Take Better Photos

Photo Tip #8 - Action Photos and Showing Motion

cblighphotography — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:40:00 GMT

When shooting photographs with movement, shutter speed is the most important aspect. There’s three ways to take action shots. In some instances all three ways can be used but often the situations only allows for the opportunity to use one or two. Understanding these ways can help you decide in an instant which is best.

Showing Movement with Blur

In most cases a blurred photo is the one that goes in the trash but, it’s also a neat technique for showing aggressive motion. You see it a lot of this type of action photography in magazines for all kinds of high intensity sports like mountain biking and car racing. It could also be used effectively on team sports, for example a soccer playing kicking a goal and having the movement of the foot and the ball be blurred. The same could be applied to baseball and basketball too.

To really get a good effect with this technique you need to have some sharpness in the image, the background or the persons face. For this you need a shutter speed that’s not too fast to stop the motion, but not too slow for the subject to become a foggy blur. There is no exact formula to get this, just trial and error, simply because different subjects move at different speeds.

One way to get this effect without depending on pure luck is mixing in a flash. Most flashes sync with a shutter speed of 125, which would freeze any motion. But, in order to show blur there is a way to shoot flash called slow sync. To do this all you need to do is engage your flash, then change the shutter speed to slower than 125, usually 60 will work fine, but sometime 30 or slower needs to be used. This can be done by hand holding the camera since when the flash goes off it stops all motion in the frame while the remaining time that the shutter is open will create blur.

I recommend experimenting with this technique only when you have multiple opportunities to photograph the same subject. If you only have one chance to get the shot, I would use one of the next two ways to show motion.

This composite image above of the waterfall shows how shutter speed can effect motion and blur in a photo. On the far left of the image, a high shutter speed was used to stop motion completely, displaying the aggression and sheer force of the water. While as we look to the right, as the shutter speed gradually slows, the water starts to get a smooth, misty appearance that is calming. This proves how shutter speed can effect more than just how a photo looks, but how it feels to us emotionally.

Panning

Panning shows speed. Any subject that is going at an incredible rate can be captured using this technique. Skiing, motorcycling and cycling are a few examples when panning may be the only solution. Simply put, this way of capturing motion puts the subject at a stand still with the background in a barely recognizable blur.

If you want to try panning, first you need to get your exposure correct. The slower the shutter speed, the more blurred the background will be, so make sure you consider this when determining your exposure. Next, when the subject is near you and you are ready to click the shutter, click and then without hesitation keep your lens pointed directly at the moving subject. This can be tricky because as soon as you click your view is blocked in the view finder but you should still be able to follow the subject accurately based on their speed.

Freezing Motion

The final technique, and most times the easiest, is to freeze all motion altogether. This works great to show drama and intensity in team sports, road racing and other slower paced activities. This can be achieved two ways, by either stopping action with a flash or with a fast shutter speed. The latter can only be used in the prime conditions of direct sunlight or by using a higher ISO film or setting on your digital camera. I would only use a higher ISO as a last resort simply because of the graininess and noise it creates in the images. A shutter speed required to stop motion on its own without a flash unit may be upwards of 500 or 1000, so plenty of light would be needed.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com

Photo Tip #7 - Using a Tripod

cblighphotography — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:31:00 GMT

The professionals' secret... The Tripod! Don't believe me? Well, it's truly the only way to get the sharpest possible photos (especially landscapes.) Today I will discuss what to look for when buying one, when to use it and when not to, and of coarse, how to use it. If you like taking landscape photographs or any other still life images, I can't recommend it enough. A tripod will extend the versitility of your photography and heighten the level at which you are shooting by not only giving you sharper images but also forcing you to stop and take the time to frame your shot properly and get the best exposure... aren't we always in such a rush?!

Types of Tripods and What's Best For You

Most tripods come in two components, there is the actual tripod and then there is an attachment that goes on top of it called the tripod head. This part of the tripod is the piece that attaches to your camera. It has moving parts to help you frame your shot in every possible angle or direction from the spot you are standing.

