John Lane
03-03-2009, 02:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/17/10-easy-steps-to-advanced-photography-skills/' target='_blank'>http://www.smashingmagazine.com/200...ography-skills/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"There is a fine line between a photo that is quite nice and one that is quite breathtaking. At some unknown point, a photo can cross the Rubicon and be forever a piece of beautiful art. That hinterland between a regular photo and evocative art is a shifting area from person to person and taste to taste. However, that zone can be narrowed a bit once you start to consider the way the brain stores memories and emotions."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1236046628.usr18286.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>This article discusses the artistic process in creating remarkable photos and has stunning photos as examples. However, the best 10 tips I ever received were from an old boy scout magazine:</p><p>Boy Scout's Magazine, Rules to taking good pictures</p><ol><li>Keep it simple. Shoot only what is important to the image.</li><li>Get close.</li><li>Get rock steady.</li><li>Light it. If photographing a person, use the flash whether indoors or outdoors.</li><li>Keep it natural. No forced poses.</li><li>Rule of thirds. Divide the picture in a 3x3 grid. Put your subject at the intersection of two lines, not the very center.</li><li>Keep your background clean. No light poles out of the subject's head.</li><li>Golden hour. Shoot during the beautiful golden hour after sunrise and before sunset.</li><li>Move around. Move in, out and all around your shots. Don't shoot from the same angle.</li><li>Frame your subject. Use trees, rocks, etc. to add visual interest to your subject.</li></ol>