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Photo Tips 101 Page

Photo Tips - 101

presented by Decor Photography

Overview: This paper is designed for the beginner. However, the novice photographer might find this a useful refresher. The 10 topics we cover include: Cameras, Film and Film Speed, Lenses, F-Stops/Shutter-Speed, The 4 Steps to Taking a Picture, Depth of Field, Techniques for Composing a Picture, Shooting Special Situations, and a little on Portraits.

Objectives: Armed with a little info, you will be taking better pictures and more of them than ever before. Even if you’re shooting just ordinary, everyday, I was here shots.

In any endeavor, even the most exciting, there are some boring things to get through. So it is with photography. The good news is that there’s just a little bit of boring stuff. If you can wade through these few pages, you will improve your photography and you will see a increasing number of keepers. With that goal in mind ……

Cameras

As you all know, there are quite a variety of cameras out there. For this paper, we will concentrate on 35mm formats of which there are 2 main categories - SLR (single lens reflex) which have interchangeable lenses and then the Point and Shoots. Most of the ideas covered here will be of use to the SLR user. However, Point and Shoots users can use some of this information to improve as well.

Point and Shoot

There’s a variety here – 1) Regular PNS cameras about the size of a Walkman Radio. Equipped with a wide angle lens having built-in flashes and a shooting range of anything over 4 or 5 feet. Some have little zoom features and auto rewind. All these cameras read the film speed of the film you put in and there are no adjustments to be made. You simply point and shoot. When you look thru the viewfinder, you are NOT looking thru the camera lens. 2) Disposable cameras come with film and in a little box. You never take the camera out of the box. When you’re done playing with them you turn-in the camera .... box and film all together. 3) Panoramic Disposables feature an even wider angled lens to catch a still wider scene. Again you turn in the whole thing for developing. Point and Shoots have their place and can take very good pictures as long as you stay within their abilities. And that’s where most people have a little trouble ......

The Shrink Factor: The biggest problem with Point and Shoots is actually the wide angle lens. The nature of 'wide angle' is to take in more of a scene .... side to side .... than any other type of lens. This can be very useful BUT ….. these lenses also shrink the scene and everything in it in order to catch more of the scene. We all have those pictures where we've said ... "see that little spot ..... that's my friend". So consider the following when shooting and reduce the 'Shrink Factor':

People and Animals: Shoot between 5 and 20ft, anything over that and these subjects start getting very small in the final print.

Scenery: Usually no problem here. Often scenery fills up the entire lens. Still you don't want to be too far away.

Tip: Fill the frame with your subject as best you can. It’s not always easy but it should be your main concern each time you shoot a picture with Point and Shoot cameras. This could mean moving .... hiking or climbing ... to get close enough to fill the frame.

SLR Cameras

These cameras have inter-changeable lenses and when you look thru the viewfinder, you look directly through the lens and onto the subject. You see exactly what the lens sees. SLRs provide controls for film speed (the ASA number), focus, shutter speed, and f-stop (aperture ring opening inside a lens). The flash unit is usually external and there are all kinds of attachments you can buy – at least a billion filters, motor drives for advancing the film, tripods, and all kinds of specialty lenses. They also come these days with automatic features like auto focus, computerized exposure displays, and many are even programmable. These cameras provide what point and shoots can not – total control for any condition or any artistic whim of the photographer.

When comparing quality between name brands – there is very little difference. They are all good. Any name brand camera will take great shots – but only if you learn the basics. The camera does only what you tell it ..... a person 'takes' the photograph. If you are willing to spend a little time learning, your photography will improve. If not .... then all you really have is a rather expensive Point and Shoot!

