Some of you will be quite confident about your artistic and photographic skills already and inversely some of you will be filled with dread at the very thought of creating artwork or taking great photographs.
The first thing I want you to get into your heads is that 'creating good artwork or photos is achievable for everyone'. Im going to introduce you to some basic principles of good photography/design if you try and fit these into your way of working you will find that before long you do them without even thinking about it, and whats more your photographs and designs will look all the better for it.
The next thing to understand is that there are rules to producing good art and photography, if you follow them you will get good looking photographs or pictures, once your really good at working within the rules and begin to know what looks good and bad for yourselves then you can start breaking the rules!
Good design elements include the following:
Eye flow
Elements in the scene that guide the viewer's eye through the entire frame.
Dominant element
Usually there is one main subject to the image. The subject may be either a single object, or a relationship.
Simplicity
Only what is essential to the scene is included in the final image.
Balance
It may be symmetric or asymmetric, subtle or obvious.
To help me illustrate some examples of how to produce great pictures I've once again shamelessly ripped of other peoples websites, If you want to become really good at any of this stuff just look around the internet and see what other people have to say or what they have done, then steal the best bits for yourself and then add them to how you already work.
The Rule of Thirds
In the first photo the subject is almost dead center, with a lot of wasted room on just about all sides. While this may be one of the most common ways to take a portrait, it’s also the most common way to take an uninteresting photo.
The second photo is the same image however this time it is cropped and makes use of the rule of thirds, the subject in this photo There is not as much wasted room, the person’s head is at the top of the frame, and thus more of the person can be seen. It also gives a sense of height. The subject is off-center, which not only adds a significant amount of interest and mystique, but directs your attention very clearly to him, as well as allowing you to see the background.
The basis of the ages-old Rule of Thirds is that if you were to divide a frame into thirds, both ways, the points of intersection are the points where your subject should be placed in order to be most interesting. The subject’s eyes are directly lined up with the intersecting points. Any one of those four points is a great place to frame your subject. Check out these other examples that have all been improved using the Rule of Thirds:
Diagonal rule
One side of the picture is divided into two, and then each half is divided into three parts. The adjacent side is divided so that the lines connecting the resulting points form a diagonal frame. According to the Diagonal Rule, important elements of the picture should be placed along these diagonals:
Linear elements, such as roads, waterways, and fences placed diagonally, are generally perceived as more dynamic than horizontally placed ones:
Non Verbal Communication
Once you can take wonderful photos you need to start thinking about the content of them. There is an old saying that states that 'a picture paints a thousand words' this is never truer than in Media studies how we position and direct models in our pictures can communicate many things to the audience.
Expression- based on conventionalised cultural codes, instantly recognisable.
Eye contact- directly towards the consumer (appealing to them) or involved within the scene of the ad.
Pose-static or active often corresponds to expression. Can also be a symbol of status.
Clothes-important as they communicate to the audience
Touch- ritualistic touching (cosmetics) conveys emotion and manner. Grasping and holding is functional.
Body movement- relates to the function that the actor is doing.
The next thing to consider is:
Positional communication
Relationships between actors within the frame, the direction they are facing, the height of each can show relationships and status.
Reciprocal- a two-way relationship in which each person is the centre of the other’s attention.
Divergent- each person’s attention is diverted towards something different.
Object- the attention of each person is directed towards the same object.
Semi-reciprocal- one person’s attention is concentrated on the other, whose attention is elsewhere.
YOUR TASK
Ok after all that information I need you to produce a guide that simply explains everything you have just read about , luckily for you it doesnt involve ton's of writing
I want you to take a camera and take pictures that demonstrate the following:
- Eye flow
- Dominant element
- Simplicity
- Balance
- The Rule of thirds
- The Diagonal rule
- Non Verbal communication
- Positional communication
You can work in groups if you wish. All the work needs to be on your blog with simple annotations to explain each.
