Tooele City Photography

Have you ever found yourself not grabbing your camera to venture out and take pictures because you felt like there was nothing good to shoot?  Well, let's dispell that idea right now.  There are interesting photos everywhere.  You don't have to be at a national park to find beauty in a photograph, and you don't have to be a professional photographer either.  Here are a few ideas to help you make a boring scene look great!

Macro Photography is close-up photography.  In other words, get close and shoot the tiny details of ordinary objects.  This could be literally anything:  the finish on an antique piece of furniture, your child's eye and surrounding freckles, the pattern on your car's headlight, an insect, or anything else you can think of.  It's amazing how interesting an ordinary object can be once you pay attention to the details.

Photographing People - they are perhaps the most interesting subject to photograph, because every person is different!  Photos of people, especially candid shots, can make for an extrordinary photograph:  the grizzled gambler in fron of the track, your friend at his or her surprise party, or your child curled up asleep on the floor.  All of these photos capture raw human emotion at its best.  Remember that you don't need a model to get a good shot of a person.  Also, stay away from the turn, smile, and say "cheese" approach; candid photos are much more interesting.  And if you are photographing people that don't know you personally, you will want to get their permission to photograph them.

Still Life art has fascinated people throughout history.  Capturing everyday items in a beautiful and unique essence is a wonderful and almost meditative practice.  Arranging the items may be trickier than you'd first think; you need to place each object perfectly to utilize the light, shadows, and natural order of the objects as a whole.  Keep it simple at first to help you find the shapes, lines, contours and patterns of your everyday items.

Post-Production is always a great time to turn ordinary photos into something more unique.  You can convert it to black and white or sepia to bring out the tonal contrast, or use countless other editing and manipulating tools to enhance color, saturation, brightness, or anything else you can imagine.

One Last Step...once you shoot your photos and have finished any post-productin work, be sure to print them!  Frame and hang your work proudly in your house, and explain to your guests how you ended up with such a great photo from an otherwise boring scene.  Nothing is better and more rewarding than decorating your house with your own creative work!

Courtsey of Ritzpix.com 

If you take photographs in low-light situations, you already know the frustration that comes from trying to get a great image when light is limited and the action is fast.  We've got a few ideas to help you capture the pictures you want in these difficult situations:

Adjust your ISO:  A camera's ISO references its sensitivity to light.  For low-light conditions, you'll want to experiment with increasing your ISO setting (this means you'll have to switch out of automatic mode) to a higher number.  There is no magic number here, so you may want to try shooting at several settings in a particular environment to see what works best.  And remember to return your settings to the standard mode when done!

Add an External Flash:  A high-quality flash can improve your chances of getting that quality fast-action shot.  Just check the rules regarding the use of flash photography.  Some leagues may not permit it, but if you're covering a local community or children's league, chances are that it's not an issue.  Try shooting a few shots before the even starts to make adjustments and to see if the lighting is sufficient.

Take a Tripod Along:  Professional photographers understand the value of a quality tripod, and this accessory hel improve your photography by stabilizing your camera and minimizing the camera shake to commonly found in contributing to those blurry photographs.  A tripod is particularly helpful if you have to shoot at low shutter speeds.

Courtesy of Wolfe Camera

Have you ever glanced at the front page of the paper and seen a photo that told you everything you needed to know about the lead story? Photojournalists have the job of doing exactly that: telling a story or capturing a moment in a photo that needs no further explanation. Today I'd like to tell you a little about shooting like a photojournalist and how to apply it to your own photography.

Framing and Angles
A successful photojournalist will take full advantage of his or her frame, and will use angles to capture or omit details of the image that help tell the story. For example, a close up of a crying 5 year old child invokes emotion and sympathy, but when the same image shows the child crying as she gets onto a school bus, the photo becomes humorous. When you review your own photos, ask yourself, "does this photo need a caption or does the image say it all?"

Commentary through Photos
Taking a picture is more than just capturing a moment; when you take a picture, you are commenting on how a situation makes you feel, and translating your reaction into a photograph. For example, a picture of an elderly woman on a park bench can mean several things, depending on how you shoot the photo. If you frame the elderly woman on the far side of the photo with an empty bench next to her, that photo could represent loneliness or longing. But, if you frame the woman on the bench surrounded by cars and people on the go, then she could symbolize a moment of peace in the midst of a busy day. Finally, if you shoot the picture vertically with an old weathered tree behind the woman, you are making a statement about aging. Another example is a boy with a toy rocket ship -- if you frame the shot so the boy and his rocket ship are in the bottom with a lot of blue sky filling the rest of the shot, then you are saying something about the youthful innocence of our dreams. We as photographers have so much control over the emotion of a picture; the key is to ask yourself what you want to convey, then find the angle to capture it.

Taking the Shot
You need to learn to be quick on your feet when shooting as a photojournalist. I recommend this approach: as a situation is unfolding in front of you, take one or two pictures quickly, just to make sure that you get the shot. You can always go back and edit those later if you don't end up with anything better. Then, if there is time, examine the scene to look for the right angle or approach to express the feeling or statement you are after. Move your position, change angles, and mind the background and foreground. Keep shooting until the moment passes or until you are sure that you got the perfect shot.

Now that you have an idea of what it takes to shoot as a photojournalist, I encourage you to pay attention to how the pros do it. Keep an eye on newspapers, magazines, and Web sites to see what photographers are doing to make the image more impactful. What did he or she include in the frame? Feel free to share your observations at our forum!

Courtsey of Ritzpix.com