Making Better Photographs

Taking Making Better Photographs

Kris Krüg

www.staticphotography.comwww.kriskrug.com

Gnomedex 2008, Seattle

Light in the Eyes

Evaluate the Light

•Sun? Shade? Incandesent, Halogen?

•Look around - highlights, shadows, spotlights

•Put your subject in good light

•Look for reflection/catchlight in the eyes

•Use lamps, spotlights, etc

Work With Whatcha Got

Shoot in Low Light/Available Light

•Increase your ISO (ASA)

•Increase your aperture (F-stop)

•Decrease your shutter speed

•Focus manually if autofocus fails you

•Tinker with manual settings/metering

•Brace on things (tripod, gear bag)

Reflections Are Yummy!

Look for Reflections

•Puddles are my favorite

•Glass

•Metal

•Shiny floors

•Provides symetry, unique perspectives, and extra light

Gnomedex Wall of Love

Focus On A Theme

•Polaroids

•Portraits

•Black & White//Sepia//Over-exposed

•Laptop Stickers//Geeks & Gear

•Funny Faces

Learn Your Camera

•Isolate the variables - depth of field, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc

•Tinker, tweek, shoot lots, share your photos, get feedback, change it up

•Share gear - find someone you can test out lenses, flashes, etc with

•SET THE FUCKING WHITE BALANCE

Rules Are Made To Be Broken

Take a Look @ Your Background

•No trees sprouting out of peoples heads.

•Less busy puts more focus on the subject

Fill the Frame

•Get close to your subject

•Use all the screen real estate

Rule of Thirds

An image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of

these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Proponents of this

technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.

Get High! Swing Low...

•People look better (younger, skinnier) from above

•Stand on things

•Lay down

•Get the angle

•Change your perspective

Tips for Being a Pretty Subject

•Laugh! Smile! Have fun!

•Make eye contact with the camera

•Take off your conference lanyard

•Stand in the light

•Avoid douchebag hand gestures unless your a Japanese girl or me. ;)

•Get close, show some love

•Don’t squirm - stand still.

Camera Buying Advice

•Lenses more important than body

•Don’t fall for Mega Pixels

•Look for manual controls

•I like cameras from camera companies - Canon, Nikon, Fuji

<paradox>

Now forget all that. Go gonzo styleé. Fuck focus, framing, etc. Move fast. Have fun. Feel it.

</paradox>

Thx to Chris and Ponzi. Creative Commons. Share the love. Link to me on the words ‘photographer’, ‘fashion photographer’, ‘vancouver photographer’, or all the above and I’ll give you a gift of photographic awesomeness! ;) Kris Krüg. kk+. 778.

898. 3076. kk@kriskrug.com <3 <3 <3