composing the right shot: ten tips for yearbook...

Suggestions:

• This would be an excellent lecture for the first couple of weeks of school.

• Depending on your class time, you could do the first 5 one day and the last 5 the next day. I like to do it that way and get down old yearbooks and have the students find good and bad examples of each.

• I take the quiz included here for a grade. • After we have done the notes, looked for examples, and taken the

quiz, we get the cameras, and I give them the photo challenge with the included task cards! Then we upload the images and find their strengths and struggles.

*The images included here are copyrighted by my staff and myself. They are NOT to be removed from this file, posted online, printed, transformed, or reused in any way. They are ONLY to be used with this presentation.

#1) Focus and Hold Still

Photog’s Tips:

• Be sure your camera is set to automatic focus

• Hold the shutter button half way down to let the focus adjust and then press the rest of the way

• Brace yourself

• Slow Down

Focus and Hold Still

Automatic Focus on the Lens

Shutter Button

Focus and Hold Still

Elbows In

Both hands on camera; One on shutter; One on base of camera

Neck Strap on Neck

Focus and Hold Still

EPIC FAIL

Focus and Hold Still

Brace Yourself

Focus and Hold Still

EPIC FAIL

#2) Lighting and Color

Photog’s Tips: • Look for good lighting situations • Avoid bad or low lighting situations • Avoid over-exposing an image with too much

light • Interesting lighting can tell a great story • Bright colors • Use variation in colors • Look for repeated colors • Use school colors as often as possible

Lighting & Color

Underexposed

Adjust the

settings or add flash

Lighting & Color

Overexposed

Adjust the

settings or turn

off flash

Lighting and Color

Good Lighting And Natural Color

Lighting and Color

Interesting natural lighting

Lighting and Color

Interesting Lighting and

Color

While this image has been post-processed, the intent of the

flame as lighting and color is thoughtful.

#3) Rule of Thirds

Photog’s Tips: • The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to

imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

• Some images make sense centered; Others make a bigger impact “off center.”

• The rule of thirds states than an image is most pleasing when its subjects or regions are composed along imaginary lines which divide the image into thirds

• The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds

Some images need to

be centered

Rule of Thirds

Other images intersect one of lines rather

than being centered in

between them – known as

“Rule of Thirds”

Rule of Thirds

“Off Centered” captures

the whole scene and

tells an amazing

story

Rule of Thirds

#4) Leading Lines

Photog’s Tips:

• Look for repetition to help tell the story

• Lines lead into the image or into a key point in the image

Leading Lines

Leading Lines

#5) Fill the Frame

Photog’s Tips:

• Get close

• Zoom in

• Focus on the main subject

• Eliminates distracting background

Fill the Frame

Fill the Frame

#6) Backgrounds

Photog’s Tips:

• Backgrounds can be busy and distract from your focal point

• Use creative backgrounds to your advantage

Backgrounds

EPIC FAIL

Backgrounds

Captures action and

tells the story of a

huge crowd

#7) Perspective and Camera Rotation

Photog’s Tips:

• Images can be taken horizontally and vertically

• They can even be taken in “tilt” mode

• Look for the unexpected to tell the story

• Move your body

• Move your position

Perspective and Camera Rotation

Perspective and Camera Rotation

Perspective and Camera Rotation

Perspective and Camera Rotation

#8) Natural Framing

Photog’s Tips: • Natural framing is a photography technique

where items being photographed are used as internal frames.

• These photographed frames can be natural such as trees, doorways, windows, or actual picture frames.

• What is used as a frame does not matter with this composition technique. What matters is that the item in your photograph frames the real subject of the image.

Natural Framing

Framing in the

foreground with nice in-focus subject

Natural Framing

Framing in the

foreground with

foreground in focus

Natural Framing

Framing in the entire

images tells the story

and focuses on the face.

#9) Objects tell a story, too!

Photog’s Tips: • Look for objects that represent a whole story

where your caption or copy can still cover students.

• Avoid random objects or clip art that distracts from the purpose of the page and takes up valuable real-estate.

• Can bring beautiful color to a page • Still use creative composition when shooting still-

life.

Objects tell a story, too!

This image went in a package that

had copy and coverage about

a Veteran’s banquet. The

food was prepared by

students.

Objects tell a story, too!

#10) Have fun and be safe!

Photog’s Tips:

• Enjoy the experience!

• Make your subjects laugh, if possible.

• Look for people in their natural element so they will feel comfortable.

• Sometimes your subjects will have fun ideas, too!

Have fun!

Safety First

Be aware of your surroundings. Know your boundaries. If possible, shoot with a partner.

Photography is dangerous, if you’re too “focused in” on your job!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEazTKXA418 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cs-NqgU7NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuVCSYPukDU

QUIZ TIME!

• The following images would all be excellent for placing in a yearbook.

• Write what “rules” of composition you think they follow and why.

• Some may have more than one answer, so be sure to defend your answers thoughtfully and completely!

Quiz Time - #1

Quiz Time - #2

Quiz Time - #3

Quiz Time - #4

Quiz Time - #5

Quiz Time - #1

Suggested Answers: Rule of Thirds, Good Color, Lighting, Backgrounds

Quiz Time - #2

Suggested Answers: Leading Lines,

Natural frame, Fill the Frame, Perspective

Quiz Time - #3

Suggested Answers: Rule of Thirds, Good Color, Lighting, Backgrounds

Quiz Time - #4

Suggested Answers: Fill the Frame, Rule of Thirds, Good Color, Lighting, Backgrounds, Perspective

Quiz Time - #5

Suggested Answers: Leading Lines, Good Color, Lighting, Objects tell a story

Remember…

The best camera is the one you have with you!

Be Prepared!

•Yearbook Advisor’s Manual •Sports Photography Lesson •How to Write Captions Lesson