The bottom part, or the tripod legs, has the three legs we all recognize is probably the most important part to research before purchasing. First, they come in heights from a few inches to taller than the average person. The taller the extendablity, the higher the price, for the most part. Two sizes you want to look for is the tripod height when collapsed (this is the smallest height the tripod can sit at in most cases) and also the extended height (the tallest possible height.) When purchasing the tripod think of what you are using it for; are you going to be shooting inside on a table top? Outside on a trail where you want to stand comfortably in front of your camera? Are you shooting mostly flowers and need to be very close to the ground but you also want the possibility of shooting at standing height? After you consider these questions also remember that you want to be comfortable behind the camera. Choose a height where your can stand or kneel comfortably for several minutes.

You will also need to consider the weight of the tripod. A heavy tripod made of metals is more sturdy, will last longer and is a worth-while purchase. Avoid any tripod made mostly of plastic, if you need something lightweight, go for the ones made of lightweight metals. Lastly, there are two kinds of extending legs, there are tripod legs that lock and unlock with a snapping mechanism or ones that have a quick turning lock/unlock. If you can, try both of these types to see which you prefer.

Personally, I have three tripods: one that extends very tall, is heavy, versitile and can be used in most applications, my second is a lightweight tripod that collapses down to a size of about 14" and extends to a fairly comfortable hunched over height, I use this one for hiking or anytime I know I will need to lug it around all day on my back. My third tripod is a mini flexible tripod that can bend and move to attach itselve to almost anything and sits just a few inches off the ground. With these three I can handle almost any situation that I will need a tripod in, but for most people something that extends to about 50" to 60" and is fairly sturdy would word fine.

For tripod heads there are two main types: the ball head and the pan head. The ball head is just that, a ball that sits on top of the tripod legs and then your camera sits on top of the ball. It has a locking mechanism that enables you to move you camera easily in any position and hold it firmly in place once you are set. These are great and super-easy to use, but can be difficult to handle with a heavy camera. The pan head is very funny looking and can be difficult to use at first, but once mastered it is very precise. There are three "arms" that stick out from the head that can be loosened and tighten to adjust the cameras position is three different directions. These often come with a helpful bubble level built in.

When To (and When Not To) Tripod

As a rule of thumb, anytime your exposure requires a shutter speed under 1/60th of a second throw your camera on the tripod. If you are shooting a person, most times you shouldn't use a tripod, just turn on your flash - or else you will capture the motion of the person in the photo let alone your movement from handholding the camera. Here I am talking mostly about using a tripod for shooting still life and landscapes. When photographing a sweeping landscape you want the sharpest image possible to avoid loosing important details in the distance, use a tripod every time when shooting f/16 or higher. Usually your shutter speed will be below 1/60th in this situation anyways, unless your in the bright, bright sun.

Also, like I discussed in Photo Tip #6, a tripod can be vital to getting a great group portrait. You can set up your camera and then arrange and move people to fit in the frame instead of constantly moving your camera around to fit the people. Another great application for a tripod is if you are going to be standing in one place for a long time, the tripod can hold all the cameras weight for you.

How To Basics

Most tripod heads come with something called a tripod plate. This plate snaps in and out of the tripod head easily and attaches to the bottom of pretty much every camera ever made. You can leave this plate attached to the camera and you can fold up the tripod without the danger of leaving the camera on it. This piece is VERY important to the tripod and can be expensive to replace so always leave it attached to your camera if you can, or leave it snapped into the tripod head for safe keeping. Once your camera is snapped in place, you can easily frame your shot, change the orientation of your camera from vertical to horizontal, change camera lenses, etc. all safely without the worry of dropping or banging your camera.

Quick tip: Get a mini bubble level to keep in your camera bag for those tricky landscapes, if your tripod doesn't come with one built-in.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com

Photo Tip #6 - The Group Portrait (just in time for the holidays!)

cblighphotography — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:48:00 GMT

There’s really no better time to get a great family portrait than the holidays. Everyone is together, including close family, relatives that may live far away and good friends, so how do you get one great photo of everyone together? There are a few techniques, some traditional and some a little more creative. I picked this tip just for Thanksgiving and for you to use next week, even if your not at home.

Traditional Group Portraits

When most of us think of a group portrait we see people lined up in rows, taller people in the back and kids in the front. Well, this tried and true technique is so popular because it works, but there are ways to make your traditional group portrait look more professional.

