Mark W. Decker Art Photography

Author: Low Jeremy

When people are in school, the teacher will always lecture the students on the proper ways of doing something. A good example is math because doing this the wrong way will never make the person get the right answer.

There may be some subjects that can be memorized such as history but the rest will have to be understood. This is because the lesson book and the question in the exam are different and it will take some time to figure it out.

One hobby that needs a bit of understanding is photography. This is because the individual does not only point and shoot to get a picture. The person needs to follow and understand certain rules to achieve the right technique in each shot.

The first rule when it comes to photography is being able to fill all the available space when taking a shot. This must be done to get the intended subject that is achieved by zooming in or out on the intended subject.

The second rule for anyone who wants to take a picture is for the individual to pay attention to shape on the image. There are many ways to take a shot but it is only by studying it in detail that one picture will stand above the rest. It takes practice but this will surely pay off in the end.

The third deals with the kind of background chosen for the picture. Photographers shoot either in a studio or on location. The person must know when and where this must take place to be able to achieve the desired effect in the shot.

Believe it or not, motion also plays a factor in a shot. This is because it can disrupt the viewer’s attention away from the model instead of the subject taken. Those who decide to have background should use those that have diagonal or curved lines since it will not make the person look anywhere else.

In the past, pictures were taken in black and white. Color has changed all that so contrast is also something that needs to be understood by the photographer. This can capture depth and emotion making each photo artistic in nature.

The basic rules and techniques in getting the shot are important. It is one thing to read it and another to put it into practice. The individual should understand then apply it so this can be mastered eventually.

Another technique to be just like the pros is to observe proper lighting when taking a shot. Some pictures will look better when a flash is used while others need to be adjusted to get a night shot. Digital cameras have this feature, which are not available in the old 35mm cameras made many years ago.

The individual should also know when to zoom in or out. There are two important factors such as the number of people and the type of background. The focus must be on the subject with the landmark or whatever is behind as the accent for the shot.

A lot of photographers both professional and amateur shoot with the model in the middle. Some have noticed better pictures when this is done with the subject on the side, which may work depending on the location.

Author: Terry Roberts

One of the most emotional components of photography is the study of art photography. People naturally love or despise a photograph much as they love or despise a particular painting or sculpture. Art photography has the ability to move viewers past just looking at an object or image to seeing an emotion, a passion or a concept that stirs the thoughts as well as the feelings within an individual.

What is it about art photography that moves people and invokes emotional responses? Often viewers themselves cannot determine exactly what causes this extreme response within themselves when presented with an image. Some of the most famous art photographers such as Ansel Adams, Anne Geddes or Dorthea Lange all had a specific topic or theme they photographed, often representing the images in ways that were not typical of how they would normally be viewed.

The following artists have all contributed to the development of art photography by using themes in their photography:

* Anne Geddes - famous for her many pictures of babies, this art photographer is one of the most well-known modern photographers. Her works are often featured on cards, calendars and books.

* Dorthea Lange - best known for her amazing and haunting photographs of the depression, Dorthea Lange also did some photographs capturing the internment of the Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Due to the sensitive nature and political climate of the time, many of these photographs were not released until 1972.

* Ansel Adams - amazing and breathtaking photographs, usually in black and white, of nature at its finest. Ansel Adams used his camera to show the world the beauty of National Parks such as Yosemite.

* Galen Rowell - famous adventure photographer that has captured wildlife and nature from around the world. His photographs range from the wildlife and terrain of Africa through to the Antarctic.

* Henri Cartier-Bresson - these strikingly moving photographs of people of all ages are very thought provoking. While some of the subjects of the photographs such as Truman Capote and John Houston are well known, many of the photographs are of everyday people with no special fame or renown.

* Jim Brandenburg - this artist features very close up and detailed photographs of wolves in nature. Brandenburg often spent literally hours waiting in extreme conditions for just the right angle and shot.

All art photography is a combination of luck and technical discipline. Being able to wait for just the right light, expression or movement to capture what the photographer is trying to explore is both an art and a science.