Film & Film Speed

There are 2 major types of film – print film and slide film. If the film’s name has ‘chrome’ in it – it’s slide film ... Fujichrome, Ektachrome, etc. All others are print film. Both are rated with a numbering system (ASA or ISO number) that indicates the "speed" or light sensitivity of the film and the film's grain size. The grain in a film determines the sharpness in a print. This is important if you want to enlarge your negative or slide. The bigger you enlarge ... the more important it is to shoot with small grain films so they retain as much sharpness as possible. ASA/ISO 25, 50, and 100 are small grain - 200 and 400 are medium - 800, 1000, and higher are big grain. The smaller the ASA/ISO the smaller the grain .... so better sharpness. Ok .... sounds good ... small grain, sharp image .... I'll shoot small grain film all the time. Well now that could pose a bit of problem. Remember earlier I said the numbers 'indicates light sensitivity'? ..... small grain films have a much harder time seeing light than their bigger brothers. You therefore find yourself shooting scenes using slow shutter speeds in order to get enough light to the film. Slow shutter speeds are hard to work with and require both a tripod and a steady hand. Bigger grain films (ASA 400, 800, etc.) are more sensitive to light .... big grain sees the light easier then their littler brothers. You get to shoot faster shutter speeds, mostly without a tripod, even indoor shoots without a flash. Well then you say .... I'll shoot big grain films all the time .... it's so light sensitive, I can shoot fast .... don't have to lug a tripod around ..... often I don't even need a flash indoors! But ..... when you enlarge a slide or negative ... you are magnifying it right? Big grain that's magnified can easily be seen in the final print. You can see the small tiny dots that make up your print and the image looks a little fuzzy or grainy.

How does this all play for your day to day operations? When choosing a film, first consider if you're going to enlarge ... then consider action .... and finally extreme lighting conditions (if any).

Are you going to enlarge prints 8x10 or better? .... go with small grain

Are you shooting action? - go with big grain - 400 and up

Will you be shooting lighting extremes? .... real bright use 100 or less .... dark, use 400 +

For Enlarging: For 8x10s and larger, you’ll want a fine grain film – ASA 25, 50, or 100 .... even 200 is not too bad. However, because of the low sensitivity to light, you will often shoot using slow shutter speeds (get a tripod). If you are not enlarging, then go with higher grain films so you can shot at faster shutter speeds – ASA 400 or 800.

For Fast Action: You’ll need to shoot at high shutter speeds so use ASA 800 or 1000 but you’ll have to accept some grainy appearance in enlargements (which, by the way, is quite acceptable for action pictures). And get this! .... you can often 'freeze' action with your flash .... shooting at the slow flash sync speed of 1/60 seconds maybe even 1/125 .... and, if you're close enough to the subject .... say 10 to 25 feet. With a flash you can use smaller grain films, freeze the action, and then enlarge.

For Lighting Conditions: Check out the following chart:

Film Speed	Bright Outdoor	Partly Sunny	Overcast	Indoor Flash	Normal Action	Fast Action	Very Low Light
ASA 100	X	X	X	X
ASA 200	X	X	X	X
ASA 400	X	X	X	X	X
ASA 800			X		X	X	X
ASA 1000			X		X	X	X

I use ASA 100 because I shoot scenery and portraits .... needing the finer grain for enlarging prints to poster size. So I lug around a tripod. Using one film for most of my shooting also enables me to buy large quantities at discount prices. If I have to shoot fast action or in very low light once in a while, then I’ll buy what I need at that time - ASA 400, 800, or 1000.

How to get Inexpensive Film:

Film is sold in 2 ways: 1) amateur grade film – rolls of 24 or 36 exposures that you buy off store shelves and, 2) professional grade film you can buy in 100 foot (30.5 meter) rolls or 'bricks' - rolled film, 36 exposure at professional photography stores. The difference is the price and the aging process. Film goes through a color shift as it gets older. New film might show a blueness in a print where as old film shifts to browns and oranges. Amateur grade film is made, stored, and shipped in such a way as to be on the shelves at the right age when you buy them. The timing on this is down to a science and almost always you'll get at least decent film. It’s also important to check the expiration dates on each roll before you buy. Don’t buy outdated film (it’s usually on sale). Don’t even buy film that’s close to it’s expiration date. You might not like the results and you definitely won't like the money you spent on film AND processing. Professional grade film can be purchased in 100 foot rolls - rolls you roll up in reusable film cassettes or in bricks of pre-rolled film. Professional film comes to you already at the right age and must be refrigerated to slow the aging process to a crawl. The advantage of professional grade film and rolling it yourself is the cost savings … and they are big! Comparing the same number of exposures between amateur and professional film … you will pay 3 times as much for the amateur film.

To roll your own film, you’ll need to purchase the following: 1) a film rolling machine that cost about $15-30; 2) reusable film cassettes (the cassettes in amateur grade film are not reusable); and 3) the right tape. Masking tape or scotch tape just doesn't cut it.

The process is very easy to learn (I’m proof of that) and the money you save on film is well worth it. Any good photo shop will have these rolling machines, cassettes, and tapes or they can order them for you. Even for those who shoot every landmark and sign on their travels or just for the family album, rolling your own film is very cost effective AND you always have the right aged, professional film.

