Taking Better Pictures with composition (Wedding Photographer Dayton Ohio)

When I was younger, I wanted to take pictures of everything--my friends, family, special moments. And, of course, I wanted every picture to be perfect. I bought expensive film, used expensive printing paper, and, let’s not forget, I practiced like crazy. Today I use expensive equipment, expensive printing paper...and I still practice like a crazy lady. Even though technology is changing, one thing remains the same: The rules of the game. Those rules can become stale to even the most highly acclaimed photographers if they do not practice. The best part is everyone knows good composition when they see it. The problem is most do not think about it when they look through the view finder of their camera. Following are some quick tips about composition:



1. PATTERNS - Any pattern will do, breaking up the pattern with a subject can be a real eye popper too!

2. TEXTURE - Texture can have the effect of making a picture look 3D which really makes it come alive.

3. SYMMETRY - A symmetrical shot is a great way to lead the eye to meet your subject. Symmetry can be a very powerful tool.

4. DEPTH OF FIELD - Probably one of my favorites, depth of field can help you isolate your subject by blurring out the foreground or background. You need to understand your camera in manual mode to use this tool to its best advantage.

5. LINES - Lines are really great to use when framing your subject--ensure the line is not shooting out of someone’s head.

The brick pattern and lines lead you into the image and the depth of field really isolates the woman in this image!

Now that I have told you about composition, your job is to get out there and practice finding these tools and using them to your advantage to really make your images pop. Try not to use them all at once and have fun!
Would you like an in-depth post on one of these composition tools or a post on lighting? Let us know in the comments below!

I need your opinion ladies!

Let us say that CharityKPhotography were going to give away a mini session to one lucky lady. Let us also say that the photographer over at Charity K Photography wanted your advice on which mini session you preferred. Would you help us out? The options are -

Boudoir Session

Trash the Dress Session ( We don't have to actually trash your dress)

Engagement Session

Leave it in the comments or over on our facebook page, and thanks for the help! As always a Saturday post wouldn't be complete without a picture.

FREE Photo Editor

It is a lazy Saturday in the office editing pictures and slurping on green tea when I came across an idea... I bet everybody wants to have super cool pictures with their own style attached like a swagger signature. Then it hit me, Charity you must do a post on this. So here is a 5 minute read on free editing software. It doesn’t matter if you just learned to use the computer or you rock out with your D50 on the weekends because I have a little swagger for every level.

Personally I use Photoshop and love it, but it is expensive and takes years to understand. Those of you who like things on auto I have your back, and for those who like to get your hands dirty I have something for you too.


Flickr – (Auto)A wonderful FREE sharing site that allows you to upload and edit your picture, they have some really cool effects to make your pictures unique.


Picasa – (Auto) This is a FREE site for those who want the pictures on their computer organized, also containing some neat effects for your pictures.


Gimp- (Dirty Hard) This is a FREE photo editing tool for those photo enthusiasts out there. If you spend hours at the computer playing with pictures, this one is for you.


Applications- (Auto) Get on your phone and search for ap’s to spruce up the pictures you take with your phone.  Try picsay for Droid or Best Camera for IPhones.



Tips for all editing warriors:


Save the original image because if not that negative is forever altered.


My secret recipe; less is more, I believe that flaws create character and help tell a persons story.


Photography is an art and so is the editing, so don’t forget to express yourself.

If you have questions or information to add please leave a comment, we would love to hear your thoughts. I am in no way saying that the information in this post is the best way to do things, they are just my ideas that I wanted to share with those who might be interested. And because a Saturday post wouldn’t be complete without a picture, enjoy!