What these Pages are About     return to index

These pages cover some of the material and ideas others leave out when treating photography. Its main goal is to help in the creation of better photographs. It does not cover the basics of photography. There are many online sites which should be referenced by the individual for questions relating to the basic operations of the camera, developing, etc.

Photography as Art     return to index

Photography is an art form

By singling out some piece of reality to portray, we are creating a piece of art - an image of the world as we interpret it whether it be an angle, the lighting, the coloring, the composition, motion stopped. We are therefore creating something new out of the world, we are portraying it in a new light, we are registering an event or a scene or a part of reality.

Perspective
And then there is the perspective. No one sees the world in the same way. No one sees an event or a still life, or a scene the way we do. By photographing it we are placing our perspective on the film and perhaps sharing that perspective with others. We are creating something which exists in the grand design of things, but we are taking a small part of that design and allowing others to see it from our perspective, to feel the emotions we feel, to find awe in something which from a different angle may not be awe inspiring. We are thus participants in the constant process of creation, and when we frame a group of objects (background and subject(s)) we are immobilizing eternity - that others may see what we saw, appreciate what we saw the way we did and come away enriched by a transference of emotion, perspective, and a sense of connection.

Connective lines
We are creating a connection between elements in a whole which when focused and elucidated, create a statement about connections - perhaps one connection which when emphasized, becomes more meaningful.

By focusing we are wiping out the other connections, the other ways of looking at an object or a view and in so doing we are immortalizing that particular connection, or arrangement between objects - in so doing we create something new.

© copyright 2003 J. Morgan Thomas. All rights reserved.

This is a cropping which focuses the eye on a single point. The original draws the eye to the upper lighted environment and to the total outline of the object in that environment, almost obliterating the potentials for artistic expression within the object.
This is the original photograph. Click on the photos for enlargement.

Cropping     return to index

Why Crop
The purists say that what you take is the picture and should not be touched or cropped. Even as they took their photos, they were cropping and designing the shot which means that the photograph is open to further redesign and cropping. The fact that more than one photograph can be created from one frame means that there may be more than one high point of interest in the picture and to crop to best encompass those high points is the essence of good photography and certainly that of art.

I photograph for the sake of art and to get a message across - whether that message is a visual one, one with descriptive/informational meaning, or to convey a particular perspective on the world around us.

How to Crop
Cropping is the cutting off of parts not relevant to the picture you wish to convey. Usually this is done by taking off parts of the sides of the photo. For some this may mean taking out parts within or in the middle of the photo itself.

Many programs which give the opportunity to crop, do so by giving a rectangle which can be moved and re-sized. Since material on the outside of the rectangle visually conflicts and draws the eye to parts of the photograph you may not want, a solution is to have two cardboard rectangles which can be moved over the surface of the photo and will give you visually only the final picture.

What to crop
You want to present the most powerful visual image within the photo. This means concentrating those lines of connection within the object or in the background or surrounding environment which enhance the subject of the photograph. Objects which draw the eye away from the main subject, defuse the image.In many cases, the object itself is not the main focus of interest, and the subsidiary parts of the photo become the main focus.

The main idea is to focus all encompassing lines and objects to draw the eye to the object itself or to help the viewer move from one object to another within the photograph.

© copyright 2003 J. Morgan Thomas. All rights reserved.

This is the original photograph. Click on the photos for enlargement.
The original draws the eye to the lower right side of the picture, thereby defusing the power of the central image. This is a cropping which focuses the eye on a single point thus enhancing the concentration on the form and color of the object.
This is a cropping which gives the object greater depth against the background. The eye is actually drawn across the picture from right to left to the object no matter where the eye wanders.

What to Photograph     return to index

Forget about what the folks back home want to see. Photograph what turns you on. I can go out for a photo shoot and travel around for hours and come back with only two objects photographed. Others say, well I'm out, this scene or object may be interesting so I will shoot it and see what comes out. They come back with much - much of which is not interesting and has just cost more money in developing and film. Life is too precious for the humdrum. Take things you want to look at over and over again. If others don't like it - that is their problem. They may come to appreciate it for its own quality and may even come to like it.

Of course the client must be satisfied, but if you photograph what turns you on in addition to regular shots that everyone wants - you may find that those are the shots that actually make up the superior album or the shots that the client in the end decides are the epitome of what was wanted. Remember, clients often do not know what they want aside from the standard shots of everyone together, of someone receiving this or that, of the entire scene or ceremony. But beyond that, they are usually open and you are the one who captured the scene or the moment that they really wanted all along.