Lenses

There are 4 types of lenses to talk about:

Wide Angle

Normal

Telephoto

Zoom

All lenses are measured in ‘focal length’ - the length in millimeters (mm) of the internal focusing lens itself. This is written somewhere on each lens usually on the front glass. As you know, lenses vary in length within each category above. For instance, the focal length for wide angled lenses can range from 24mm to 38mm. A normal lens can range from 50mm-58mm. Zoom lens and telephotos range from 70mm to 1200mm. The longer the focal length, the more magnification you get from the lens.

Wide Angle: These take in a lot of the scene from side to side .. more so than with any other lens. Because of their rather short focal lengths, they also shrink the scene. This shrinking often disappoints the photographer when the prints come back. So …. unless your subject can fill the frame or at least half the frame when looking through the camera, don’t take the shot (in most cases).

Normal: These are called ‘normal’ lenses because the render a subject at the same scale that we see the subject. Usually, these are the lenses that come with the camera - range is about 48mm to 58mm.

Telephoto: These are the so called big boys. They have a fixed focal length like the other two lenses just mentioned but because of their long and extra long focal lengths, they have greater magnification too. Telephotos usually start at 100mm and continue 200mm, 300mm, and up to 1200mm or more. A tripod is recommended for shutter speeds of 1/125 or less.

Zoom: A zoom lens is a telephoto that can change focal lengths and thus change magnification too. Zoom lenses are easily identified because they show a range like 70mm-230mm or 100mm-300mm.

Filters

There are more filters out there then any other photographic item. For this paper, I will only talk about the 2 you might really need: 1) a UV filter for each lens and 2) a polarizing filter. The UV stands for ultra-violet and blocks the UV rays from the light source – usually the sun but it could also be the flash. Without this filter, colors on your print might be rendered just slightly different then from the real scene. The UV filter also protects the fine polished glass on your lens. If the UV gets scratched, it’s a lot cheaper to replace it then your $150-$300 lens. A UV should be on each lens you have.

The Polarizing filter is a very useful aid in adding to the color saturation of your slide or negative. I use this filter almost all the time. As light reflects off the subject, light rays are scattered into many very fine angles. A Polarizing filter allows for only 1 angle of light to pass through the lens thus reduces much of the glare we often get. In doing this, the filter allows for deeper color saturation … in other words, you get richer color than without the filter. But there’s a catch to this …. the sun must be at or near 90° to the camera. In the illustration below, if the sun is pointing at the subject from anywhere along the red line, the polarizer will be effective. Polarizers are made so that you can turn the filter to get the most effect possible. As you look through the viewfinder, turn the polarizer and look for the spot that gives you the darkest blue sky or takes the shine off the water or cuts the glare off windows. That's what you want.

Polarizer layout

There are 2 kinds of polarizing filters – linear and circular. These designations refer to the glass in the filter and not the shape of them. Use a circular filter if you have auto focus lenses and linear for all other types of lenses.

Again you’ll need a UV filter for each lens but you may be able to get by with just 1 or 2 polarizing filters – this will depend on the barrel size (the diameter) of your lens. My normal and zoom lenses are the same barrel size so I bought only 1 polarizer to use between them. Keep that in mind when buying more lenses - try and match barrel sizes.

F-Stop and Shutter Speed

OK .... now let’s look at the two lighting controls you have to work with … the F-Stop (aperture ring opening inside each lens) and the Shutter Speed. They work together to make the proper exposure on the film. After you have composed a picture through the viewfinder, and after you have adjusted any filters you may be using, you then look at the light meter reading in the viewfinder or on the digital display if you have one of those. The meter reading is displayed in many different ways depending on your camera but it’s always seen through the viewfinder and in some way informs you of F-Stops and/or Shutter Speeds.

F-Stop:

Found on the lens itself, it’s a measure of the aperture ring opening inside the lens you are using. The aperture is a black ring inside each lens that can be adjusted. It allows an ‘amount of light’ to enter the lens. It’s important to make the distinction between the ‘amount’ of light when compared to the shutter speed which is a measure of the ‘time’ light enters the lens. You can see the aperture by holding up any lens - look through it and move the F-Stop ring … you’ll see the aperture get smaller and larger.

The aperture ALSO controls the depth of field. Depth of field is what’s in focus from the foreground to background in a picture. You won't see this by looking in the viewfinder but you will notice it in the final print … more on that later. The numbers used for the F-Stop might look like this ... – 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 ..... for a regular lens for instance. The larger the number used, the more depth of field - that is - more is in focus from the foreground to the background than if a low f-number was used.

