Sep 19, 2017 |
by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram:@MaryFDenman
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Mary Denman photo tip
Have you ever taken a photo, expecting it to be a great shot, but when you see it later, you realize that it just didn’t have the effect you wanted?
Don’t worry, it happens to all of us!
Sometimes, this is the result of taking a picture that doesn’t have a clear subject or point to it. I know. I’ve been there.
So today, let’s see how to learn from our mistakes and take cleaner shots that are more powerful!
In this first photo, you can see my daughter with her silver lab and my cavalier puppy.
Mary Denman: cluttered photo
It’s cute, but there’s just not a clear focal point. The partial shot of the lamp and mirror is distracting. So are the blankets and half of my son. The picture is supposed to be about my daughter and our puppies being side by side.
How do you correct a problem like this?
TIP 1: CROP THE PICTURE ONCE IT’S ON THE COMPUTER.
Mary Denman: girl & puppies
Doesn’t this look so much better?
If you’ll notice, I took a landscape shot, but then cropped it to portrait framing to draw your attention where I wanted it.
While you can crop on the computer, you can also look at the back of your camera and recompose a shot right away to make it stronger.
Mary Denman: pink rose 1
I have pointed out the bright blobs of color in the background with arrows. They really stand out, don’t they? They draw your eye around the photo instead of letting it focus on the main subject.
I noticed this in my camera and moved to take another shot of the same rose.
Mary Denman: pink rose 2
Isn’t this a lot better?
While there is still bright color in the background, it can easily be handled by cropping if I want to isolate the rose even more.
TIP 2: MOVE AND RECOMPOSE YOUR PHOTO AT THE TIME TO ISOLATE YOUR SUBJECT. Don’t depend on doing all your cropping on the computer.
Mary Denman: pink rose 3
I cropped the shot a little more once I had it on my computer to show you how recomposing and cropping are great tools to understand.
These may seem like very simple tips, but they are effective in improving your photography skills and photos.
Learn how to go behind your lens right after you take a shot and see if it communicates what you want. If not, and if you have the time, compose another picture and move around to get a better angle.
Then, crop once it’s on your computer if you need to.
Just make sure that you have a clear subject for your viewer to appreciate. Get rid of the clutter and make your subject shine!
Hope these tips help!
Mary
TWEET THIS: #PhotoTip: Have a Clear Subject or Point to Your Photos @RealMojo68 @MaryDenman #photography
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley
Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.
As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.
Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.
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Aug 10, 2017 |
by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram:@MaryFDenman
Have you ever considered whether it’s better to take a picture in horizontal or vertical orientation? In photography terms, they’re called landscape or portrait. What about a square photo? When are they good to use?
In a world of smart phone shots, DSLR cameras, Instagram, and Pinterest, it can be a little confusing as to what’s the best way to take a picture.
Today, we’re going to look at photos taken in landscape, portrait and cropped to a square and I’ll give you some guidelines and tips for taking better shots in all three.
Let’s get started.
When I was out recently with a friend in a nature park, the boardwalk we were using caught my attention. I loved the lines of it. Literally. The dappled sunlight also added interest.
The first shot I took was in portrait or vertical orientation.
BOARDWALK PHOTO 1 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
Why? Because the long lines of the path lead your eye up and away into the lush greens of the park.
Of course, I didn’t stop there but decided to take a horizontal or landscape shot as well. If you notice, though, I’m lower down and closer to the boardwalk for this picture.
BOARDWALK PHOTO 2 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
Why? Because I needed to change my perspective and have the boardwalk fit the frame of horizontal better.
In this particular case, I think the portrait shot is much stronger and more powerful.
TIP 1: After taking a shot in portrait, try taking another shot in landscape but reframe the picture to suit the change in orientation. And, vice versa.
Later on the walk, we came upon beautiful wildflowers during Golden Hour. Again, I wanted to take shots in both orientations.
I started with a portrait shot because of the long stem.
