Where do I take pictures?

I am going to start with a statement that some of you are going to be suprised at.  The backyard is as good as any place to take pictures.  Yes, there are places that have more photogenic subjects and more famous subjects that people will recognize but you can take great pictures just walking around your backyard.  Not only your literal backyard but your neighborhood, local park, or any area of the city.

A basic rule of photography is always carry your camera around!  You never know what could happen when you are walking around.  A pattern, an awesome sunset, a heart-touching scene in the park, or just an interesting building view.  You don't want to have a moment where you are wishing you had your camera.

If you have a small compact camera you can just carry it in you pocket or purse.  If you have a DSLR a slingpack similar to this.  It is a nice light way to carry your camera around without it getting to bulky and annoying.

Here is a short photo gallery of pictures I took in my backyard.

Basic Equipment

A gallery of different cameras and basic equipment that you can buy for your camera.
If you have any questions e-mail me at caleb.mckenney@mbbc.edu! Enjoy!

Composition Basics

Photography is the art of light.  Made by design and composition, angles and position.  In order to be a good photographer you must know how to use design, composition, angle, and your position to your advantage.  There is no greater joy in photography than capturing the moment.

The first subject of my blog is going to be composition.  Composition is the basis for any good photograph and will give you a great start before getting into the advanced level of photography.  The most basic rule of composition is the "rule of thirds."  This rule is demonstrated by the photo below.

                                              (The picture has the shed in the left third of the photograph)
There are two sides to the rule. First is that in a normal photo the subject must be in one of the outer thirds.  This creates a photo with space for the subject.  The second part applies mainly for landscape photography, either the sky or the land must take 1/3 horizontally and the other must take the other 2/3 of the photograph.  This creates a good eye-pleasing balance.  The rule of thirds isn't a rule at all but merely a suggestion.  There are many pictures in which the subject is in the center that create interesting photos but in most cases it is more eye-grabbing in the outer thirds of the photo.

The second area of composition I would like to talk about is foreground interest and lead-in lines.  This mainly applies to landscape photography and other like subjects.  This is a very simple thing, the foreground has something that can lead into the main subject and draw attention to the subject.

In this picture the stairs don't keep the attention but brings you up to the opera house.

This is an important key to get the subject the attention quickly so that they can admire the photo.

Lead in lines are simple but are very much needed in a photograph.

Other basics of composition include: having a clear subject of interest, something that doesn't interest you won't interest someone else, fill the space, don't have any useless space, no distractions, make sure the subject is the focus, lighter sections are where the viewers will look, diagonals are more attractive than horizontal and vertical, and lastly framing.  Framing is very important because that also focuses on the subject (ie. an arch over a person in a photograph).

I would like to see you go out and take photos. Composition is very important and there has been a lot thrown at you but just remember go out and shoot there are no set rules in photography just look for something that is very aesthetic.  The goal of a photographer is to make the most pleasing photograph possible.