Do your homework before you gather the group together:

How many people are there? Are you going to be in the photo? If yes, you will need a tripod and learn how to operate you camera timer… ahead of time!
Find a location where everyone will be able to fit comfortably. If outside, set up a row of chairs so some can sit, others can stand behind and if needed lay an old blanket so some can sit on the ground. If inside, find an area where you will be able to get a photograph wide enough to fit your group. A problem can arise if you arrange everybody on the couch and you have to stand behind the TV in order to get everyone in the photo.
Are there older people that will need to sit for the photo? Make sure these folks are seated first and allow everyone else to arrange themselves to them.
How will you arrange everyone? Depending on the size of the group, there are different guidelines; up to five - one row, 6 to 11 – two rows (one standing, one sitting in chairs), 12+ - three rows or more (one standing, one sitting in chairs, the rest sitting either cross-legged or on knees on the floor.)
Who will be in the prominent places on each side of the group? Possibly the hosts of the gatherings?
Plan on gathering those with the shortest attention span last, some children may be harder to keep focused than others so getting them into position after everyone else is key.

Also, plan on doing more than one photo as quickly as possible, this way you have better odds at getting everyone with their eyes open and smiling.

Creative Techniques – A Documentary Approach

If you don’t feel like clicking photos all day to document the family event, maybe elect a child or teen at the gathering to do it for you. They can be the photojournalist, taking candids and other pictures throughout the day. My recommendation for this is to set up your camera to avoid using flash, as this can lead to red eye, irritating grandpa and a more obvious photographer.

Film camera:

Load the camera with 800 or, better yet, 1600 speed black and white film, 36 exposures. Though this type of film is grainier, it gives a creative look to the pictures and, no need for flash most of the time. Using black and white film is important as indoors there is often mixed lighting with can make your color photos have strange colors.
If you have an AUTO exposure setting, click it on. Also, use auto focus if you can (sometimes it doesn’t work well in low light situations.)
Turn off the on-camera flash if you have one. This way it won’t pop up when you won’t need it.

Digital camera:

Change the ISO of the camera to 800 or 1600.
If you have the option, change the color setting to black and white. If not, I recommend changing some to black and white once you download them to the computer for a more artsy look.
Turn on the AUTO exposure setting, use auto focus if you can (sometimes it doesn’t work well in low light situations.) Make sure the White Balance is set to AUTO too.
Turn off the on-camera flash if you have one. This way it won’t pop up when you won’t need it.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and I will see you back here in two weeks. Please post your photos, I’d love to see them.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com

Photo Tip #5 - The Perfect Portrait

cblighphotography — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:15:00 GMT

We've all had our portrait taken; some of us haven't since High School and can't bear the thought of a camera lens staring us down, while others can't wait to flash their pearly whites for the world to see. Portrait photography is definitely one of those things that take a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Beyond just clicking the lens, a professional knows how to make their subject feel comfortable and confident. This is one of the forgotten aspects of portraiture. Sure, lighting and posing is all good, but if you can't help the person be at ease, your photograph will never stand out from the rest.

The Right Light

Spending thousands of dollars on studio equipment is not necessary, beautifully lit portraits can be taken with what you have in your own home. Here are two examples, one indoor and one outdoors. Try these and then experiment with different types of light and setups.

Window Light: This set up is perfect for a sunny day. Find a window in your house where your subject can sit or stand next to it and you can face them with your camera. You will also need a large piece of white poster board or something like that. Set up your camera to the Auto Portrait mode if you want or, if you understand manual settings and exposure, set you aperture at 3.4 or 5.6 and then point your camera at the subjects face while its being illuminated by the light coming in the window, then adjust the shutter speed accordingly (try to keep your shutter speed at 1/60th of faster to avoid camera shake.) Now, if you have another person available, have them hold the white board next to the subject, parallel to the wall. The purpose of the white board is to literally "bounce" the light filtering through the window back onto the subject to bring light into the dark shadows. You do not want the board in your photograph, so make sure the person is close enough where you can see the shadows lighten up but it is not in the photo. Now you are ready to shoot. Have your subject look out the window or, look directly at you or any position in between. Try moving the white card around to adjust the position of the light. This is always a great way to get beautifully lit photos, quick and easy.

