Thursday, April 19, 2012

10 Things you should never say to a photographer

Never Say to a Photographer
Well not all photographers want to to be complimented but there are things that they really don't want to hear from you and these are the following:

1.Your camera takes really nice pictures!

2.Can't you just Photoshop it?

3. I wanted to invite you to (birthday party,wedding, or other important events). Bring your camera!

4.Why is the background all blurry like that?

5.The work of (Other photographer) is like this,can you make this shot like that?

6. Can you make it black and white but leave our eyes in color?

7. Geez! You charge that much? We only pay __ at ___!

8.Gosh! Your job must be easy! You just click a button all day!

9. What's the discount if I edit the pictures myself? There's so many editing softwares for pictures nowadays.

10. Can you take your watermark off the photos you posted in facebook? My mom wants to print them.

Posing in a bench?


Bench is a place where we can relax and have a good time to rest. This is a good place to think out of this world things. While I was sitting in one of the benches at school, I saw my friend then I let her join me sit in the bench. Since I had my camera back then and my friend was so eager that I should take a photo of her, I just let her pose in the bench.  The posing bench should be set at an angle to the camera. When the bench is square to the camera, people tend to sit on it with their shoulders square to the camera This puts their shoulders straight across the picture and such a pose exaggerates the width of the shoulders. This pose is obviously inappropriate for a woman. When your subject is a male dignitary (VIP), a pose like this enhances those qualities.


Mary Joy Canon
Mary Joy Canon

Very few people have positions that demand such a pose. Having the posing bench at an angle to the camera before the sitter arrives should automatically suggest to the subjects that they sit with their shoulders turned slightly from the camera. With the shoulders turned slightly from the camera and the head turned back toward the camera, a sense of motion is created. Even more motion and alertness can be suggested by having the subject lean slightly forward.
 
 Mary Joy Canon  
Mary Joy Canon

  Remember that where ever you are, you can get great pictures without putting much effort.You just have to create a little art out of it!!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Paguriran Island,Sorsogon

More like a Paradise!

Paguriran Island is not a very famous tourist spot here in the Philippines and I really wonder why a beautiful place like is not well-advertise by the Department of Tourism.This place maybe a bit far away from the city and you will be satisfied after you take few hours of trip




Paguriran Island or Lagoon is located at Sawangga,Bacon District Sorsogon City (Bicol Region).Sawangga is the last Barangay of Bacon before touching the soil of the Municipality of Prieto Diaz. Sawangga is just near Bon-ot where Pagol Beach is located. Paguriran is a wonderful place specially for nature lovers. Paguriran is like a basin within the sea. It is just near the shore. During low tide beach goers can just walk by going to the island or lagoon but during high tide people shoul rent a boat to go to the lagoon. It is also perfect for those who are fond of snorkling. Cottages and parking space are just besides the shore to accomodate visitors.

Anyway, since my friend suggested this place we immediately packed up to get there. The trip here from Legazpi City takes 4 hours. A long ride but worth it! It's like a paradise.. We shoot a music video here. Watch the video guys..It's quite funny though because my classmates are not professionals, they just enjoy the moment that we had there.


And here is another music video for the pictorial we had there:


I hope you can visit this Island and enjoy to the highest level like we did..





30-sec guide to taking great pics of people


Have you ever heard the name "Jeff Elder"?

Well if not, I'd like to have a brief description of him even if I'm not too familiar with. He's Marketing director at Storify. Former syndicated newspaper columnist. Studied social media at Stanford. Led social for Fortune 50. He's been recently posting some interesting pictures and topics in twitter that caught my attention. What he posted in his account entitled "30-sec guide to taking great pics of people" is really true and can be useful to us guys.

The following tips are great so take time to read it:

back light
Example of light behind camera
  1. Light behind camera,in front of subject . 
  •  It’s best to put the light source behind you, so that it illuminates your subject. I suggest that you don't shoot when it's really bright outside because  when the sun is high in the sky the light is most intense. . If you have to shoot during midday, try to find a shady spot to shoot in. Or, if you don’t care too much about getting the eyes of your subjects, consider shooting them from the side or from behind like the example picture shown in the right side. This kind of shot simply create a dramatic photo.
Studio Portrait by kayzar photography



Normally, beginners just use the flash of their camera to save what would normally be an unusable shot like this picture (in the left side). The set-up of this is one umbrella camera right, slightly in front of the subject and one umbrella camera left, slightly behind the subject.






   For professionals, the set up of the lights is like this:


This lighting is pretty much expensive and a bit complex other than using flash only. You really can get a good photograph if your studio has something like this.

     2.Never shoot from belly up.
  • A shot like this can make your subject really big so try to avoid doing
     3. Don't let subject's torso dominate frame
  • What to include in the frame is one of your most important decisions. Many photographers try to include too many elements which clutter and distract. So, it is important to be discriminating about what you leave in and out. Perhaps the best thing you can do is ask yourself two simple questions. “What is it that most impresses me about this scene?” And, “How can I best communicate what I like about it?” Remember the size of the subject within the frame is important. If it is too large you may not get enough context, that is, sense of location and place, if that is important. If it is too small, there may be too many other competing or distracting elements. If a scene has lots of potential, take a lot of photos at different focal lengths. Experimenting like this will help you discover what you like and serendipity may surprise you too! Below are some examples, poor and better.
Mary Joyce Balleta
The subject clearly dominates the frame of the photo. (POOR QUALITY)
Mary Joyce Balleta
A better photo not dominating the whole frame.

      4.Shoot head and shoulders with subject off-center to show where you are.
      5.Try photographing your subject from unusual angles.

Jeanvy Alrence Binalla
Giant Gal in Makati
  • Photograph from the ground looking up or from up higher looking down. Try angling your subject for a more unique look. Don't be afraid to take a lot of photos. It often requires taking dozens of photos to come up with just the right one. Not only does practice make perfect, but it could be that last shot that gives you just the right image.