Session 3_January 20, 2015

Review images that were taken in the last class based on XLS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU, XCU

Look at how the images fall into the rule of thirds,

Is the color red present in the image... is it a distraction?

Remember that sometimes the way it looks in real life is different than on camera.  Sometimes it is important to move people in uncomfortably close or farther apart than what seems natural to get the right shot.

Remember to use the leading looks.... does the direction that the person is looking have plenty of room to the edge of the screen. 

Remember not to have too much headroom and don't chop off any of the tv or something that someone is looking at.

Are people looking right into the camera?  Should they be looking into the camera?  What does that suggest?  What does that reveal?

HEADROOM is one of the key things to watch.  People tend to try and put the eyes in the middle of the screen.

Finishing the discussion on composition:  from page 33 in the Bare Bones Text\

1. Angles-Reality has three dimensions. in pictures we have only 2D.  to give the illusion of depth we show things at an angle so we can at least see two sides.

moving yourself of the camera in certain ways can help give that illusion of depth.   Prefer 3/4 view portraiture to straight forward or profile.  So, whenever possible, try and show at least 1 1/2 eyes, preferably 2.

Unless you have a specific reason, always shoot at eye level with the subject.  When the camera and the subject are at the same height it gives the feeling that the viewer and the subject are of equal value.


when the camera is higher than the subject, it gives the feeling that the subject is inferior, small, less important.

when the camera is lower than the subject, it gives the feeling that the subject is superior, larger, more important.


By raising or lowering your camera, you can subtly influence how your viewer will perceive your subject.  This is used to great effect in horror films and political TV commercials.


Frames within the frame:  Often you can make a picture more intersing by using elements of your location to create full or partial frames within the camera frame.

Leading lines:
a nice way to direct eh viewer's eye to your subject is through the use of leading lines.
principle of convergence.  Where lines converge the eyes naturally will follow.

Avoid empty corner that direct the viewer into an area where there are not items of interest

In the background:  Always always always be mindful of what is in the background of your composition. This is one of the hardest things because we are not used to looking for this. \

Avoid busy backgrounds,  too busy can lose the figure itself.
Avoid people in the background creating a distraction in a scene.   One quick way to remove distraction is to move forward, lower the camera, and shoot upwards.

BE READY TO CONTROL EVERYTHING IN THE SHOT.  MOVING ANYTHING THAT IS NOT NECESSARY OR IMPORTANT TO PROPELLING THE MOVIE FORWARD.

\