And do it from several different angles and distances from close up, fairly close up to putting some distance between you and the subject. This way, no matter what you end up with, you will have the material to create a connective palette.

How to Photograph     return to index

One of the major points in the world of vision is the connection it has with other objects in the environment. For any object, the picture you take may be uninteresting or interesting depending on the angle, distance, number of defining features, etc. and in so doing create meaningful connective lines between points in the object itself. This is also true for objects in an environment. Lines of connections between objects and the objects to its environmental horizon are extremely important in the definition of the object itself. Remember that one of the things that attracted you to photograph the object in the first place was what you initially saw - which includes the environment around the object or the entire setting.

The role of the artist or of the successful photographer is to elucidate or emphasize the important connections that the object has with its environment. Otherwise we are creating objects which will be set in a different environment for the sake of advertising or subsequent filming where the connections are made to objects not in the original photograph.

If you want to have a photograph speak for itself, the connections must be there internally or externally.

One of the reasons for photographing the object from a distance as well as close up is that when framing the photo, you have given yourself the possibility of emphasizing connections which you may not have been consciously aware of in the initial shoot. Remember you are often mesmerized by the object you are taking and often blind sided to the juxtaposition of the object with other objects which drew you to take the photograph.
© copyright 2003 J. Morgan Thomas. All rights reserved.

This particular cropping emphasizes the structure of the boat dock against its background which in this case is the water. It de-emphasizes the boat and the rest of the environment.

Shutter Speed and Opening Settings for Different Speed Films ISO (ASA DIN)100 200 400 return to index

The amount of light hitting the film is controlled by two things:
(1) how fast the shutter opens and closes (shutter speed)
(2) the size of the aperture opening (fstop).

In normal environmental lighting, for an easily remembered way of setting shutter speed and fstop, learn the following:

1. Take the ISO (ASA DIN) of the film you are using, and remember the number of the shutter speed:

                   shutter speed
For ISO 100         125
For ISO 200         250
For ISO 400         500

Then remember: f/16 to f/4
(fstop settings for high to low environmental light conditions)

That's it

Lighting conditions The following is taken from the Kodak references below:
Depending on the lighting conditions, set the fstop as indicated:

Reproducing objects and events     return to index

The fact that you can't do it twice is one of the important aspects of photography. You many be able to do it better, but normally in attempting to re-photograph an object of a setting, we find that many of the important variables have changed. We see things as a whole in an environment. In many cases, the whole or a specific part of that whole is what drew us to the object in the first place.

Almost no shot can be reproduced due to changes in lighting, clearness of air, wind conditions, etc. However, if something was worth taking in the first place, taking it again, even under different conditions, will generally produce a fair approximation. I say this because I have lost entire rolls with some pictures which I did not want to lose. At times, it is possible to even improve on the shots the second time. Then there are the once caught, never recaptured moments, events and people which can not be reproduced. Forget about it as soon as possible. Mourning over these types of loss are unproductive and possibly keep you from seeing the next great shot because you are attempting to recreate the previous.

One additional point, if you are attempting to shoot the object only, the most crucial supportive elements of the shot are often missed. Always take some photos from a distance (depends on the environment) to enable you to frame to the greatest advantage.

Getting Started Tips     return to index

If when you advance the film to the next frame, the handle which you use to rewind the film does not turn, then the film is detached from the advance spool and you are either not filming at all or are over exposing the same frame [a more experienced photographer told me this when I had shot a whole roll when it had not been properly anchored and was therefore not advancing].

The more mistakes you make, the more you learn. Do not be embarrassed. I have made every error in the book and still make them even though I have photographed for years and once developed all of my own film (black and white).

If you are doing manual lighting estimations without a light meter, be sure to spend an entire role on taking the same shot at a number of different fstops and speeds. And write down what you do and be sure to tell the developer to reproduce all of the film whether it is over or under exposed and include it in the order it was shot.

Black and White     return to index

I can go on and on about black and white photos. During my early days, I could not understand what people saw in color photos. Color tended to obscure the lines and structure of the photograph. Color tended to draw the viewers eye away from the important foci in the picture. Most color photos seemed artificial since in many cases the color was not truly representative of what was seen in the real world while pretending to be.

