IN THIS ISSUE
Tips For Composing Your Pictures More Easily

Using Polarized Sunglasses to Spot Your Pictures

Utilizing the Rule of Thirds

Improving Your Pictures With Selective Cropping

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QUICK LINKS FOR ONLINE ORDERS

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Dear ,

In this newsletter I'll be offering some suggestions on how to better "see" and compose outdoor pictures.

Amateurs...and even some pros...find composition to be challenging.

I'd like to share some personal shooting techniques with you.

I hope you'll find my tips useful.

Best regards,
Dale

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Tip #1: Use Polarized Sunglasses For "Spotting" Compositions In Bright Light

I find that wearing a pair of polarized glasses when I go on my shooting "safaris" makes the colors and design elements in any outdoor scene stand out.


I use these sunglasses to "spot" my images. Then, I take my sunglasses off when I compose individual pictures through my viewfinder.

You'll find that polarized sunglasses will cut through the glare and allow you to see your subject in its full 3D dimensionality. The polarization in the sunglasses makes the colors of bright picture elements “pop.”

Why this works: When you can zero in on the strongest elements in a scene it becomes far easier to compose and get better pictures.

Here's a simple test:

Go outside on a bright day and try this for yourself. Just look at a scene without your sunglasses. Then, slip the glasses on and try to “see” pictures from a photo composition standpoint.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the difference the sunglasses can make.


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Tip #2: Use the "Tic-tac-toe" Grid in Your Camera to Simplify Composing by the "Rule of Thirds"

I like to travel light when I take vacation pictures. So, I carry a light weight point-and-shoot camera that has an optical zoom lens.

My camera has a viewfinder...which makes taking pictures in bright light easier...and a monitor screen. It also has a Rule of Thirds grid that can be seen on both the internal and external viewing screens.

The Camera Grid Makes It Easy To Align Horizon Lines

I utilize the lines on the grid to keep my horizon lines straight (particularly useful for ocean shots and landscapes) and as a guide for my “Rule of Thirds” compositions.

              The "Rule of Thirds"

Applying the Rule of Thirds when you compose your pictures is a sure-fire way to get better photographs. The camera's grid makes composing your pictures easier.

If you don’t have this feature…which is the case on most mirrored dSLRs…just try to visualize this grid when you compose your pictures.

As a review, here's how the Rule of Thirds works:

  • In your mind's eye divide your composition into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Then, place your scene's visual elements into each third as you frame your picture.
  • The most-used variation on the Rule of Thirds is to place a strong picture element in two thirds of the image and another element in the remaining one third.

Here are some samples of Rule of Thirds compositions that I shot while on vacation:

I'm superimposing a grid over one and showing the other with the grid turned off so you can see the effect.


Building in Cascais, Portugal

The Camera's Grid Made This Complex Composition Easy

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Street Scene St. Malo, France
Couple Right 1/3 - Buildings Left 2/3s.
Telephoto Brings Objects Together

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Bridge in Brest, France

Horizontal & Vertical Rule of Thirds.
Wide angle lens setting increases perspective.

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Couple in Lisbon, Portugal

Can You See How the Rule of Thirds Can Work
With Diagonal Picture Elements?

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Tip #3: Use Lab or Imaging Programs To Crop Your Pictures

Sometimes there are other compositions within our photos that are even stronger than the one we visualized when we took our original picture.

Cropping the picture on your computer screen lets you transform your good compositions into better ones.

Pictures Within A Picture

Here's a case where cropping a full camera frame composition might produce another interesting print that tells a different story:

I was shooting some street scenes in Vigo, Spain when I spotted this great poster behind some motor scooters.

The Full Scene As I Shot It

Given the size of the file I was able to crop the image more closely on my iMac when I returned to the U.S. Either the original or the cropped image works for me. What do you think?

Tightly Cropped Into the Poster

Consider Our ROES Program:

Our ROES design and ordering system lets you crop and place your pictures in seconds. Easy-to-use sliders and tools make make precise cropping a breeze.

ROES Allows You To Tightly Control Cropping & Adjust Horizon Lines

Or...Crop Using Our New iPrints.com Program For Amateurs & Small Orders From Pros

Or...use our traditional iPrints Classic Program For Beginners.

Simple Ordering With No Learning Curve.
Both ROES and iPrints are free to our customers.

 

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St. Malo

Summer is the easiest time of the year to take memorable pictures.

Trust our caring technicians to make your prints as good as they can be. We'll treat your pictures as we would our own.


You snap the pictures ... we'll do the rest!
Best wishes,
Dale
Dale Farkas
President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com
(Online services of Dale Laboratories)

Questions? Call (800) 327-1776.
We're here to help!

P.S. Please share these tips with friends who love photography as much as you do. Thanks!
 
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