to activate this feature. Clean up your background. This is key when shooting portraits. Before pressing the shutter button, quickly check all four corners of the frame for any poles, trees, cars or other elements that might take away or intrude on your subject. Nothing is worse than sending that picture you took of your graduating senior to Grandma, only to discover there is a light post coming straight out of his head! Use a tripod. To get tack-sharp images, mount your camera on a tripod. Even the slightest movement while pressing the shutter button can blur an image, especially when shooting in low-light conditions. A wide variety of tripods are available for all different sizes of cameras and cell phones. 2 3 3 6 Move around. Get away from shooting all of your pictures with the camera at eye level. Think like an animal! Go for the bird’s-eye view and get above the subject or try the worm’seye view. Crouch or even get on your belly to shoot. You may get a little dirty, but you will create much more dynamic photos by changing your perspective. 4 5 16 5 6 For more photo tips, visit the online edition at www.ruralmissouri.coop. To expand your skills, head to your local bookstore or library and check out some of these helpful guide books: •“Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera” by Bryan Peterson • “National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures” by Peter K. Burian • “LIFE Guide to Digital Photography: Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros” by Joe McNally. WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.ruralmissouri.coop http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - May 2011

Rural Missouri - May 2011
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Jim Peters’ Passion
Help & Hope
Twist of Fate
Mail Bag
Shoot Like a Pro
Out of the Way Eats
Aircraft From Another Era
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
The Pared-Down House
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - May 2011