The photos above are examples of these techniques. Notice how the light is even across the face and natural looking. With these types of portrait setup we eliminate the harsh contrasts of direct sunlight and shadows.

In The Shadows: This is a great trick to beautiful outdoor portraits. On a sunny day, find a place with a large, even shadow. This could be from a big tree, a building, pretty much anything. (This technique can also be used on a cloudy day almost anywhere.) Position your subject completely in the shadow, so you see no direct sunlight anywhere on them. Now you must position yourself, which is the key. You want your camera to be in the shade if you are facing the sun even remotely, if you don't, I can guarantee lens flare. Set your camera for the correct exposure, or select an Auto setting and start shooting. Always take note off what is behind your subject, road signs, cars and other people can be distracting. Don't be afraid to zoom in either, go for the head shot!

Posing 101

The position of your subject, where their hands are or how their head tilts is just as important to the perfect portrait as lighting. I like to look through fashion magazines to get new ideas for different poses, but for the most part I just like to experiment.

Here's a link to an article that talks about posing more:

http://ezinearticles.com/?People-Skills-for-a-Portrait-Photographer&id=250554

The perfect portrait is natural looking, while the model is relaxed and comfortable. Good poses bring out a persons best features and shows off their personality.

Next time you want a picture of a family member or friend I hope you think of these tips. I would love to see your examples, or your results from trying any of these techniques, please post them! I will be happy to leave comments and answer any questions your may have.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com

Next week I will go into more detail about posing, how it can reflect mood and convey certain emotions.

Photo Tip #4 - Preset White Balance and What You're Missing

cblighphotography — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 03:34:00 GMT

Why use a Preset?

Using a white balance preset is a great way to achieve accurate color with your digital camera. Many times a digital camera can give you incorrect color in your images, and using this technique is one way to solve this problem. If you are unclear about white balance or, if your camera has this capability, please read my post from last week.

The time when a preset is most useful is when shooting indoors, simple because the lighting is less likely to change in this setting. It can be used outdoors also, but for a short time since lighting will change frequently due to clouds, sun moving in the sky, etc. The preset is used often by studio photographers where the lighting is fixed. For the amateur photographer, the preset can be used to solve the problem of getting terrible color casts in your digital photos that are hard to fix in post.

How to, step by step:

First, you will need a grey card. Found in most photo labs, a grey card is usually about the size of a piece of paper and is a solid color photographers call “middle grey.” This color is very important to black and white photographers, but is also the key to getting precise color with your digital camera. Note: Middle grey is also what your light meter in your camera measures to get accurate exposures in b&w or color.

Next, find and frame your photograph. You need to be at the point of ready to push the trigger before you set your preset white balance. For the next step you will need to have an assistant. This may be the person you are photographing or someone else or even a soda can to hold your grey card upright. Have your assistant hold the grey card where the main focus of the image will be, for example, the face in a portrait. Get you camera ready to take a full-frame photograph of the grey card (this means there should be NOTHING else in the frame of the camera except for the grey card. If you see anything in the background or around the edges of the card you need to zoom in or get closer.) If you are having trouble focusing on the card, just flip off your auto focus, focusing on the grey card is not important. Also, make sure you are not casting a shadow on the card, as this will disrupt your preset.

Now, you can set up your camera for the preset. Each digital camera is different and I highly recommend reading the manual for your specific camera model. Go into the menu and select “White Balance.” You should be given some options to select, follow down to preset 1. Select this option. At this point you should be able to select “preset ready” or something to that effect and the camera will allow you a short time to take a picture of your grey card. It is very important to have everything ready BEFORE you do this last step or else you will mess up and have to repeat everything again. Make sure that any flashes, strobes, lights, etc. go off when you take a shot of the grey card, if the lighting is not accurate when you set the preset, it will not be accurate in the photos you take with it.

Once your preset is set, use it to take some pictures. Then, try using the AUTO white balance in your camera to take the same photographs. Download them onto your computer and compare the results, you may be astounded! Good luck and I hope this tip can help you get better, more accurate color with your digital camera. Please post your photos, I would love to see your results.

Now get out there and shoot!

- Catherine Bligh, http:///www.cblighphotography.com

Read on next Thursday for “The Perfect Portrait.”