Black and White on the other hand, had none of these faults. You know when looking at the photograph that this was not the true coloring but you immediately saw the true foci of the shot. Shadowing was clearer and, along with the rest of the black and whites in the photo, added significantly to the form and became part of the shape of the final object.

I still feel this way and routinely run all of my photos through a black and white screen to be sure that the color does not in fact destroy the true meaning and connections between objects which I wish the photograph to portray.

Our eyes often respond to color and are blind sided by color at the expense of other factors making up a successful photograph.
Black and white can sometimes give objects a new meaning. At the beginning, I took nothing but black and white because I was doing my own developing and did not know how to use color. Several people commented that I should be taking my pictures with color - and then one day someone said "I didn't understand what you were doing. And now suddenly I see it". We must get out of the representation of the world only through color. Color does not always blind us to the structure, often enhancing it. If you take black and whites or at least look at the black and white rendition through the photo program you use, as well as the color of the same object in its environment, you will see the difference in terms of atmosphere, spatial emphasis, lines of demarcation and emphasis which are often submerged in the color rendition of the same object.

© copyright 2003 J. Morgan Thomas. All rights reserved.

This is the original photograph. Click on the photos for enlargement.
Here, black and white defuses any color which might detract from capturing the full picture by the eye. Also, black and white more adequately reflects the message of the photographer.

Lighting and shadowing     return to index

Always take into account any shadowing, or possible shadowing which will effect the final composition. Shadowing is often one of the most important aspects of a successful photograph. However, many photographers do not see the shadowing due to their concentration on the subject.

Shadowing caused by environmental factors
The shadowing must be looked for even if it is not obvious.
In many cases, shadowing can not be seen. Look for anything which might be blocking the light which falls on the object. Your eye may not pick it up but the camera will and depending on what you do in the final production of the photo will be more or less obvious - sometimes rendering the photo null and void for its intended purpose. Remember that the photograph picks up changes in light caused by screening partitions, light through leaves or tree branches, etc. Even if you are not conscious of it, they could substantially change the quality of the shot.

One way to determine what objects may be creating shadows on the object is to place a piece of glass near to the object and see what images are reflected between it and the light source. Always remember that you are also a source of shadowing if you are between the object and the light source.

Shadowing created by the object itself
Shadows created internally by the objects itself are often disregarded in the attempt to get the highlighted features. Unfortunately, the shadowing comes out often as the clearest or dominant part of a photo and must be calculated in as a part of the composition. A different angle to the object, different lighting, distance, filter will allow the creation of an overall composition which will permit the shadowing to enhance rather than degrade the object.

Always remember that you are taking an object in its environment, whether that environment is other parts of the object itself or the surrounding background.

Shadow as dominant
A good exercise is to consciously take photos where the shadowing is the dominant feature. Become aware of the effect on the finished composition. Remember that shadowing may become the dominant feature of any photograph unless you become consciously aware of its presence.

© copyright 2003 J. Morgan Thomas. All rights reserved.

This is the original photograph. Click on the photos for enlargement.
This is a cropping which focuses on a small area highlighting veins of the leaves (structure). The original defuses the power of internal possibilities.

Framing     return to index

Always frame...
Framing is often an intuitive thing. When we look through the lens, we naturally look at the area around the focus and disregard the true framing of the picture we are taking. In most instances, I leave the framing until the developing process or on the computer, during the the decompression process.

For this reason, it is wise to take a number of photos at different distances and angles - but also a number of photos which are taken with the camera up and down - vertical horizon as well as horizontal horizon since most cameras produce a proportionally longer frame in the horizontal (normal) position. This necessitates the rotation of image 90 degrees (90%) in order to have it right side up. Be sure that you have this capability in any photo compression program you use. Some of the less expensive compression programs do not have this capability which is fine if you never take vertical horizon pictures.

Unintended Movement     return to index

Always take more than one photo of animate subjects or moving objects. Take as many pictures as possible - at the same settings and different settings. Small changes in behavior (blink, twitch, attempts to control itch, facial expression, etc.), attitude (slight changes in leaning, side to side back or forward), people or objects moving between subject and light source may occur when the shutter opens and closes. These are changes which we are not conscious of as we look through the lens and are distracted by the process of pushing the release, holding the camera steady, residual image on the retina which may interfere with the actual light coming through from the image.

No animate object can remain absolutely motionless during a shoot. This is particularly true of group shots. The speed of the aperture opening can be calculated to stop any random movement in the subject but some of these random movements when stopped in mid motion may be the exact opposite of what was intended, or at lower speed cause a blurring which detracts from the purpose of the photo.

