TIPS & TRICKS
PHOTO
VIDEO
DESIGN
*By no means are these set "rules". Even by professionals these "rules" are often broken depending on the artist. These are guidelines that you should consider when creating content.
PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPOSITION
Composition refers to the things that make up an image. Here, you will find information on how to take images that seem more appealing to the eye by finding new angles and objects to emphasize your subject or message.
RULE OF THIRDS
By Dividing the image into thirds, you can create balance in photos by having important aspects of the photo line up with the gridlines and have or have focus points near or at one of the four intersections. You can also center subjects in the columns or rows.
BACKGROUND
Consider your environment! Make sure there is nothing that might distract from the main subject. Use the background to create context, or use a simplistic one to create more focus and contrast.
RULE OF ODDS
When there is no symmetry, people find more ease looking at photos with an odd number of subjects
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FRAMING
Look for things you can shoot through! Natural Frames can help emphasize your subject by immediately drawing focus to it.
LEADING LINES
Look for angles in which you see natural lines that point toward your focus point(s). Leading Lines can come from anything, aisles, fences, shadows, ect.
DEPTH
Create more depth and dimension in images by including things in the back, middle and foregrounds.
SPACE & MOTION
Leave space for motion! Action shots are more appealing when it looks like the action could fill the space,
VIDEOGRAPHY
In story writing, a variety of words and sentence legnths can create a captivating story. Likewise, in videography, varying shot size, movement, and angles , and camera movements can do the same.
TYPES OF SHOT SIZE
-Long Shots [LS] (aka Wide Shots): Subject’s full body in view, but not filling the shot
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-Full Shot [FS]: Subject’s full body fills the shot
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-Medium Wide Shot [MWS]: Frames subjects around knees & up
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-Cowboy Shot [CS]: Frames subjects mid thighs & Up
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-Medium Shot [MS]: Frames subjects waist Up
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-Medium Close Ups[MCU]: Frames subjects chest Up
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-Close Ups[CU]: Frame fills with the subject
TYPES OF ANGLES
-Ground Level
-Knee Level
-Low
-Shoulder Level
-Hip Level
-Eye Level
-High
TYPES OF CAMERA MOVEMENTS
Static Shot (aka Fixed Shot)
The camera doesn't move and remains in one spot.
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Zoom Lens Shot
Films use the lens to dramatically zoom in on a subject. In our case, a slower zoom can emphasize details. ​
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Pan
The camera swivels in a slow, horizontal movement
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Tilt
A pan, but vertical.
Tracking Shot
The camera follows a subjects movements.
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Arc Shots
The camera goes around a subject in an arc like movement
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