Digital Photo Guide - 4 Easy Tricks For Great Photos

By Dan Feildman




Let's face it, we have all been there. Your subject is bland and there is nothing you can come up with to make it interesting. This problem usually occurs if you have to take photos of an event however don't let it get you down; you have two choices when this happens: you can either take boring shots or you can use the following suggestions to get some pretty interesting photos.

POV: Point of View Shot This means shooting the action from the point of view of the subject itself. One of the most memorable POV shots I have ever seen is during the film The Patriot when the cannon ball comes right at the camera and then cuts to a soldier being hit by that same cannon ball. It ignites interest and instantly forces the audience to become part of the action. Utilize POV shots when there is a lot of shots of the same action.

Rack Focus: Rack Focus is when you change your focus between a close subject and a distant subject. You can get some pretty amazing footage using thse because it puts the camera man in direct control of the audience. By manually switching the focus of the camera between subjects distant and close you include two totally distinct subjects without cutting or moving the camera. You are forcing your audience to follow the focus since the blurred images are not easily interpreted. This technique adds a professional look to any video.

Crooked Angle: By turning the camera to its side so the ground is no longer parallel with the square of the viewfinder you will get some very interesting shots. It sounds crazy but you will definitely be astounded by how amazing some of these shots can be. Sea sickness is possible though if there is a lot of movement with the camera so try to keep the camera somewhat still. You can still use very slight movements at crooked angles which is an easy way to create interest and cast your subjects in a new light.

Track Shot: Moving the camera in a definite path I recently watched new music video where the camera zipped around the band on a carefully built track. The band didn?t do much other than simply perform but the speed of the camera flying around and cutting between the shots kept me interested during the entire song. This effect can easily be imitated by putting the camera on a wheelchair, skateboard, or even in your hand as long as it keeps a steady path.

Turn your bland session into something incredible with these four classic shots which will definitely increase the interest of your productions and leave your audience wanting more.




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