Shutter Speed:

The shutter speed is how fast your camera’s shutter opens AND closes. It’s measured in factions of 1 second. If you look at the shutter adjustment on your camera, you will see a range of numbers that might look like: B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000.

B stands for Bulb – the shutter stays open for as long as you hold the shutter button down.

1 stands for 1 second

2 stands for ½ second

4 stands for ¼ seconds

and so on. You can see that the 1000 mark (1/1000 of a second) is very fast.

Mathematically, each click on the shutter adjustment is equal to 1 full f-stop click. They work opposite each other and together they set the exposure that the film receives when you fire off a shot. Shutter speeds are important for several reasons. If you are shooting fast action you need to shoot with fast speeds or everything will be blurred. If shooting in low light, you need slower shutter speeds to allow enough of that low light to hit the film otherwise you won’t see much in the print.

Depth-of-Field

This idea is easily overlooked by many people. Depth-of-field is how much of your print is in focus from the foreground to the background. Another way to look at it is how much is in focus around your subject - how much in front AND behind your subject is in focus. There will be times when you want less depth-of-field with just the subject in focus – say a person or animal and other times when you want everything in focus – say in a scenic shot. There are 3 things that affect the depth-of-field: 1) type of lens – the longer the focal length the less depth-of-field – so zooms have less depth-of-field than a normal lens inherently - normal lenses less than wide angle lenses. 2) With any lens, the closer the photographer gets to a subject the less depth-of-field you get when you focus. 3) Depth-of-field can be controlled with the f-stop setting on any lens – the smaller the f-stop number the less depth-of-field. There’s a rather odd numbering system for the f-stop ….. the smaller the number on the f-stop ring …. the larger the aperture opening inside the lens and the less depth-of-field. Wow .... that's easy to mix up. OK ..... so going from f/8 to f/4 makes the aperture ring larger letting in more light. Also going from f/8 to f/4 gives you less depth-of-field. An easier way to remember this is what I mentioned before - small f-numbers give small depth of field ... larger f-numbers give a larger depth of field.

Remember: changing the f-stop changes 2 things - the amount of light AND the depth-of-field.

You’ll need to play with this a little and make it a point to understand the relationships that effect depth-of-field. Make sure you think of how much depth-of-field you want before you shoot. Suppose you what the most depth-of-field you can get …… set the f-stop to a highest f-number. Then compensate for the right exposure by adjusting the shutter speed. This gets everything in focus. For less depth …. set the f-stop to a small number first and again compensate for the correct exposure with the shutter. How do you tell what the correct exposure is? Your light meter in the viewfinder or on the digital display. So learn to read the meter. When this is lined up or displayed properly you have the correct exposure. If you change either the f-stop or the shutter speed, you'll have to line up the light meter again. This understanding, along with the other techniques to follow, will make a huge difference in the outcome of your prints.

The 4 Steps of Taking a Picture

Just 4 little steps. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Well, it is .... and here again, I’m proof of that. I would remind those with Point and Shoot cameras, that not all these techniques will be available to you but some of what follows can be of value.

1) Compose the picture in the view finder of the camera. Move the camera around, switch from horizontal to vertical, move yourself, change lenses – whatever will fill the frame.

2) Adjust your polarizing lens if you are using one or any other filter.

3) Determine the of depth of field you want for this shot. Lots of depth – higher f-numbers. Short depth of field – lower f-number.

4) Adjust your shutter speed so your camera’s light meter reads for the right exposure (use a tripod if shooting at low speeds) and take the shot.

NOTE

Steps 3 and 4 are interchangeable. If shutter speed becomes the prime concern as in action shots, then the shutter speed should be set first and then, reading your light meter, adjust the f-stop for the proper exposure.

Techniques for Composing a Picture

Most amateurs look through the lens at their subject, center their subject and take the shot. But we’ll show you there’s a lot more you can do to improve each shot. Here is a list of composing techniques – practice them.

Rule of Thirds: This is the most important of all the techniques listed below. As you look through the viewfinder at your subject, break-up the frame into thirds – both horizontally and vertically as shown in the grid below. Then place the subject on one of the four lines. This takes your subject off dead center and makes for a more interesting picture. For instance, when composing for people you might line them up on line-A or B where as for mountains, you might align them up on lines-1 or 2.

