Photography: A techno-art, basics of image composition.

Vision is a priceless gift and ability we are addicted to. We are highly addicted to this sense and sometimes take it for granted. Photography is a technology which really sheds light as it makes you think  “how hard do you have to try to get something scenically-beautiful as a scene in a machine!!!” but this struggle is the key for developing the skill of photography. This skill has two benefits one of which is obvious and the second one is not. The obvious one is that you try to develop good photographs for the enjoyment of yourself and others but in the shadow of this you start looking for good shots. You look at any scene or any view in closer details, finding the source of light, the direction, the direction of wind and even your own orientation.  These things become an involuntary part of your thinking process which is why I like to call photography as an iterative skill as more you try to develop it, it in-turn develops you. You get more imaginative and creative with not plain vision but thoughts that can paint your vision.

In this article is shall be focusing on basic things which you need to look for to lay a good foundation of photography. To start with it is highly important that you are in coherence with the scene in front of you. Take a minute or two to admire the scene and store in your head. Remember only if you appreciate the scene then the viewers can appreciate it. Build a thought in your head so as to make decision of whether you like the scene and wish to capture it as it is or weather you would like to see some specifics of the scene and omit a few things. This step is what decides how your photograph will finally turn out for you and the viewers. Once you have done this, see the direction of the light which is incident on the scene overall. Then have a look at how you would like to orient your photo i.e. how would you like to see it when it comes out!!! Imagine the photo in frame or as desktop wallpaper and see if you would like it, and this where your thought process rounds off and you are ready to take the picture. Position yourself in the best angle to capture the scene and then think of the light conditions;

1. Look at the aperture values of your camera settings (usually denoted as F value).


2. See the Shutter speed (usually denoted as S).


3. See the Exposure values (Usually denoted with a +- sign on the camera).


4. The see the metering and focus point of where your lens is pointing.

These four steps lay the foundation of any image. From the previous blog you would know that the lens aperture controls the amount of light coming on the sensor. Like the coronary action of human eye this number is measured in diameter units and is given by the F value.

The shutter speed works basically like the way human eye blinks to save any image. The shutter release button triggers the shutter inside which closes and saves the incident light on the sensor which is then processed to form an image.

The exposure value is like slitting your eyes to see more carefully, i.e. it basically controls the light exposure on the image sensor making the image under exposed (dark) or over exposed (light). This maneuvering helps to tone the image for a balance of shadows verses highlights.

Just to give an illustration, have a look at the image below:

The meta-data of this image is as follows:

• F stop: f: 4.2 (A moderately high aperture value)
• Shutter speed: 1/ 160 sec
• Exposure bias: - 1.3 ev.
• Focal Length: 32m

The image is shot in the Indian Rainforest; to show the significant sun rays it is important to have reduced sky highlights and enhancing shadows. Only then the rays breaking through the vegetation are clearly prominent. This shows that to have a well composed image it is important to know what you want to show the viewers and so equally important to note what you don’t want them to see or what might divert their attention in the image.

There is a saying in photography "It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary (David Bailey)’. Take many photos, and keep practicing with your equipment and with your thoughts; the closer the two get the better is the image.

Kind Regards,

Rohan.

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Photography: Image composition and image data meta-analysis for quickshots (mobile subjects).

“A good picture is not only about the moment you spent clicking but it’s about a moment that clicked you and the one which you wish to keep in the years to come”. So it is evident that preparing for that special moment is highly essential. there is a common proverb in photography  which says ‘victory loves preparation’.

Many readers many times ask me ‘how do we prepare for a moment that is unexpected?’ well the answer to that is simple be alert and expect the unexpected. For a good preparation of shot a few things are highly vital i.e. a good shutter speed which gives you a buffer of even if your object of interest is in motion. An ISO setting about 100-400 is good for most days to evening shots. And most importantly a good aperture (F value) for best light input in scenario is highly helpful. The trick with apertures is that lower the number F 3 or F 2.5 higher is the aperture. A well planned shot can have lower aperture values like F 10, 11, or to the count of f 22, 23. But for a quick shot it is always preferable to have higher aperture so that enough light reaches the sensor. For moving subjects like birds, or animals it is always good to have a high shutter speed and a good aperture as this avoids camera shake and give you the shot you need. Many times it is true that with this the shot can get a bit over exposed but it is something which can be rectified in the studio but a highly underexposed shaken shot cannot be resurrected.

Illustration:

This is an image of a German Adder shot from approximately 40 cm from the snake. In such a situation it is highly important to quickly evaluate how your picture would look when you have taken it. It would be a folly to have a good picture but miss-focused. The snake moves fast and it highly important to keep the eyes and nose in focus to create a composed image.

The best way to compose animal snaps is to make sure you get the eyes and nose in focus.  This is not very difficult but sometimes is not evident when you take images of mobile subjects. Many times in the excitement of the shot you are tempted to take multiple exposures but miss little points like the focus, aperture, and shutter and realize after the excitement that the shot has been spoilt with silly mistakes.

So in summary as a general rule to have good shots you need a decent shutter speed about 1/125- 1/ 1000 seconds and you need a good aperture value of about f-2.5 – f 7.0. There is no doubt a lot of trial and error factor to it, and practising is highly essential. It is important to feel your machine as get one with it. This only happens with practise. So keep practising.

In the next article I shall be concentrating about how to take planned shots of landscapes and seascapes, clouds and sunsets.

Kind Regards,

Rohan Shetti.

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