Photography by
Amy
Creative Photography
Introductory Class
My Equipment
All images that I took in this guide were taken with the Canon Rebel T3
and either the Canon EFS 18-55mm lens/image stabilizer or the Canon
50mm fixed lens (for portraits)
Sources: Mom*tog, Picablog (Stephanie Glover), Canon.com
Lesson One: Technically Speaking
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Lets Review
1. You want a fuzzy backgrounddo you set your A
(aperture) to a high number or a low number?
2. It is a sunny day. You are taking a picture that you may
want to blow up to 20x30. Do you set your ISO to 200 or
800? ________ Why?
3. It is an overcast day and you are taking portraits of your
kids. You dont want to think about aperture or ISO, you
just want to enjoy shooting them. Do you set it to the green
rectangle or P? Why?
Lesson Two: Lighting Is
EVERYTHNG!!!
Lesson 3: GET CREATIVE
We all tend to try to get the entire subject in a picture. What we forget
most often is the little details of our little onesthe way their wrists
used to have such deep creases that they looked like they had rubber
bands around themthe wrinkles on their little toeshow cute their
tiny hangnails werethat little curl at the nape of their neck before their
1st haircut.
Todays lesson will teach you how to capture those little, precious
moments/things.
GET CLOSE
To capture small moments, GET CLOSE! Look at this picture of
Zachary after he lost his tooth.
.
I got close enough to capture the space where the old tooth used to be,
but far away enough to include Brownie the cow, his expression, and
the location (baseball field).
My next shot GOT CLOSER. Now I can see in detail which tooth it
was and even the detail of the new tooth coming in already!
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POINT OF VIEW
When we think of taking a picture of someone/something,
we typically have them face us, stand in front of them, tilt our
heads forward to look down, then shoot. Try something
different to get even better shots, change your point of view!
Worms eye view
Birds eye view
If you cant move around (restricted space, baby cries when you
get too far away), change the angle of your camera. Take some
horizontal, some vertical, then slightly cock your camera a
little for a professional effect.
Great Sites:
photographybyamy.smugmug.com (ideas)
picasa (download to your hard drive and use to make simple edits like
lighting your exposure to create a portrait effect)
picmonkey (editing)
momtog.com (great tips and ideas) MANY of what I will hand out
comes from her site!
http://digital-photography-school.com/
pinterest (join and type in children, baby, family photography and every
day you will receive new ideas and tips)
google picablog
You can just choose some tutorials, or like them on facebook for
updates. Their 365 project is awesome!!!
More to learn about:
Leading Lines
Leading lines are used to draw the viewers eye through a photograph. These can be unintentional, but, in most cases, very intentional! Every photograph tells a story. Leading lines
help your viewer go through your story.
Leading lines come in a variety of forms: fences, bridges, bricks, shore lines, buildings. Really
anything can be a leading line! Lets take a look at some examples.
While I think they are both cute I much prefer the right over the left. Heres why. The centered picture looks more like a snapshot. By stepping back and following the rule of thirds, it becomes
a portrait.
Lets take a look at the right picture on the grid.
Thank you SO much for attending my class
I sincerely hope that it helps you understand your camera better and gives you the
confidence to take your camera off auto every once in a while and fall in love with shooting
photography.
Everything Ive taught in this class takes practice. It is KEY!!! Its okay if you make
mistakesthats why we all love digital! You can just delete your mistakes or go onto
Picmonkey.com or Picasa and correct them! You will also learn from your mistakes. You
will understand why your camera produces the images it does.
You now know that if you are getting motion blur that you need to check your shutter
spped to make sure it is not too low.
You know that to get a great picture you need proper exposure and great light.
Also, you know that a picture doesnt have to be perfect to create a memory. Dont get so
wrapped up in getting a perfect exposure and miss a moment! Think back to pictures of
your childhoodToo dark? Fuzzy? Overexposed? I know mine are, and I LOVE
THEM! THEY ARE PRICELESS!!!! They are packed with memories and emotions from
my past.
I love taking pictures. Im a photographer, its what I do. I think, whether you are a pro
or a parent with a camera, you want to get the most out of your fancy camera and take
beautiful pictures of your precious family. I also know that when Max and Zachary look
back at the pictures of their childhood they wont be looking at the white balance or
lighting. I hope, as they look at the palethera of pictures of their lives, that they see a life
full of fun, love, and family.
The perfect exposures, crisp images, and perfectly lit faces will come with practice. Those
moments will come and go. So.keep shooting, keep learning, and HAVE FUN!
And remember, Im only a phone call, email, or text away!
Amy
www.photographybyamy.smugmug.com (315) 635-5462 text only: (315) 383-8958
