Taking Effective Pictures & Video Matt Holdridge, Director of Marketing, Campaign for Liberty

Taking Effective Pictures & Video

Matt Holdridge, Director of Marketing, Campaign for Liberty

The Joshua Tree Principle

Photos by Rick Chapman

“Once you can name something, you're conscious of it. You have power over it. You own it. You're in control.” - Robin Williams

Pictures tell a story

Pictures tell a storyOn May 4th, 1970, John Filo was a young undergraduate working in the Kent State photo lab.

This photograph won him a Pulitzer Prize.

You will learn

• The basic technical aspects of cameras and digital resolution

• How to recognize and create the elements of a good photograph

• Why good photos can influence politics, and advance your organization

Equipment

• Basic Compact Camera, digital or otherwise

• Advanced Compact Camera

• Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR)

Digital Resolution (Very Important)•Printing requires a picture have a resolution of 300 dpi

•Web images should be saved with 72 dpi

•DO NOT COPY IMAGES OFF OF THE WEB FOR PRINTING USE

Essential Elements of a Good Photograph

• Shape and Outline

• Color and Tone

• Form

• Framing and Balance

Shape and Outline

The shape of an object is not constant and you can change the way it appears by changing your camera angle. For instance, you can manipulate shape by shooting from above or below.

Photos from Time-Life and Atlaspress

FormWhere shape puts a higher emphasis on the two-dimensional outline, form reveals the three-dimensional characteristics of the subject. This is often achieved by avoiding harsh frontal lighting in favor of angled or side lighting. Photo by M. Holdridge

Color and ToneIn an ideal situation, a picture should only have one main color with additional colors to be used to give added emphasis to the main subject. This is very important to establishing mood.

Tone refers to any area of a picture that have a uniform coverage and can be distinguished from lighter and darker areas. Often you have black and white with varying shades of gray in-between.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla

Framing & BalanceFraming an image largely has to do with deciding what to include and what to omit from your photograph. This is determined by the unified effect you are trying to achieve.

Balance is concerned with the distribution of objects in a composition. There is symmetrical and asymmetrical balance.

Photo by M. Holdridge

Balance cont. These scales illustrate the difference between symmetrical balance and asymmetrical balance.

The Rule of ThirdsHaving the action in your photograph in the corners or taking-up a third of the picture adds more visual interest and is often more appealing to the viewer’s eye.

Photo by M. Holdridge

“Mom” ShotsPlease avoid “Mom Shots” at all costs! A “Mom Shot” is when you have tiny people/faces and a ton of background.

Photo by Your Mom

Photos You NeedFull Face photos that show expression

GET CLOSE TO YOUR SUBJECT

People like to see a picture of themselves or their friends in a publication or on a blog/website, the more the better

Photo by M. Holdridge

Examples

Photos by M. Holdridge

Group PhotosFill the frame with faces

If there are too many people for the frame try shooting from above

Small groups, get them close to one another or shoot from a perspective that puts them in close proximity to one another

Group Examples cont.

Photos by M. Holdridge

Real World Example

Real World Example

The Result

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Photo by M. Holdridge

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Photo by M. Holdridge

Good Picture!

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Bad Picture!

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture!

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Bad Picture!

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture!

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Could be better

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Good Picture/Bad Picture?

Not Sure!

What You Learned

• The basic technical aspects of cameras and digital resolution

• How to recognize and create the elements of a good photograph

• Why good photos can influence politics, and advance your organization

Thank you for your attention!