Photo Tip #3 - Digital Color Photography: What is White Balance?

cblighphotography — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 02:14:00 GMT

Not all digital cameras are created equal, but for the most part, they have a lot of the same features. I have seen some sort of white balance control on 2 mega-pixel cameras all the way to the professional level, where proper white balance can mean the life or death of an image. Today I will discuss what white balance is and, when it is ok to adjust. I will go over how to set your own preset white balance next week, a very powerful tool for any digital shooter.

What Balance?

In your digital camera, under one of the menus, there may be a setting called “White Balance” or possibly, “Color Temperature.” If you select this, you will be taken to a menu listing at least some of these: AUTO (the digital camera decides the appropriate white balance), INCANDESCENT (this is the light given off by the traditional tungsten light bulb), FLOURESCENT (a fluorescent tube light), CLOUDY or SHADE, SUNNY, FLASH and PRESET 1, 2, etc.

So when should you change these? As a rule, leave it on AUTO for most of your general photography. If you play with this setting a lot, you may forget that you had changed it and could shoot for who knows how long in any specific setting, possibly ruining your images. But, I am not saying you should never use these other settings, they can be very useful and powerful when applied appropriately.

AUTO: Use this setting as your default. This is so you know, whenever you turn your camera on, it’s ready to go. When I shoot digitally, at the end of each shoot I always check my white balance and set it back to AUTO. This way, I never hesitate if I suddenly have to take a photograph without much time to prepare.

INCANDESCENT: Use this setting for indoor lighting that is lit with tungsten light bulbs (traditional household lights) only, with no flash. When you have this white balance applied, you are telling the camera that every photo you are taking is being lit by orange-yellow light, and therefore will counteract this light by adding blue to your photos. This is the same affect as if you were to use tungsten film in your film camera. The result will be accurate so long as there aren’t any other light sources in the frame. If there is window light, a flash going off, or a fluorescent bulb in your photograph, you may see blues, greens or other colors where they shouldn’t be.

It can happen to you! Shooting outdoors with incandescent white balance or with tungsten film can produce saddening results.

FLOURESCENT: Nothing is harsher or harder to shoot in then fluorescent light, but if you have too, try using this setting. Again, if you use a flash with this setting you will get horribly discolored images.

CLOUDY/SHADE: These two settings do generally the same thing and can be unreliable. They add warm tones to your image, orange, red and yellow. We don’t notice this with our eyes, but cameras pick up on the blue light that is in shadows and the shade. These settings will compensate for this blue light, and can pleasantly inaccurate (i.e. creating a warm colored light on a subject on a cold, cloudy day).

SUNNY/FLASH: These two settings are slightly different, but they act in much of the same way the cloudy/shade setting do. They add slightly less amounts of warm tones to the image. Using these settings can be just as important as setting your camera for incandescent light, though you may not immediately think so. In a film camera, we can think of the film we use in it as being at the “sunny” or “flash” setting in our digital camera. Some people may confuse the idea that film is more like “auto,” when it is nothing like it at all. When the digital camera is set on AUTO, the brain inside the camera reads the colors in the photo and balances it as it sees appropriate. Most of the time it is right, but sometimes it can be wrong. The point I am trying to make is that you can leave your digital camera on one of these settings as a default, and you will get desirable results more often (unless you shoot under artificial light without a flash, then you will need to change settings.)

Shooting with tungsten light while using the wrong white balance setting (in this case "flash") can be used creatively to create interesting images.

I hope this helps you understand white balance when you use your digital camera. A great exercise to help understand these settings better is to simply shoot the same image several different times using a different white balance setting for each shot. Then, look at the differences in each of these images on your computer and note the effects. Note: If you shoot RAW, any changes you make to the white balance in the camera will have no affect, RAW files are meant to be corrected "post-processing."

Now remember, not all digital cameras are created equal! It may take some experimentation with your specific camera model, so try it out. I would love to see your images of experimenting with white balance, please post them.

Now get out there and shoot!

- Catherine Bligh, http:///www.cblighphotography.com

Read on next Thursday for “Preset White Balance and What Your Missing.”

