photo rules!

PHOTO RULES!!

OBJECTIVE

Analyze photos using composition and other “rules”

Learn how to choose photos that will enhance or help tell your story

WHAT ARE COMPOSITIONAL TOOLS?

Rules or ideas you use to assemble your photographs

This does not mean they are posed by you, the photographer

Instead you must learn to see these elements/tools through your lens and use them to our advantage!

RULE OF THIRDS Think of putting a tic-tac-toe board on your photos

Place your subject on intersection points Visually interesting when subject isn’t centered

LEADING LINES Using natural lines to draw viewers eye to subject The lines should lead viewer right to the subject or

main object in your photo

DOMINANT FOREGROUNDCONTRIBUTING BACKGROUND Main subject is in the Foreground and that is

where the viewers eye goes first Secondary subject/content in the background

contributes to the meaning or understanding of the photo

PATTERN & REPETITION

Look for repeating patterns and use them to your advantage

Filling the frame with repeating objects can be visually interesting

SELECTIVE FOCUS

Make your subject in focus, and the background blurry

This will draw the readers attention to your subject first

FRAMING Using other elements in the photo to frame your

subject naturally This will help draw the viewers eye to your subject

BLUR Blur is a good way of

showing action or motion Subject is blurry Everything else is in focus

PANNING Another good way to show action Focus on and follow your subject as they move

you must be moving or following them with your lens Subject will be in focus Everything else will be blurry

BIRDS-EYE VIEW

Shoot from above your subject Stand on something (safely) and shoot down

WORMS-EYE VIEW

Shoot up at your subject Get low to ground

MUST HAVE PEOPLE!

Photojournalism isn’t “artsy” Make sure there are people in your photos Photos of flowers and trees don’t really help tell

your story

SHOW/CAPTURE EMOTION

Don’t take boring posed photos Be patient and try to capture that one moment

that tells the story

CANDID PHOTOS, NO POSING

Don’t capture “say cheese” photos Wait until people aren’t focused on you Capture candid moments

CHEMISTRY STORY WITH PHOTOS

The Story: Academic More students taking AP Chemistry Chemistry lab has new equipment, more

experiments Choose Dominant and Contributing Photo

Enhances the story Has some compositional elements Pulls your reader in

Choose 2 bad photos you wouldn’t use Bad composition Doesn’t help tell the story