Rule of Thirds grid layout

Here are some examples:

Midnight Sun

Juli

The tree above is on line-A, the sun on line-2 and B. This alignment is so much more interesting than if the tree were centered. When shooting people or animals, the face is the focal point so put the face on one of the lines as in Juli's picture above. Juli’s face is on line-1. If you’re doing close ups then the eyes are the focal point and you would place them on one of the grid lines.

The mountain peak below is on line A and the field runs along line 2. If the peak were centered, it would be ok but not nearly as good as it is now. Using the Rule of Thirds forces one to consider other elements of a scene as either contributing or distracting and this will improve your photographic eye.

Pioneer Peak

Space in front of the face: Compare the photos below. Which looks better to you? In the first picture, Juli looks like she’s crammed up against a wall or something. Her other picture, gives her and the viewer some breathing room. Always give space in front of the face. Memorize that little line – space in front of the face.

Juli

Fill the Frame: This is probably the biggest weakness amateurs have. As you look through the viewfinder, zoom in or move yourself so that your subject is filling up the frame or at least 2/3 of the frame. Use the space you got. It’s far more interesting than a picture with a small subject and lots of SPACE! The first picture of the eagle uses this technique as well as space in front of the face and the rule of thirds.

Check out these eagles. Not only can you see your subject so much better when you fill the frame but the shot’s much more interesting. This idea of filling the frame is very important and especially with wide angle lenses. This means you too, Point and Shoot Cameras. Wide angle lenses take in a wider angle of the scene. But they also shrink everything. The image you see in the camera is going to be smaller in the final print. Make this a part of your thinking ….. no matter what camera … no matter what lens … fill the frame!

The flaws of the eagle on the right are - not filling the frame and not enough space in front of the face. The space behind the eagle’s head is disproportionate to the rest of the picture.

Framing: The idea here is to surround or frame your subject with something in the scene. We all have seen pictures of a mountain peak, home, or building as seen through a whole in the branches of a tree. Anything can work as a frame for your subject – fences, buildings, bushes, windows – just anything that has a hole in it and allows you to see your subject.

You can also half-frame so to speak. Use a tree or building on one side of the picture, on top, or on one corner of the scene.

Selective Focus: This popular technique throws everything out of focus except the subject. In this way, you draw all the attention onto your subject. In the picture below, the fox is the center of attention and is accented even further buy the background being out of focus. Selective focus can blur out an unwanted busy background or unwanted objects that would otherwise distract to much from the subject.

Red Fox in Denali Park

You get this effect with Depth-of-Field by 1) getting close to your subject, 2) Use a zoom or telephoto lens, or 3) change the f-stop to a smaller number (remember? .... small f-number small depth of field). To do this, look through your viewfinder, adjust the f-stop to a smaller number, then adjust the shutter speed until your light meter is lined up for the correct exposure.

Simple Backgrounds: Move yourself around the subject so as to make a simple background if possible. Any lines in the background that seem to run into the subject or backgrounds that are too busy with a lot of other objects that pull your eye away from your subject … are to be avoided. Your picture will be so much better if you take the time to consider the background for each and every shot.

Shooting Special Situations

Subject is in Shade: Examples - your subject is under a tree or maybe sitting on a porch that is in full shade. Your camera's light meter can be fooled by this ...... soooo..... take a picture at your camera’s meter reading and then open the f-stop one more stop to let in more light (go to the next smaller number). Or set the shutter speed slower by 1 click. This will insure the right amount of 'shadow light' is getting to your film.

Backlighting: Your subject is backlit when the light source is behind your subject. For example: your subject is standing in front of a window inside your house and the light coming in is bright. This type of lighting can also fool your light meter. The meter sees this bright light that is radiating all around your subject and gives you a false reading based on that brightness. So to fix that … take a meter reading and just open your f-stop one stop … maybe even two stops to let more light in (smaller f-stop) . Another way is to take a meter reading and set the shutter speed one or two numbers slower - 1/125 to say 1/60 for instance.

Now why pick the shutter speed over f-stop to adjust for the conditions above? …… you may need all the depth-of-field you can get. If you do need a lot of depth of field, set your f-stop to a higher number, take a meter reading, then adjust the shutter speed to a slower speed by 1 maybe 2 clicks.

Either way, the results is enough light reaching the film so as to give you detail in your subject. The bright light behind will get brighter but you will be able to see detail in your subject.

