Ron Hashiro

You can use these ideas with any camera. Even pictures from a disposable or point-and-shoot camera can be enhanced by spending a few moments with these thoughts.

• Part 1 - Basics
• Part 2 - Basics
• Part 3 - Advanced

The single most important aspect about taking a photo is to ask yourself, "What am I trying to convey with this photo?" "What is the story or message?" Perhaps it's as simple as "I want to keep a memory of this moment of celebration" and "this view is beautiful!" to as complex as "I want to reveal this person's life of suffering and perseverance as told by her eyes and surroundings". What do I see? Is there a way to see the unusual in a ho-hum everyday moment? Is there hidden beauty in this setting?

Every picture tells a story -- a message or effect you wish to convey. The story helps to determine how many elements or objects you desire in the picture. The rule of thumb is to simplify the number of elements, so it's much easier for the viewer to see the story you wish to tell.

We all take photos of family gatherings, time spent with the kids and friends. Here are some special guidelines on story telling that will dramatically improve your photos:

• Take a mix of posed, action and candid photos. You want your scrapbook to have a number of different photos to better reflect the occasion.
• When taking a mix of photos involving close-up and group photos, I usually turn on the flash when taking a group picture to assure that there is good lighting and the colors come out clearly. Try to remember the maximum reasonable distance for flash pictures for your camera. I find many will typically shoot up to about 12 feet with ISO 200 film. When you organize and arrange the group, you then already know not to make the group too large or too far away.
• If there are others also trying to take a picture of a person or group, hold off on taking the photo and direct the group to look at the other photographer. Not only will he/she will be grateful, but as soon as he/she's done, all their attention will be given to you, and you won't get pictures of people looking the other way.
• If you have a point-and-shoot camera and decide to take a close-up photo, keep in mind that you'll need to shift the camera slightly to keep the person centered. Almost all of the point-and-shoot cameras are a design called the rangefinder, and the image through the viewfinder is not the same as the lens of the camera. So, you'll need to compensate for the difference. If you look closely in the viewfinder, you should see some small faint marks that will give you an idea of how to frame the photo.
• Never take photos of the back of a person. The picture will be very boring.

When looking over a situation, ask yourself "What is the subject?" What is the central object within the photo that will be the center of attention? For each photo, you'll need to choose. You can always take two or more photos of a scene, shifting the emphasis between two or more subjects, but for each photo, you must choose the subject.

For example, if it's a candid photo of a mother and a child, which one is the central person? In a scenic shot, is the emphasis the land, the ocean or the sky? This photo is an example of a confusing subject, and it doesn't say anything by itself.

Once you've selected the subject, ponder where you want to place the subject. Most artistic shots have the subject away from the very center of the photo.

If you can mentally divide the image in the viewfinder into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, try placing the subject at one of the four intersections of these lines. These intersections are known as the magic quadrant locations.

If you take a scenic photo, do not put the horizon in the exact center of the photo. It tends to cut it into two pieces. Try to put the horizon in the upper or lower third of the photo. In the view below, the horizon is along the lower third.

If you put the subject off-center, try to find another object on the other side to balance it. If you imagine the image like a see-saw with the pivot point in the exact center, you should put another notable object on the other side to maintain balance...the farther away from the center, the smaller the object needs to be.

In the case below, Diamond Head is the subject. Because the summit is more massive, it needs the "mass" of the left side to balance it and the buildings.

• Part 1 - Basics
• Part 2 - Basics
• Part 3 - Advanced