Explore | Imagine | Create (Photo credit: Krista) www.ladybugblog.com

Photography has been one of my hobbies for most of my life. I started out at a young age with a basic point and shoot camera back when we still used film. In high school, one of my electives was photography and we learned how to develop our film and make prints in the dark room. I have since advanced to some great digital cameras — point and shoot, DSLR, mirrorless varieties, and even the camera on my smart phone. Even with many pins covering photography tips on my Pinterest board, I typically took my pictures in “auto” mode and procrastinated mastering manual mode on my cameras.

Then I enrolled in a Digital Media Content Creation program and one of my first required courses was Photo I: Aperture & Shutter Speed. In addition to finally learning (and beginning to understand) how to use my camera beyond auto mode, we have also been learning how to process our images in Adobe Lightroom. Each week we have had photo shoot assignments, which I have really enjoyed. Each week we have a new one and I decided it would be fun to share them with you and invite you to get out there and practice your photography skills. This is part one of a multi-part series and I will be sharing the images I took for my class.

The purpose of this series is to encourage you to become more creative and using photography as the medium for our creativity. If you are not familiar or comfortable with how to use your camera outside of auto-mode, I suggest you do some further research for photography tips and getting to know your camera on YouTube, Pinterest, etc. for help. For this first photo shoot, you may want to try aperture-priority mode, or you could stay in auto-mode. Are you ready to get started? Okay, here we go!

Photo Shoot #1: 20 different images of the same subject

So, what is a subject? Think of this as the item that is the focal point of your image. When the viewer looks at your photo, the subject should be obvious and clear as to what should capture the viewer’s attention.

Next, think about how you are going to capture 20 different images of the same subject. This will take some creativity on your part, which is the point. This planning could be done on paper or simply thought through in your head before heading out to take pictures. Part of your thinking should include:

• What is the subject?
• Where will you take the pictures?
• What time of day for this photo shoot?

As you’re planning out the images, keep in mind these important guidelines:

• Know your subject
• Draw attention to your subject (shape, tone, texture)
• Simplify

Composition is important for your photographs. There are many helpful guidelines when it comes to composing your image. Some of these include the Rule of Thirds, flow or continuance, framing, filling the frame, and avoiding distracting elements in the background. Photographers should learn how to use the different rules of composition, and then learn when to go beyond the rules. Great images tend to grab your attention because they have a clear subject, have visual balance in the composition, have a great use of light, and a sense of timing.

For this photo shoot, you should only use natural light — no artificial flash. Using an inside location could work if you have access to natural light from a large window. Outdoor locations in early morning or late afternoon (i.e. the “golden hour”) would be best. The period around sunrise and sunset is referred to the golden hour, a.k.a. “Magic Hour”, because the light is beautiful, and pictures seem to turn out better – almost magical.

The Magic Hour is based on your location and the date you are planning on photographing. In the morning, the golden hour is about 30 minutes before sunrise through 30 minutes after sunrise. In the evening, the golden hour is 30 minutes before sunset through 30 minutes after sunset. Photographers and filmmakers shoot at these dawn and dusk time periods for the gorgeous light. There are smart phone apps to help you keep track of the “Magic Hour”.

Photo Shoot #1: My Turn

Here’s what I came up with when I planned out my images for this photo shoot. First, I decided my husband’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle would be my subject. Then, I selected the location — a rustic barn located in Santa Ysabel, CA near Dudley’s Bakery and on a side road behind the General Store. Next, I planned out the images — wide shots, close-up shots, different angles, and so forth.

20 images of the same subject | Photo credit: Krista Ames-Cook | www.ladybugblog.com

The destination for my photo shoot was about 50 miles from our house (one hour plus ride on the motorcycle) and I was not able to utilize the golden hour, but I was pleased with the images I was able to capture for this first assignment. I ended up photographing over 50 images to make sure I would end up with 20 different ones after I reviewed them. As I was selecting the 20 images, I assigned them a rating based on 5 stars, with 5 being the best. I ended up with 5 that were my top favorites, but ultimately selected the image I took while sitting on the ground looking up at the motorcycle with the barn in the background on the left side as my best one for this photo shoot. I’m happy with how the composition turned out and the overall feeling this image conveys.

My favorite image from this photo shoot. | Photo credit: Krista

“Don’t just take photos…Make photos!” – Ansel Adams

Now it’s your turn! Take some time to go capture your images and let me know how it goes. Find me on social media – and now also on Flickr!

Have you mastered your camera beyond “auto-mode”?
What are some of your best photography tips?
What do you plan on photographing for your 20 images?
Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments or online!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”