Shooting Snow: Here again, the intense brightness of light reflecting from the snow can fool your light meter and the snow in your print will be an off-white. If you don't mind this then shoot the scene at what your meter shows you. But if you want the snow to look white take your meter reading then add just a little more light by 1/2 an f-stop smaller. Normal lenses have half stops and with newer cameras you can sometimes do 1/2 an f-stop for other lenses as well. This should make the snow look as white as you see it.

Contrast can be a major problem when photographing people or animals in snow scenes. Take a reading directly off the subject if you can and shoot at that setting. If you can't get close, take a reading of the scene and open up 1 stop (overexpose) and your subject should come out better. A polarizing filter is good for eliminating reflections from snow.

Shooting a City Landscape at Night: You need to test your favorite film for the right shutter time for this situation. So …. for your film …. try shooting the night scene starting at f/8 for the aperture and for the shutter … start with 8, 4, 2, and 1. Then set the shutter to B. This keeps the shutter open for as long as you hold the button down. Then count a shot at 2 seconds, 3, and 4 as well. Using a tripod is mandatory. Also consider a cable release – a cord that screws into your shutter button and you push the end of the cable which then clicks the shutter. Whatever you don - don't move the camera in the slightest way. Then compare results and you'll know from that point on what settings to start with.

Shooting Fireworks: Set your lens to f-8 and shutter to about 125. The fireworks are such a bright light that you can get great shots with these settings. Maybe even try a 250 shutter speed.

NOTE

Bracketing: This is a technique that helps ensure you get the right exposure. Your camera’s meter reading is an average of the light it sees throughout the scene. Often it can lie to you and give you slightly wrong settings for the f-stop and shutter speeds. In order to ensure the proper exposure one should always bracket the shot. In normal lighting you would take 3 shots …. one shot at the meter reading … then one shot that over-exposes and one that under-exposes. You can do this with the f-stop by clicking one stop over then one stop under. If depth of field is too important then use your shutter speed to bracket - one at the meter reading then 1 click slower and 1 click faster than the meter reading.

Portraits

There are a few ideas here to remember when shooting portraits indoors and especially when using a flash.

1) Keep the subject away from the wall by at least 6 feet if possible – more if you have the room. This cuts way down on the shadow behind your subject.

2) Use a simple background for most shots - walls, rugs, etc.

3) Avoid direct flash. This is a straight line from the flash to the subject. It leaves either harsh shadows or a totally flat face - in either case it is uncomplimentary. Direct flash tends to cause the red-eye in prints. Instead, bounce the light from the flash by pointing the flash into a reflector. The classic portrait position below is an excellent way to start. And any white reflecting item will do – white poster board, bed sheet, wall, even holding the flash at arms length from the camera would be better than direct flash.

Portrait and lighting setup.

4) Have your subject move their face back and forth and up and down as you look for the most pleasing look.

5) Features to watch out for because the camera is unforgiving :

Big nose: here is where you may want to take on a ‘straight at the nose’ head position. Stay away from profile shots. Slight turns of the head from dead center may be acceptable but full profiles certainly are not.
Legs: avoid any position that ‘presses’ thigh and calf muscles - this flattens the leg and looks fat in the final print.
Eyes: these are the focal point for portraits …. focus on them and put them on one of the lines in the Rule of Thirds technique. Avoiding direct flash prevents the red-eye effect and a flat looking face in the final print.
Hair: always look at the hair position especially around the shoulders. There should be flowing lines. You might try a gentle fan for that cover girl look.
Glasses: be aware of the reflections from glasses. They block our view of the subject's eyes which are the focal points. Make your subject take off the glasses or re-position the subject. In many situations you can reduce the reflections by telling your subject 'chin down'.

6) Remember – space in front of the face if there's any profile at all.

7) Lenses for portraits: for 35mm cameras, the good portrait lens is around a 135mm telephoto. The normal lens will also do very nicely. If you get into portraits you might consider a softening filter that screws on to front of your lens. This will soften everything by slightly fuzzing the focus ... just a little bit. It tends to soften wrinkles and blemishes.

Well that's it ..... congratulations ... you passed!

Juli and I hope these tips will help you get more fun and enjoyment out of your photography … and that more and more of your pictures ‘turn out’. Certainly there is much more detail to photography then one can explain in a ‘tips’ paper ….. but if you practice these ideas …. eventually you will do them automatically and make them a part of your photographic eye ……... even if you are Aunt Jenny shooting the nieces in front of a big ‘Welcome to Anchorage’ sign along the highway.

Sincerely,

Steve Kelly and Juli Lynn