Photo Tip #2: Unlocking the power of color

cblighphotography — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:46:00 GMT

Color is all around us, in our entire landscape, from the rolling mountains to our laundry hamper. One of the hardest things to do as a photographer is to capture these colors and then reproduce them as vivid and beautiful as they appeared. When you flip through a magazine, bright colors jump out at you on nearly every page, while the photos in your family album have flat tones and little vibrance in comparison. In photography, the way film captures color is in a completely different way then modern digital cameras do, but I would like to discuss both of these topics. This week, I will talk about how you can get great color using a manual film camera and next week I will go over the digital side of color photography.

Making the Most of Color Film

We've all seen the stunning color photographs of professionals from magazines to coffee table books, but what is their secret to achieving such color in their photographs? Some think that the film type they use is a major player. While this is true, to an extent, for the most part what differs a professional photographer and their understanding of color to a beginner or an ameture, is their in-depth understanding of color theory. Also, knowing how films react to different types of light (bright sun, clouds, reflecting light from snow) and how it will effect their ending result before even pressing the shutter.

So what's the best film to use? Well, the answer depends on what you are planning on photographing. For the best results for skin tones, use a color negative film like Kodak Gold, Portra NC or Fuji Reala. For general purpose or for landscapes, Kodak Ultra Color would be a good choice to bring out vivid colors. But, to get the best colors, high quality slide film will never disappoint. Fuji Velvia and Kodak E100 VS are both great choices for color slide film. The only way to find the best film for you is to try different kinds and experiment, this way you will find the quality you want at the price you are ready to pay.

The photo on the left has the flat, even tones I desired for accurate skin color in this portrait (shot with Kodak 160NC). On the right, we notice the brighter, more vivid colors Kodak E100 VS film has, which I wanted to bring attention to the red sand found on Prince Edward Island in contrast to the small flower and its green leaves.

Complementary Colors

I could rample on for days about color theory and how it affects photography, but I won't. An important key point that will help you understand color and can be applied in your photography is the use of complemetary colors. Color "opposites," or complements, can bring out vibrant color and help accentuate a subject from its background. A red tricycle on a green lawn, a yellow bus against a blue sky, or dark skinned person against a light background are all examples of how to use complementary colors in photography. The photo example above, of the green leaves of the flower against the rust colored sand, shows how complementary colors can accentuate certrain parts of a photograph. The flower in a bed of white sand would not be as interesting.

Next time you are out shooting, try thinking in color and use it to your advantage! I would love to see your examples, or your results from trying this technique, please post them! I will be happy to leave comments and answer any questions your may have.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com

Photo Tip #1: The Basics of Composition - Rule of Thirds

cblighphotography — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:39:00 GMT

We all look at famous artwork and photographs and can appreciate their striking beauty, but what makes them stand out as being "better"? There are many basic rules that an artist uses as a guide when creating, and usually the first rule they learn is called the Rule of Thirds. This very simple rule of design can be applied to your photographs making them more interesting than the everyday snapshot.

THE RULE OF THIRDS - by definition

"The rule states that 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." - "Rule of thirds." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 29 Sep 2006, 17:44 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 Oct 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rule_of_thirds&oldid=78537954>.

So what does this mean in English? Well, it basically states that in an image, where the main subject of a photograph (be it a person, an object or the horizon line) is put at either/both the vertical third or horizontal third of the frame, has more impact than simply placing the subject in the middle. In a photograph where a person is the subject, the rule of thirds says to move the camera and place the person on the right or left side of the middle. Or, in the case of a portrait, the eyes should be 1/3 from the top of the frame in most cases. (But of coarse, rules are meant to be broken!) For example, this photograph of Jesse would be less interesting if I had placed him in the middle of the frame (the blue lines indicate the "thirds"):

Another application of the rule of thirds, where I feel it is imperative, is in landscape photography. Though it may sometimes work, the horizon line should rarely ever be at the absolute center of a photograph. As you can see with the two examples below, which one is more interesting? and, Which uses the rule of thirds? In most cases, it will be the same picture:

Notice how the picture on the left seems more balanced, where the picture on the right seems heavy on the bottom.

So, next time you are out shooting the foliage or photographing your family, keep in mind the rule of thirds. I would love to see your examples, or your results from trying this technique, please post them! I will be happy to leave comments and answer any questions your may have.

Now get out there and shoot!

Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com