"Composition: "Get Down" Feb. 22 - March 7, 2012
This week: "Composition: "Get Down". Even though I know I should be taking shots from all different angles, I seldom get down very low to shoot. Afraid of getting dirty maybe? Maybe, but it's always good to see what a different perspective can do. Try getting eye level with babies and children to see how it draws the viewer into the photo. Consider a bug's eye view of the world. Don't want to get dirty? Put your camera down low and shoot "blind".
Get Down and Dirty for a New Perspective On Your Photography
by Alan Weir
As always, rules:
Just a note to new posters: DO NOT start a new thread for your post. Please just hit the reply button at the bottom of any current post and put your image there.
1. Your original image you submit should be taken on or between the 22nd of February to the 7th of March, 2012. Each week as an assignment closes on the Wednesday, it will be AUTOMATICALLY deemed *CLOSED* after 8am GMT (3AM EST) and any posts after that time will not be eligible for the assignment competition. Don't wait until the last minute to post!
2. Your post must include "Composition: Get Down" as the title or in the text (to show your permission to count it for the contest) and the date the picture was taken (to show that it is a valid entry).
3. EXIF data should be intact. It helps if you can include the main points (including camera, lens, date taken, ISO, shutter speed and aperture) in the text of your message.
4. Only one entry per member (if you can't restrain yourself until the end of the first week you can post two or three separate pictures but your entry should be in a separate post and the only marked with the text above). It must be an original image taken by you.
5. Remember the cross-site image size limit (740px on the longest side).
6. If the image does not exist in post at the end of the contest, it is disqualified. If you modify anything on flickr and re-save the image then the link is broken and the message needs edited to link the picture again before it will be included in the contest.
For everyone, please do not repeat other people's photos by quoting them until the contest is over. If you want to comment on or discuss an entry you can use a link to it (or just delete the picture from the quoted text).
7. If you are looking for the winners of the mini-contest, please check the Assignment section the weekend after the contest closes. There should be a thread announcing the winners.
8. For help with posting images, check the FAQ at the top of this page and click on "Posting Images". It will give you a detailed explanation.
Next week: "A Sense of Depth". We all know photography is a two dimensional medium and, if we're not careful, our shots can look flat and uninteresting. What we want to try next week is giving our images a sense of depth or perspective. This can be done in several ways.
1. Use of lines that converge or grow closer as they lead into a shot.
How to Use Converging Lines to Enhance Your Photography
2. Sense of Scale. Large objects near the front, smaller ones to the back.
3. Depth of field. Try opening up your lens to get a sharper foreground with a more blurred background. This makes the foreground subject tend to "pop" forward.
4. Take lighting into account. Strong direct lighting can flatten an image, eliminating the shadows that can give a more 3 dimensional effect. For example, most of us have taken a casual snapshot with an onboard flash and seen what it can do to someone's face. Not too pretty and definitely flattening. Shadows, if used properly, can give a feeling of depth.
Creating a Sense of Depth in Your Photos
Check the image at the top of this post. Not only is it an example of shooting low, it also gives a feeling of depth.
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Originally Posted by Saralonde
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