Cursos

Lessons - Beyond basics: fundamental photography techniques
Beyond basics: fundamental photography techniques
» Lessons
» Message board

W elcome to your lessons. Some lessons may have quizzes or
assignments for additional learning. Don't forget to join your fellow
classmates and instructor on the message board.

Lesson 1

Welcome to the course
You don't have to be a professionalphotographer to take
pictures like one. To achieve outstanding photos, you just need
to know what professionals know! With recent technological
advances in digital photography, taking more professionallooking photos is easier than ever. By identifying the timehonored techniques that pros use, you can produce engaging
photographs with your own digital camera. Each lesson in this
course will guideyou through some essential photographic
principles as you learn tips to improve your photography skills.

You'll begin by learning how to take better photos of people by
controlling lighting, backgrounds, composition, and poses. Next,
you'll discover the secrets of landscape and architecture
photography as you explore principles such as framing, vantage
point, and the rule of thirds. Theprinciples of achieving dramatic
black and white photography and extreme close-ups will be
revealed as you learn how to shoot like a pro.
After each lesson, be sure to complete the assignments and
quizzes. When you have completed those, visit the Message
Board. It's the perfect place to discuss course topics and swap
questions, comments, and tips with other students and your
instructor.What you'll need for this class

» View single page





A digital camera
The user manual for your camera
Photo editing software (optional)

If you can't locate the user manual for your camera, check the
camera manufacturer's Web site.

Photographing people

Perhaps more than any other type of photography, photos of
people evoke emotion and create human interest. Portraitscapture a moment in an ever-changing world, recording that
memory for the future. When you're photographing a graduate, a
newly engaged couple, a gathering of family members, or a
newborn baby, you want to achieve the best photo possible.
Technology has made taking great photos easier than ever, but
photography is still a creative art -- and every photographer has
his or her own style ofexpression. So what makes some portraits
more appealing than others? Professional photographers
understand the fundamentals of selecting good locations,
controlling lighting, and engaging the subjects, as well as
composing a good shot, finding flattering camera angles, and
avoiding red-eye. You can use those fundamentals to improve
your own photos as well.

Next up

Let's begin by learning tofind a good location for your
photographs.
Where in the world? Selecting a background
The piece of sound real estate advice you always hear -"Location, location, location!" -- is critical in portrait photography
as well. Cluttered, distracting backgrounds can ruin technically
perfect photographs by drawing attention away from the most
important element of your photo: the people. A busybackground
competes for attention, reducing the impact of your photo.
W hen selecting the background, professional photographers
strive for simple scenes with a minimum of pattern, shape, and
color variation. To achieve professional results, try looking for a
location with the eyes of a pro.

Tips for selecting a good location



If you can shoot outdoors, a spot with simple mid-tones
suchas foliage, a wall, or the beach is ideal. Try to find
a shady spot if it's a sunny day. The location in Figure 1-

1 works well because the leaves of the trees provide
both shade and a wash of green color.

Figure 1-1: Foliage provides a pleasing backdrop for outdoor
portraits.



W hen shooting indoors, pose your subjects against a
blank wall, a curtained window, or a sheet or...