2. Definition:
The term "photography" is derived from two Greek
words meaning "light" ( phos ) and "writing"
(graphien).
Photography means the art, hobby, or profession of
taking photographs, and developing and printing the film
or processing the digitized array image.
Photography is production of permanent images by
means of the action of light on sensitized surfaces (film
or array inside a camera), which finally giving rise to a
new form of visual art.
3. 7 - ELEMENTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY ARE :
1. COMPOSITION
2. LIGHT,
3. DEPTH,
4. LINE,
5. PATTERN & SHAPE,
6. TEXTURE,
7. VANTAGE POINT.
4. To achieve good composition, mentally divide the photo into thirds, as
shown below.
Composition refers to the way things are arranged in a photo. The
composition is WHAT YOU SEE.
Your subject should fall on the lines, not in the center. In a portrait, the eye
should fall near one of the top intersections.
Composition
5. In landscapes: The horizon line should fall on the top of the
bottom third, not in the centre. Whether you put it on top or bottom
depends on what is in the photo. Here are two examples:
Put the horizon line on the lower third when
your main focus is the sky.
6. Put the horizon line on the upper third when your main subject is
the foreground.
7. Since “photo” means “light” and “graph” means “writing,”
photograph means writing with light. Remember a
camera doesn’t see an IMAGE, it sees light and shadow,
and records it. Therefore, you must examine the light
before you take a photo.
Light
When using a point & shoot, if you and your subject are
standing in the shadow, and there is a spot of bright
light somewhere in the viewfinder, the camera will adjust
to the light, and you will get this:
Look at the light before you shoot. Look for interesting
lighting that will bring drama to your photos.
8. The camera adjusted to
the lighted building, so
the lady in the orange
shirt, standing in shadow,
is barely noticeable.
The camera adjusted to
the sunlit area, so the
hallway in the foreground
is dark.
When the camera is
raised just enough to let
in light from another
source, the camera
readjusted just enough to
show the details in the
hallway
9. And if you are standing in the sun, and your subject has
light behind them (is backlit), you will get a silhouette,
like this:
In this photo, the photographer
wanted a silhouette. The result note
the way the trees framed the
sunset.
Here, the photographer wanted to shoot
the sunset, but the trees were thick. To
make the photo interesting, a person in
foreground did a little dance.
10. Maybe you want a silhouette, but if you don’t, you
should have the sun behind you.
If you can, move to the other side of your subjects to
put the light behind you, like it is done here
11. If you want to photograph a subject that is backlit, and
you can’t move to the other side,
turn your flash on to light your subject from the
front. Compare these photos with the flash turned on
or off:
12. Direct light (like the sun) causes hard shadows, and
diffused (scattered) light causes soft shadows. A
cloudy day will give you the best light, because the
clouds diffuse the light. Compare the lighting in these
photos:
In these photos of Keenan’s graduation
from boot camp, it was cloudy. Notice how
evenly everything is lit.
13. Flash isn’t only for night time photos! Look at the
difference it made here. Left, no flash - the sun created
harsh shadows, darkening the face. Right, flash on to fill
in some of the shadows.
14. DEPTH
Remember it is up to you to give your viewer a sense of the Z-axis.
This can be done a number of ways. Try all of them, and see which
one works best for you, and for the situation you are shooting.
Focus : Zoom in on your subject and adjust your focus so
that only your subject is in focus.
Left and above, th subject is in focus, but
the background is blurry.
15. Foreground Framing
Put something in the foreground, close to the camera, and put your
subject farther away.
Or, do the opposite - put a subject in front of something you want to
shoot, to make it tell a story, like I did below.
16. If you have two subjects, try placing them
different distances from the camera to
show depth.
This picture of a deep valley looks
more dramatic with a person
standing on the edge of a rock
than it would have been alone.
17. LINE
Lines are what move the eye around a photo. A photo with
interesting lines engages your viewer. Again, there are several
ways to accomplish this, so try several when you shoot so you
have choices when you compose your photo essay.
Leading Lines: These are
lines that lead the eye
through the photo.
18. PATTERN & SHAPE
Our minds visually organize
what we see into shapes.
Therefore, suggested
shapes are pleasing to the
eye. Again, there are
several ways to express
pattern or shape in a
photograph. Experiment
with all of them.
Rhythm
Also referred to as
repetition. This is when a
pattern is repeated in a
photo. Again a diagonal
pattern is more visually
interesting,
19. Symmetry
Symmetry refers to when the photo looks like a mirror
image.
Symmetry is all about balance. Symmetry may occur
horizontally or vertically.
21. Shape
Shape may be emphasized using silhouette or backlight.
Sometimes silhouette is not needed to emphasize a
shape; the shape is interesting on its own.
22. Texture
Texture refers to capturing something that your viewer might want
to touch. Your subject may be filled with texture, or the texture
alone may be the subject. Texture communicates the feel of
something.
Fill the Frame: The best way to achieve texture may be to move
in close to the subject, unless the texture is large and can be
seen from far away.
23. Abstract
Texture may be the subject of an abstract photo. You may not be
able to identify what it is exactly, but the texture is interesting
enough that you viewer wants to touch it.
24. Vantage point
Vantage point refers to point of view. : Try to take your viewer
somewhere he or she doesn’t always get to go. Look up. Look down.
Shoot from somewhere people don’t generally get a point of view. always
scan the area for a different vantage point
Experiment:This shot of Cindy sitting on a bench isn’t very interesting from
straight on, where most people would shoot it. Look for different angles and
places to shoot from.
25. ASSIGNMENT
Every One Will Click 4 Different Photos
Emphasizing One Of The Seven Elements Of
Photography.