self portraits and portraits I

helpful tips:

16. Take Unfocused Shots

As photographers we have ‘sharp focus’ drummed into us as an ultimate objective to achieve in our work – but sometimes lack of focus can create shots with real emotion, mood and interest.

There are two main strategies for taking unfocused images that work:

1. Focus upon one element of the image and leave your main subject blurred. To do this use a large aperture which will create a narrow depth of field and focus upon something in front of or behind your subject.

3. Break the Rules of Composition

There are a lot of ‘rules’ out there when it comes to composition and I’ve always had a love hate relationship with them. My theory is that while they are useful to know and employ that they are also useful to know so you can purposely break them – as this can lead to eye catching results.

The Rule of Thirds is one that can be effective to break – placing your subject either dead centre can sometimes create a powerful image – or even creative placement with your subject right on the edge of a shot can sometimes create interesting images.

environmental portraits:

I chose both of these photos because they both look very candid and natural. I like the backgrounds of each photo give some information into who they are. I think both of these were very well thought out and follow the rules of photography.

photography self portrait:

I really like the simplicity of this photo. The decision to make it black and white helps to emphasize her facial expression and make an interesting photo.

I think that this is a powerful photo. The way it was edited makes a very well thought out photo with good composition. 

casual portrait:

I think this is a very good casual portrait. It looks very candid and the natural light makes it more interesting. Her face is interesting to look at because is looks like a natural facial expression.

This photo looks a little different from most portrait photos due to the compositions. The angle makes it a little different, but the photographer kept the background simple.

For my portrait shoot, I am going to photograph my friend, Jacy. I plan to photograph in her backyard because her fence makes a very nice background. I think I might take one photo of just Jacy's face with the rule of thirds. For more full body profile shots, the fence will create symmetry and repetition. trying to use natural light and an interesting angle will make the best portrait photo.