In more recent years, I've taken a liking to photography. I really want to invest in a professional camera, perhaps a Canon or Nikon. But of course, they are way over my budget. So, for now, it's just a goal.
In college, I took advantage and took Introduction to Black & White Photography. Not only did I learn how to just shoot properly, but also how to develop film by hand in a dark room. First time around I messed up a lot and ended up wasting a lot of material, but by the end of the semester, I was producing clean and sharp B&W photographs. My parents even framed a candid of my dad with my dog in the woods. To this date, it is one of my favorites.
Every time I go somewhere like the zoo or the botanical garden, I like to bring my camera around. Playing with foreground and background, you can bring the subject of the image into focus. Up above, Charlie is playing the role of model for what I mean. The leaves are nice and sharp and bright. Charlie is in the middle of the frame, though a bit cliche in position, it does allow me to have equal space for the background. Having a blurred effect helps lead your eyes to the main focus. Learning how to play with these things will help you create stunning and crisp images.
Even when you use your cell phone to take pictures, you can play around with features and get similar results. Next time you take a picture, try not to put your subject right in the middle of the frame. Place it at a corner, or along the bottom edge, then your eyes will have more space within the frame to look at. It can cause an awesome effect.
Here the girl is placed at the bottom right of the frame, allowing the setting to take up the rest of the space. Although your eyes are drawn to the subject (the girl), you can't help but loop around the rest of the image to see what else there is. When the subject is in the center, it tends to take up most of the space, and your interest on what is on the edges or behind the subject is diminished.
After spending time writing this post, I thought: why not take advantage and turn it into a challenge?? I found an awesome 30 day challenge on littlebennet.com
How many people are willing to give it a shot with me? I'll post my photos along the way! Feel free to email me your work! If I get enough entries, I'll share them in a post with your desired username and label your work!
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