Tips for good photographic composition.

1. Photography “Are we using 1,000 words where a picture should be?” -Matt Thompson, newsless.org

2. Why add photos to stories? To reflect add emotion add color give a sense of a person or a place People are more likely to look at stories with photos.

3. First thing’s first -Hold the camera correctly Use two hands Your right should hold the body of the camera Your left should support the weight from below

4. The Moment Find the irregular in the every day Catch the moment Patience Practice The decisive moment By Henri Cartier-Bresson

5. Dead Space Fill the frame “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” – war photographer Robert Capa Avoid head space or dead space bad

6. Rule of Thirds A.K.A. the golden ratio Avoid a perfectly centered photo Makes photos more balanced and interesting

7. Framing Use objects to frame your subject and lead the viewer to the main point

8. Patterns A pattern of lines or shapes in your photos makes for a more interesting composition.

9. Lighting If your photos are too dark, use the flash, get closer or increase the shutter speed. Too bright? Turn off the flash, back off or decrease the shutter speed.

10. Focus An unfocused photo is usually worthless. If your photos are blurry: Hold the camera properly to keep it still Increase the shutter or film speed Move into the light or add artificial light Unfocused photos can work if the blur is intentional and used for a purpose.

11. Shoot From All Angles Get on the ground Stand on top of things Tilt your camera Avoid the 6 x 8: Positioning the camera about six feet high and about eight feet from the subject

12. Three types of photos for a slideshow Wide – give viewers perspective Medium – drill in on the purpose Tight – capture the details

13. Tips and Tricks When cropping through a body, don’t cut at the joints Don’t take photos through glass Don’t shoot from behind – always get two eyes and an ear Mugging – when people pose for you, take those photos and erase them later

14. PRACTICE Practice Practice Practice Practice “The only reason anyone is a better photographer than you is that they’ve probably taken thousands more photos than you.” – Multimedia journalist Richard Koci Hernandez This PowerPoint presentation can be reproduced as long as credit is given to Karen McIntyre.