How to Compose the Perfect Pho

A detailed Summary of How to Compose the Perfect Pho

I have often thought that if photography were difficult in the true sense of the term ~ meaning that the creation of a simple photograph would entail as much time and effort as the production of a good watercolor or etching--there would be a vast improvement in total output. The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster. Ansel Adams

Creative disaster, have you ever felt that any of your photographs fall under this category? Please read on if you answered yes. It is easier than you may think to compose the perfect photo. I will show you step by step how to choose the right film, to use a tripod* (1), effective focusing and to set up the scene in your view finder*. I will also show you the proper metering* technique and how to keep unwanted body parts out of your photos. I will be using a manual* 35mm Yashica SLR (single lens reflex) camera body, a Sigma 28mm-70mm lens, a standard tripod, a shutter release cable* and Kodak Gold ISO 100* film. I will concentrate on landscape photography as a subject matter so grab your extra strength insect repellent and let's get started.

Film choice is an important consideration

1. * All italicized words that are followed with an asterisk are technical terms that are used for the first time. These terms are explained in the glossary located at the end of this lesson.

Photography can be a very serious affair, conveying powerful, thought provoking images or it can be used to disclose the very secrets of the world around us. Most important, we can use photography to reveal something about ourselves and have fun doing it. Remember, it's only film. Every bad picture you take is a lesson learned. So dust off that camera equipment and get out there and capture that perfect photo.

Now you are ready to set up your scene. At this stage I will discuss the law of thirds. Always try to keep the horizon line of your photo in the top third or bottom third of your shot. Otherwise, the horizon line is a distraction and appears to cut the photo in two. Try not to center your subject, try placing it to the right or left of the center, this actually produces a more interesting and artful image. A photograph has a series of layers, a foreground, middle-ground, and background. The results can be stunning when you take advantage of these layers. Be sure to look around your surroundings before you set up your camera to utilize these layers and create a sense of depth in your images but make sure that you are far enough away from your foreground (2) so that your entire scene is in focus. You can also set up your scene by using a zoom lens* controlled by the middle ring on your lens (in this case it's marked with the focal length* measurements of 28-70mm). A zoom lens can be used to eliminate unwanted elements from the scene such as a distracting vehicle, a telephone pole or that annoying in-law that won't go away.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Camera Cameras, Minolta APS*, Film Film, Word Photography, Adams Creative, Kodak Gold, Mark McKenzie, Gold ISO, Yashica SLR, Rockport Massachusetts, shutter release, set scene, view finder, landscape photography, shutter speed, perfect photo, compose perfect photo, color saturation, iso adjustment, release cable, light exposure, single lens reflex, shutter release cable,

Approximate Word count = 1603
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts