CAFOD’s guide to taking perfect pictures

Holding your

camera

o Always hold the camera steady with two hands, preferably with the strap around your neck, arm or hand.

o Make sure your fingers, hair or the camera-strap do not get in front of the lens when you are taking a picture.

o Do NOT carry the camera around with the lens out– it’s the easiest way to damage the camera.

Focus locko Move the camera and set the focus on one of the two people. The

camera produces a beeping sound when the subject snaps into focus.

o While the shutter button is pressed halfway, the camera will maintain its focus setting. The camera will remain in this status until you press the shutter button completely.

o Keep the shutter button pressed halfway, and move the camera to the desired composition. Press the shutter button down completely without letting go of the button (i.e. keep it pressed halfway). The shutter is released (the picture is shot).

The sun over

your shoulder

o It is easier to take a good photo with the sun either behind you (be careful your shadow isn’t on the subject) or to one side.

o If the background is brighter than the subject you will also have to use flash (or move around to another angle).

o When possible take advantage of the ‘golden hour’ when the sun is low in the sky and the light has a gold-ish hue. Photos are best before 11am and after 3pm.

ISO is the light

sensitivity

setting of

your camera

o On a cloudy day set to 400 ISO

o On a sunny day set to 100 ISO

Take more than

one photo of a

person

o People don’t always stay in the position you want them to be – they blink, put their hand to their face.

o Try to capture expressive or active moments.

o You can always delete the ones you don’t like.

Take more

than one

photo of a

Persono Move around the

person taking photos.

o Bend your knees- don’t always take photos from your standing position.

Try different

positions

o Don’t try and fit everything in to one photo.

o Or stand too far away from people.

Try different

positions

o Move in closer to the person-it creates a more engaging shot.

o Try not to take photos of people’s feet- ideally, be as close as 1 metre.

Try different

positions

o Try and find interesting ways of framing your subject.

o Get down and photograph from below or climb onto something.

o Don’t always photograph from a standing position.

o Especially when photographing children get down to their level.

Rule of thirds

o A trick for getting good composition (framing elements in the rectangle).

o Put important elements of the picture on a third line e.g. the eye-line of a portrait.

Rule of thirds

o Put important elements of the picture on a third line e.g. people in a landscape or the sky horizon of a landscape.

5 different types of photos to takeo Straight portrait – get close and fill the frame.

o If inside a room or house is too dark, take the photo outside against a wall.

5 different types of photos to takeo Context portrait

o Fill half the frame with the person and the other half with an important context: house, field, water pump etc.

o Use the focus lock to focus on the face first and move the camera to compose the photo.

5 different types of photos to takeo With family, neighbours, groups and animals.

5 different types of photos to takeo Activity portrait

5 different types of photos to takeo Details (close-up of objects e.g. tools, food, hands)

5 different types of photos to takeo Straight portrait

o Context portrait

o Family portrait

o Activity portrait

o Detail (close-up object)

Have fun!