Experimentation     return to index

The more you actually do these experiments, the greater the control you will have over your photography.

Experimentation on fstop and shutter speeds
It is advisable that you use one or more full rolls on experimentation with shutter speed and fstops. Take the same object in the same lighting for a combination of different speeds and fstops. Keep notes on this and be sure that you tell the developer to develop all the frames (good or not) and keep them in order.

Experimentation on lighting
Do the above for different lighting conditions.

Experimentation on focus
From the above, it is possible to compare the good photos in terms of shutter openings (fstop) and match the differences you have in terms of back and foreground clarity based on focal length of the aperture opening (fstop).

Photo Etiquette     return to index

Photography etiquette is extremely important.

Photos where individuals are identifiable
The following should be observed no matter what the end use of the photo will be. If there is any question whatsoever about whether individuals or private property are recognizable, ask if you can take the photo. If for some reason, the photo has already been taken and the person was fully aware of your taking the picture, and the person indicates displeasure or reservation in any way, make some arrangement - that all negatives and pictures derived from it will be destroyed, or they will receive copies, or they will receive all copies and the negative, etc. Then stick to the agreement no matter how difficult.

Subject Consent or Release Form     return to index

PHOTOGRAPHIC CONSENT FORM

I ________________________ agree, without further compensation, that my picture may be taken and used in any way the photographer or his assignees deem reasonable.

I understand the above.

Signed _______________

Date _______

Read This - Notes to photographer

The above should be altered:
1. if the person wants payment, or a copy of any photo, or notification if the photo is sold, or destruction of photos and film, or promise of non publication of photos in any form.
2. where appropriate, to contain the name and address and contact numbers for photographer and/or the subject.
3. where appropriate, to contain the type of publication and any statement regarding type of composition or accompanying copy or setting in which the photo will be published.
4. when subject is a minor and parents or guardian must also sign.
5. when personal property (land or objects) involved and description/title of object/boundaries, etc. necessary.

Taking Notes     return to index

Take notes on the settings and even on the location, lighting, date and, if individuals, who, and any special circumstances or reasons for taking the photo. First, notes on settings are important to understand where you went wrong or to guide you to use it again in the same lighting conditions. Secondly, if you submit your work anywhere, it is important to be able to indicate the settings used. Third, if you want to attempt to re-photograph an object or scene, it is very important that you have as much information as possible in order to replicate or change the settings. Fourth the more information gathered, the more professional your work looks on the net if you attach explanations to the photo. Fifth, special circumstances, or the reason you took the photograph often are important when describing the photo later. Sixth... well there must be a sixth but I can't think of it at the present time.

To put it simply, notes are a must.

Shooting from the Hip     return to index

Unexpected events
If you don't have automatic anything on your camera, it is important that you prepare yourself for unexpected events, and shots which will not give you the time or the luxury of standing there and fiddling with the speed, fstop and focus. Preset these to what you think might be the circumstances and focus on a distance within which such an event might happen and which will give you the best possibility of getting a good shot off fast. You may have time to re-calibrate for subsequent shots but that first shot may be crucial.

Even if you do have time
The better you have prepared the camera, the easier and faster you will be able to reset the camera even if you do have the time to do so because you will know what the settings are before time and in many cases the lighting and motion of the serendipitous object or scene will often be the same as 'preprogrammed'.

For automatic light readers or point and shoot cameras, this is not necessary, but then it is the decision of the paradigms within the camera and not yours.

Problems
One problem going around with the camera on the ready and the lens cap off, and your finger on the button is that a lot of people who for what ever reason are camera shy will start to react very strangely and to act defensively around you. Others will invite it, but may also want copies - I have found this to be particularly true of mothers with their children. So having your camera ready should not mean being ready to get a shot off at everyone and any time. See Photo Etiquette.

Note on Resizing and Compression     return to index

Distortion
When you re-size your photos, be sure to make them proportional to the original size. Otherwise there will be distortion of the image, perhaps not noticeable but unless you wish that effect, the distortion will effect the lines of connection between objects in the fore and background and will change slightly the shape of the object which is the center of focus. Let us say that the original on disk is 1840 x 1232, then the length is approximately 33% longer than the height. A size which fits most browser windows is 420 x 558. Most compression programs will allow you to keep the width and height proportional to the original.