Goodson Family ~ Gresham Family Photography

Even though it rained, well more like poured, we found a covered place that allowed us to get some amazing shots of this beautiful family. Thanks Goodson family for coming out to Gresham to spend some time with me last week.

Becoming a cell phone photographer ~ The Background

Another very important rule you should always follow and never stray from is "check your background before taking a photo."

I know you all have seen those awkward wedding photos with the dog crapping in the background or the family beach photo with the streakers running behind everyone. These do happen and sometimes can't be avoided but if you are setting up your perfect shot, you do have a little bit of say in what goes behind your subject. Lets see some examples.

You may be thinking to yourself. This is a nice looking family photo. It is, except for one thing... The infamous man bending over in the background. Do you see him? If I had noticed this while I was taking the shot I could have positioned myself just a little bit more to the left and hidden the man all together. Now, in order for me to use this nice shot, I have to do some creative editing which takes some time. I am willing to do this for my clients, but If I had been paying closer attention to my background, it wouldn't of needed to be done. NEXT!  

Precious shot with a mother holding her son, but it's ruined by a passing truck. Some times this can't be avoided, but if I would have maybe positioned myself on the other side of my client, I wouldn't have been facing the road and would have still caught the expression on the boys face when he was tossed in the air.

There are always more than one angle to a shot. Keep your eyes open and always watch your background. You don't want that disgusting porta-potty ruining your next family photo, you know the only shot you took with all the kids looking at the camera. Yeah, that one. 

As always, I love to see your photos and answer your questions. If you have a subject you would like me to cover or are in need of a few tips, please feel free to email me at shendersonphoto(at)gmail.com

Becoming a cell phone photographer ~ The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a photography technique that can be applied to any photo (even cell phone photos) to improve the composition of your image.

Of course, like any rule, it should never be followed blindly, especially in art. Think of it more as a guide line than a rule (said in my best Captain Jack Sparrow voice)

What is the rule of thirds?
Look at the picture below. It is sectioned by a grid. When you are taking a picture you want to visualize this grid and try to place your subject near the lines, especially where the lines intersect. As you can see, my son Ronan is placed at one of the intersections. This is the rule of thirds.

The idea is that a photo that is off center is more pleasing to the eye than a photo where the subject is in the center. It also encourages you to use negative spaces (that's the empty area around your subject).

When you are taking a photo, think about your composition and placing your subject near the line. It doesn't have to be perfectly on the line, just near it. This may mean that you have to move around to get the best angle, but thinking more about your shot is a good thing to do even when you are not using the rule of thirds.

Examples: