Have you ever wondered how to place your camera to get the best formal shots of a person? Today I’m going to give a simple little tip that can really boost the quality of those formal pictures.
Lets say you want to take head and shoulder shot for a formal picture. The key to this type of portrait is to keep the camera at the person’s eye level or slightly above. This will give you a more flattering look for the person and can help minimize any distortions.
Ok, now you want to take a picture of most of the person but not the full length shot. Then the guide to this is to aim the camera at the person’s chest level. Again you want the camera pointed straight and directly at the chest level. Be sure to not have that lens tilted up or down even slightly or you’ll get more of a distorted look of the person’s body.
Now you want to capture a formal full length portrait of an individual. What you need to do is position your camera at that person’s waist level. Again, be sure to keep the lens pointed straight at the person’s waist, making sure that the lens isn’t angled up or down or you’ll get a more distorted look. Of course, you’ll have to bend over or lower yourself so as to look into the camera view finder to take the picture. Yet, the results will be more flattering to the person you’re taking the picture of.
These are guidelines for more flattering formal pictures, but once you’ve practiced this, then experiment using the camera at other positions. Study the results to see what it does to the person. The position & level of the camera can make a person look thinner, wider, emphasize a large nose or bring attention to beautiful eyes. This can open up a whole new subject on taking flattering pictures of people, which I won’t go into here.
Here is another QP for you to enjoy! This quick page is another one created by Helen. She is a CT for “Designs by Marcie”. She used Marcie’s kit called, “Little Elf“.
Jan of Dusty D has created this fun little FREEBIE for you to enjoy. Here is what she has to say, “Here’s a little freebie for you to use on your Christmas pages. It’s a 12inch 300dpi word art overlay that you can use as a border or as an embossed overlay on your favorite Christmas papers.”
here at SumScrapper. Everything in the shoppe is 50% off. Here is your chance to purchase those items you’ve been saving up for. Don’t miss out for it lasts for only 24 hours. Hop on in to the Sumscrapper Shoppe while the Elves are out playing.
We are also giving out this beautiful bow for you to enjoy. This one is provided by Ellie of “Designed by Ellie”.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our wonderful Friends of SumScrapper! May this day be one that you cherish.
This is our gift to you! It is a beautiful QP made by Helen. She is a CT for, “Designs by Marcie”. She used the kit called, “Little Elf”. It’s such a cute kit that you can purchase it here so that you can make other cute pages to match this QP.
As I mentioned before, there is a ton of information about lenses. So this week’s photo tip is more information about lenses.
This information is also important to consider when purchasing a lens.
The speed of the lens can be a big factor when purchasing a lens. This speed of the lens is similar to the “f” stops in the aperture settings on your camera. So if you are working in low light situations then you’d want a faster “f” stop or a smaller number. The lower the number, the more light the lens transmits to the camera. If that isn’t as important then the larger “f” stop number would work. One typically pays more for the faster lenses and they also tend to be heavier.
These lenses can also come with some special features that can add to the cost and weight of the lens but can also make a difference in what you want from your lens.
One feature that a lens can have is what is called a “Vibration Reduction”. This keeps the image sharper when shooting in low light or from an object that is moving such as from the deck of a ship.
Another added benefit on these special features is the ability to add on filters. So if you plan to use filters, then make sure the lens comes equipped with a “filter thread”. Even if you don’t think you might need one, it might not hurt to get this feature so when you become more advanced you can have that option available to you. It is good practice to use a filter of some sort as a ‘lens guard’.
Another special feature it the “auto focusing” of the lens. This has a little motor that will help you focus on your subjects.
As you can see there is a lot to a lens. There are many things to consider. So make up a list of the things you are mainly wanting to take pictures of. What setting you’ll be most apt to use it in (low light, etc) and what features you’d like to have. Then research which lens is highly recommended for those items. Then base your decision on those factors. Needs vary, so what works for one may not work for you.
Good lenses will tend to cost more because they will have a higher number of glass elements within them and that will make them weigh more too. Remember too, that because you have the best in camera and lenses it still won’t make up for bad composition in taking pictures.
Feel free to click on the links below and check out what Amazon or B & H photo offers.
Today’s freebie is perfect for this holiday season. With it, SumScrapper wishes you the very best Christmas season. We certainly appreciate the support that many of you have given us by purchasing products in our shoppe. Many thanks and Merry Christmas.
We are having a BIG sale the day after Christmas so mark it on your calander so you don’t miss out on the savings we are offering you.
Michi (msbrad) has created this Quick Page for you to enjoy. Thanks Michi! She is a CT for “Designs by Marcie”. Today’s QP is created using Marcie’s kit called, “Christmas Time“. Just think of the pages you can create to match this QP.
Here is another wonderful Quick Page for you to enjoy. The Collaboration Kit called, “Sounds of the Season” was used along with Michi (msbrad) wonderful sketch #0009. Better Grab it while it’s available. Enjoy
Here is a Quick Page Freebie for you to enjoy! This freebie was made using the collaboration kit called, “Sounds of the Season”. Michi’s Sketch #0024 was also used to create this lovely Quick Page for you to enjoy.
