Making Better Photographs

Taking Making Better Photographs

Kris Krüg

www.staticphotography.com

www.kriskrug.com

Gnomedex 2008, Seattle

Light in the Eyes

Evaluate the Light

Sun? Shade? Incandesent, Halogen?

Look around - highlights, shadows, spotlights

Put your subject in good light

Look for reflection/catchlight in the eyes

Use lamps, spotlights, etc

Work With Whatcha Got

Shoot in Low Light/Available Light

Increase your ISO (ASA)

Increase your aperture (F-stop)

Decrease your shutter speed

Focus manually if autofocus fails you

Tinker with manual settings/metering

Brace on things (tripod, gear bag)

Reflections Are Yummy!

Look for Reflections

Puddles are my favorite

Glass

Metal

Shiny floors

Provides symetry, unique perspectives, and extra light

Gnomedex Wall of Love

Focus On A Theme

Polaroids

Portraits

Black & White//Sepia//Over-exposed

Laptop Stickers//Geeks & Gear

Funny Faces

Learn Your Camera

Isolate the variables - depth of field, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc

Tinker, tweek, shoot lots, share your photos, get feedback, change it up

Share gear - find someone you can test out lenses, flashes, etc with

SET THE FUCKING WHITE BALANCE

Rules Are Made To Be Broken

Take a Look @ Your Background

No trees sprouting out of peoples heads.

Less busy puts more focus on the subject

Fill the Frame

Get close to your subject

Use all the screen real estate

Rule of Thirds An image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Proponents of this technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.

Get High! Swing Low...

People look better (younger, skinnier) from above

Stand on things

Lay down

Get the angle

Change your perspective

Tips for Being a Pretty Subject

Laugh! Smile! Have fun!

Make eye contact with the camera

Take off your conference lanyard

Stand in the light

Avoid douchebag hand gestures unless your a Japanese girl or me. ;)

Get close, show some love

Don’t squirm - stand still.

Camera Buying Advice

Lenses more important than body

Don’t fall for Mega Pixels

Look for manual controls

I like cameras from camera companies - Canon, Nikon, Fuji

<paradox> Now forget all that. Go gonzo styleé. Fuck focus, framing, etc. Move fast. Have fun. Feel it. </paradox>

Thx to Chris and Ponzi. Creative Commons. Share the love. Link to me on the words ‘photographer’, ‘fashion photographer’, ‘vancouver photographer’, or all the above and I’ll give you a gift of photographic awesomeness! ;) Kris Krüg. kk+. 778. 898. 3076. [email_address] <3 <3 <3