Travel and Outdoor Photography

Take a camera along when you travel – it’s a great idea. The camera is not as important as how you see what is around you. You could be delighted by the results.

Shooting What You See

Sometimes you might have taken a photo that looked good in real life but didn’t look so great on the computer. This might be because of the type of lens you used. The field of vision of the human eye is 40 degrees. You can test this out by viewing a general scene like a skyline. Note the elements of the scene keeping your eyes aimed straight ahead. Analyze the same scene as it appears in the view-finder. Notice what is cut out or what is now included. Using the zoom lens will permit you to see the image in the same perspective as your eye. By trail and error you’ll learn what zoom will equate with your eye’s view.

Composition

Composition is the art of ‘framing’ the photograph or arranging the elements so that it draws the viewer’s eye to what you want seen or noticed. Here are some basic rules of composition:

1. The Eye Scans Diagonally

The eye usually scans automatically from bottom right of a picture diagonally across to the top left. If you flip any existing picture horizontally using photo editing software, you’ll get and idea of this rule. Different elements gain more attention depending which way you flip the image. This rule definitely applies in taking portrait photos.

Position the model with his or her body turned to the left about 45 degrees. Direct him to make loose fists and rest his hands on his legs. Now tell him to turn towards the camera. This pose is called three quarter length. Now examine the image in your view finder. Probably you’ll notice that the hands first attract your eye, and they they guide it to the face of the subject. Take this photo, and then flip it in the computer using photo editing software. Which version most quickly communicates?

Here’s an exercise you can do: look over a photography website or through a book to see the rule in action. The photographer may have used a line or shape in the bottom right corner so the eye is guided to the picture’s central element. If the photographer wants to achieve an arresting effect he may deliberately break this rule.

2. Frame the Photograph

The edges of a photograph are like the fence around a house. The space thereby gains definition. Mount one of your pictures in a frame and you’ll see this effect. You’ll probably find that now everything is more viewable. By deliberately posing your subject in a window, leaning in a doorway, or between trees you can apply this principle. A contrasting effect can be achieved by choosing a neutral background like a seascape. With nothing else to distract it, the eye is drawn to the picture’s subject.

Framing to include enough of the background to add mood will make for a better picture. On some occasions, the background might distract from your subject by being messy or overwhelming. If possible, avoid these. As a general rule, you can use the background to help tell the story. Frame your picture so it answers most if not all of these questions
Where is it?
What is the identity of the subject?
Why are they there?
What action are they involved in?

The Rule of Thirds

This rule divides the image into thirds horizontally and/or vertically. The subject of the scene should appear in the middle zone. Or at the intersection points of the two grids. Landscapes usually have the subject in the middle area and the sky in the top third. The bottom third or foreground acts as a foundation to the subject.

Unlike a landscape, framing vertically is the usual rule with portrait photography. Imagine the frame divided vertically with the face at the juncture of the invisible line that divides the top third from the middle third. This gives you a more pleasing view by allowing space above the head. Arranging your space in this way balances the horizontal areas that frame the subject.

Sometimes extreme close-ups work well and create a feeling of intensity.

Practise makes perfect. Take many photographs and study the good ones and the bad ones. You’ll quickly learn the basics of this rewarding hobby.