Reflection

[Tak]

I printed off a load of tutorials from photoxels but every time I try to read them, my brain does a runner

[Dr. Z]

The rule of thirds is EASY to get your head around! If you can understand and work with DoF and aperture then you should be able to grasp the rule of thirds!

Basically, the eye finds something appealing when it is on a third line. If you divide up the shots you like into three you will see that the main focus or something important in the image is on a third. You can expand that in all different ways but basically, on or near a third = good shot, dead central - bad.

I will go and make an example now!

[leowyatt]

Haha I know what you mean, do you have a tripod? seriously you tend to learn better playing around and learning what it does. Use the guides as a glossary or something but try playing with each setting and seeing how it affects the photo your taking which is why taking the same photo using a tripod would probably be the best idea

EDIT: do you mean the focus should always be at the bottom of the picture?

[Dr. Z]

The black line is more or less the centre of the shot. The red line is roughly 1/3rd the way down from the top. It doesnt need to be exact!

In this case there is a shallow DoF to help lock your eyes into the subject even more but even if there was a larger DoF, your eyes would rest there because its on a third

Once you get out of the habit of centering your subject in the frame your shots will improve loads as a result

Of course, there is knowing when not to follow the rules, but thats for another time

[leowyatt]

Originally Posted by DRZ

Of course, there is knowing when not to follow the rules, but thats for another time

Next lesson please

[Tak]

I like it - Durz's Idiots guide to photography and terminology

Thank you - I kinda understand - just have to try and put it into practise

[leowyatt]

Actually I have a question about that shot, did you tell the camera to use the person as the focus subject, becuase my intial thoughts is that if I took that photo my camera would focus on the middle of the shot but the rest would be blured

I can move the focus window round on the view finder in which case I'd move it over the bloke sat down and it should produce a similar picture to that

[Dr. Z]

Originally Posted by Leowyatt

Next lesson please

Some shots, mainly abstract-style shots require you to break the rules, or they just wont work.

Maybe other people "used" to the rule of thirds will know what I mean when I say that once you are used to putting things on thirds etc it just comes naturally so when a shot you want to make dead central comes along, its a bit strange. Bit further down the line that, though

To start out "learning" this is what I suggest you do:

TOTALLY stop using automatic modes. If you have it, use Aperture Priority mode (Av) for the time being. Take shots, adjust the aperture and let the camera work out what shutter speed you want. You will learn more creativity this way than you will in either Tv (shutter priority) or manual modes because you have the most control of the shot whilst being almost certain to get the exposure right. After a while you will learn what shutter speeds go with what apertures in what lighting. You just get a sense for it and when you pick that up you can then use manual for the really creative stuff. I would say 95% of the time my camera is in Av mode and I dont think I have taken more than 10 shots in all of the fully manual modes combined over the entire lifetime I have had the camera!

Take your camera EVERYWHERE - when you go for walks/drives etc take it with you and take photos of things that catch your eye. Be critical of your shots and bin all but the very best. The set I posted in this thread were the result of roughly 100 exposures. A keepers ratio of 10% is about right really.

Most importantly, and it really goes without saying but HAVE FUN doing it! Its no good if you feel its a chore! I take my camera to places I enjoy going and watch things I like doing/watching, not just for the sake of getting a good shot. If you arent enjoying something it *will* show in your shots!

EDIT:

For that shot I set a different autofocus point - I have 7 to choose from in my viewfinder. I set it to the one closest to where I wanted to frame the shot, focussed, recomposed (keeping the focus locked) for the shot I wanted and then took the shot