Rule of thirds, make your photographs look more dynamic by placing the important or focal point of the image appear on a line that cuts either horizontally or vertically through the image at a point 1/3 the width or height of the image either from the left or the right, or top or bottom.

Diagram of the rule of thirds

Look at the next 2 photos and compare them for impact.

Photograph of Basingstoke Gate

The 1st photograph cuts the image into 2 so looks like it is 2 seperate pictures.

Photograph of Basingstoke Gate showing rule of 1/3

Here the image has been cropped so that the edge of the gate is closer to one edge of the picture, it looks less like 2 photographs stuck together and more like a shot of the gate with some of the background in view, a more pleasing shot to look at.

Of course not all images need to be taken in this way i.e. portraits and close ups can be taken such that the subject is in the middle of the photograph, but even here it is worth considering putting the eyes on the top horizontal 1/3 line or other parts of the body on other 1/3 lines, try it and see. I will add other composition improvements to this blog later this month.

I have a new website that will be up and running soon specifically aimed at boudoir and maternity photography. Boudoir photography can make you feel so special and provide you with a gift never to be forgotten or bettered. Maternity photography records that very special period at a time when you are growing a new life inside you, nothing can beat that feeling, so it really should be recorded in the most amazing, fun and relaxing way possible. I can now offer a service which includes a day in a gym with a suana, swimming pool and spa all included in the cost of your photographic session, so why not pamper yourself for the whole day and then receive an album of beautiful photographs of you as you have never been seen before, beautiful, sexy and stunning. The new website is at www.desirephoto.co.uk please take a look shortly it should be operational by the end of this week (6/1/09).

boudoir photograph

Dummer church is a lovely ancient church in the centre of Dummer village, it is small but perfectly formed, with a balcony from which to get a birds eye view of the proceedings.

photograph taken inside Dummer Church from the balcony

Almost since the discovery of photography and certainly since the early 20th century filters have been used to make changes to the look of photographs. There are hundreds of filters you can use. Some are for use with black and white only some for use with colour only and some can be used with both. Each filter has a number and in the case of warmup filters they range from 81a, 81b, 81c, 81d, to 81EF. These are generally used with colour photography when the sky is very grey and overcast and gives everything that dull grey look. Things look cold and uninviting. In the days of film a warmup filter was essential, this was put on the front of the lens, either screwed onto the front or a generic system can be used where a ring is screwed to the front of the lens and an adapter put on the ring and the filter fits in the adapter. With the adapter method several filters can be used together. In these days of digital photography it can all be done with photoshop, simply click on image->adjustments->photo filter (in CS3). This brings up a window which asks you to name the layer and choose your filter colour. You can vary the strength of the filter by adjusting the density, changing the filter itself or even picking your own colour, it’s all so versatile and done in the comfort of your own home. Below are 2 photographs one without any filters and the other has a warmup filter added to show the effect. In the second image you could almost imagine the sun had come out (it hadn’t).

photograph taken in grey overcast conditions

same photograph with warmup filter added (in photoshop)

I have have made several trips to London and each time I take photographs they always look different. The last trip I got there about 20 minutes after sun rise and so had some amazing light (with clear blue skies). I managed to see the London Eye with the most beautiful soft organge light on it and took this photograph.

photograph of the London Eye 1st thing in morning

Something that people don’t often notice when they take photographs is how objects pick up the colours of things close to them. In the example below the 1st photograph is of a jug which is lit from the right hand side so the left side is in shadow with nothing close to it. The shadow is grey.

photograph of a jug with lights to one side showing grey shadows

The next photographs are of the same jug with same lighting except that a piece of card has been placed to the left of the jug. This results in the jug picking up the reflected light fromthe card and colouring the jug with the colour of the card.

photograph of jug with blue card showing red shadows

photograph of jug with blue card showing blue shadows

There is a little known phenomena about red and blue colours that effect the way we see things. Things that are close to us generally have stronger colours than things that are further away, in fact in landscapes things in the far distance often look very blue. So when we see two things together and one is coloured red and the other blue we tend to think that the blue item it further away than the red item. So you can give a feeling of distance or depth by putting red things closer to you and blue things further away. Take a look at the next 2 photographs. In the 1st one the 2 people are side by side, but it looks like the girl in red is closer. In the 2nd photograph the girl is actually about 3 paces behind but looks like she is level with the man. The further you are away from the photographs the more pronounced is the effect.

photograph of 2 people girl in red behind the man in blue

photograph of 2 people standing side by side

I photographed a pregnant lady in the nude on Saturday, which was a very different experience to any other photography commission I had done before. It was great fun but very scary as the lady was due to give birth the day before the actual shot (so not the best time to be photographing a pregnant lady), the ideal time is about 7 months as the bump is large and still round rather than low slung like my lady’s is. One of the ones with clothes on is shown below. If any one wants to be photographed naked and is prepared to let me put the shots on the website I would happily do it for free.

photograph of pregnant lady - maternity photography

When it comes to landscapes generally the best light to take such photographs in is either during the one to 1.5 hours before sunset or during the one to 1.5 hours after sun rise. At this time of day the light turns from being very bright and white to a softer light with a hint of orange or pink and it is not so contrasty. Compare the 2 shots taken below, one was at 3.00pm in July the other was about 8.00am in October. In the midday(ish) photo St Paul’s is very bright and white and the contrast between that and the shadows under the bridge is great. In the photograph taken early in the morning St Paul’s is much less bright and the sun is still low enough to almost be under the bridge so the shadows are not so dark, so the contrast is much less and therefore easier on the eye. The early morning shot is much warmer, the midday shot looks a little cold even though the sun was out.

photograph of the Millennium Bridge about 2 hours after midday

photograph of the Millennium Bridge about 1 hour after sun rise

I was so impressed with the shape and form of a pregnant lady that I just had to put this photograph on the website as well. You don’t have to be recognisable to be photographed in the nude.

photograph of pregnant lady in the nude just showing bottom and bump