OFF-CAMERA FLASH AND DOME
With the flash still off-camera, I added the diffusing dome to the flash head. The diffuser has spread some light around the room, which has filled in the shadow on Jen’s face and lightened the background. 1/180 second at f8, 46mm, 200 ISO. GH
TURNING DAY INTO NIGHT
This cat portrait was taken with built-in flash. It was afternoon, but I wanted to create a surrealistic feeling of night. Using aperture priority mode, I set the aperture to f10, knowing that I was close enough to adequately light the cat with the flash. To get the dark background I needed to underexpose, which I did by setting the exposure compensation to –3. 1/250 second at f10, 19mm, 500 ISO. JG
USING RED EYE FOR EFFECT
The ‘red eye’ that we all normally try to eliminate can be used as a fun effect. This shot of my little dog makes her look like a devil dog running out of the darkness. Flash also freezes action and can be used solely for that reason, but in this shot I combined the built-in flash with a slow shutter speed to add some movement. 1/60 second at f6.3, 95mm, 400 ISO. JG
COMPOSITION
The basics of photography aren’t just a matter of getting to grips with your equipment; you also need to understand the aesthetic values that will turn your photographs into something much more than everyday snaps.
When you admire a photograph or painting you may at first believe that it is the subject matter that is appealing to you. In fact, once you understand the dynamics of the picture’s composition, you will know that you are being influenced just as much by that.
The early photographers were mostly painters experimenting with this new technology, so they continued to use painterly laws of composition such as dividing the picture plane into thirds and placing focal points where the thirds intersect (see here). However, the development of wide-angle and telephoto lenses changed photographic composition forever. Although classic composition still formed the basics, photographers could now play with perspective and manipulate colours optically.
The basic compositional possibilities shown here will be demonstrated time and again throughout the book. Composition is the way that photographers look at the world. It is our style. It is how we recognize a photograph by one of our favourite photographers – we know how he or she sees the world.
RECORD SHOT
This picture, taken at an art fair, is what I saw when I first walked by. It’s taken as a record of the place without thinking of the content at all. 1/180 second at f4.1, 6.5mm compact camera, 400 ISO. GH
CHANGING THE FORMAT
Taking a closer viewpoint and using a vertical format has allowed me to exclude most of the unwanted detail. However, the picture still looks distant and unconnected with the subject. 1/125 second at f4.3, 15.6mm compact camera, 400 ISO. GH
LOW-ANGLE CLOSE-UP
By moving closer still and coming down to a low angle I have isolated the potter and I can see his technique. The relationship of the round pot and his head holds the picture together. 1/125 second at f4.3, 15.6mm compact camera, 400 ISO. GH
RULE OF THIRDS
A classic rule of composition is that for a strong visual impact, the focal point of a picture should be near an imaginary intersection of two lines that divide the picture into thirds horizontally and vertically.
FINDING A FOCAL POINT
Most landscapes are greatly improved by the inclusion of a focal point. Here I found a white farmhouse to give the viewer a point to fix on and to form a story about the farmer and his land. 1/500 second at f6.7, 200mm, 400 ISO. GH
HIGH VIEWPOINT
Most pictures are shot at eye level – the photographer just stands there and takes the picture. Varying the camera height gives a different view of the world. In this case I was able to walk up some stairs and join the man reading his newspaper. 1/500 second at f5.6, 200mm, 200 ISO. GH
USING PERSPECTIVE
Perspective is one of the most important compositional tools for the photographer, and our huge range of focal lengths allows us to play with this for graphic effect. In this picture of sailors calling home the wide-angle 24mm lens has exaggerated the perspective, making a nice graphic shape. 1/30 second at f8, 24mm, 100 ISO film. JG
LOW VIEWPOINT
I dropped down to a low camera angle so that I could look up at the heavy metal fans, separating them from the rest of the crowd and making the sky their background. With the help of an 18mm wide-angle lens I was also able to really emphasize the rock and roll gesture. 1/1000 second at f8, 18mm, 400 ISO. JG
BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographs were basically monochrome for about one hundred years, though alternative printing processes and handpainting could inject some colour for the dedicated photographer.
In 1935, Kodachrome was born and really took off. For a comparatively low price, everybody could now record their colourful world on colour slides. From there, the production of colour films grew rapidly and before long colour negative films meant that instant prints were available from every chemist in the high street.
Yet black and white photography remains a very popular medium. Black and white prints are a major art form and digital cameras plus computer software have made them so much more accessible than traditional analogue black and white. The quality of the papers, inks and printers is now incredible, making digital black and white photography an exciting alternative to really go for.
However, traditional black and white technology has been making a comeback. The craft of the darkroom and the magic of the image coming to life in the developing tray continue to fascinate, and if you wish to learn how to pursue this form of photography you should be able to find a course near you on which darkroom technique is taught.
The decision as to whether to go for colour or black and white used to mean being able to visualize how a subject would look in tones of grey before choosing which film to put in the camera. With digital, we can switch from colour to black and white in a second to check whether the colour is converting to black and white successfully. We also have the added possibility of being able to shoot in colour and then convert to black and white later.
We highly recommend that you explore monochrome; you will be looking purely at light, tone and texture, and you may find meaning in your photographs