FLOWER PHOTO 3 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
But then, I turned the camera and took a landscape shot after reframing. In this case, I actually like the horizontal shot better. The vastness of the green makes the purple head pop more.
FLOWER PHOTO 4 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
Plus, this could make a great meme photo.
Portrait, Landscape or Square? Meme by Mary Denman, Photographer
But in an online world, sometimes, we need a square shot. So, I cropped this flower to a square.
FLOWER PHOTO 5 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
Notice how cropping makes a difference?
TIP 2: Try both horizontal and vertical orientations. You may be surprised which you like more.
On to our last set.
While on vacation recently in Maine, we got to watch some amazing sunsets on the coast. Luckily, we were able to take our dog Liam with us! He’s a cutie, isn’t he?
CAVALIER PHOTO 6 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
This is a horizontal shot of him with the sunset happening behind him. Notice the soft glow around his fur from the setting sun? There’s a reason it’s called Golden Hour. With a landscape shot, you can see the sun, the rocky beach and the water. You get the sense of being there.
Of course I took the shot both ways and here’s the vertical shot.
CAVALIER PHOTO 7 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
While he’s still adorable in this photo, I definitely prefer the horizontal one.
But then I cropped it to a square.
CAVALIER PHOTO 8 (Mary Denman, Photographer)
Now Liam fills the frame entirely. I think this makes a really strong photo as well. You know you’re looking at Liam and you can still see this sun just behind him. This would be a great Instagram shot!
TIP 3: Try a square shot on your smart phone or crop your pictures on your computer afterward.
So, the next time you take a picture with your phone or regular camera, try taking a portrait and landscape shot to see which is a stronger or more interesting picture. Take a square shot if you can, or crop it when the image is on your computer!
Hope these tips are helpful,
Mary
Read Post 1 on Golden Hour here.
Read Post 2 on Golden Hour here.
Mary
TWEET THIS: Portrait, Landscape, or Square? #Photography tips from @MaryDenman @RealMojo68
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley
Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.
As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.
Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.
Jul 13, 2017 |
Huzzah! Another first post by another regular contributor! Today, I’m thrilled, and I mean thrilled, to introduce you to my friend, prayer partner, and the woman responsible for making me look good professionally. This is Mary Denman, photographer. She’s going to be sharing “Intro to Photography” tips. Sweet, yes? Yes!
by Mary Denman @MaryDenman
I’m so excited to introduce myself and join you here on Frankly, My Dear . . . ! I’m Mary Denman and I’m a photographer who’s also a writer, with a teaching heart like my mom’s.
A few years ago, Molly Jo and I met at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had the pleasure of taking her headshots since I’m the conference photographer. We became friends, so, when she asked me recently if I would write photography tips for her blog, I said, “Yes!”
Blue Ridge Mountains by Mary Denman
I’m always learning about my craft, and love sharing how to take better photos. I believe everyone can learn to be a better photographer.
Why is photography important to bloggers?
1) Because a lot of text without pictures will not engage your reader. If you’ve been to a blog with a lot of writing and no photos, you know what I’m talking about! Think medical journal. There may be good info in there, but you have to want to read it and concentrate on it. Instead, you would probably prefer to read a site with pictures illustrating the points.
medical text
2) Because good photography can draw readers in! When you have a great photo or meme, you can use them on social media to catch a reader’s eye and draw them to your blog. You’ve probably seen a great meme on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter that made you want to read the article. It works!
3) Because your photos can illustrate your articles or they can inspire what you write about! When I started out, I found that I enjoyed using my own pictures to illustrate what I wrote about. At other times, going through my pictures inspired ideas for articles. The more you practice your photography, the better you’ll get and the larger the resource of pictures you’ll have!
I want to come along side you and help improve your photography. There are some very simple tips that will have a big impact on your photos.
Some of the topics we will cover in the months to come are:
- Cleaning up the clutter in your pictures.
- Making sure you have a defined focal point.
- Learning how to take sunrise/sunset pictures well.
- Understanding composition.
- Understanding the Rule of Thirds.
- Filling your frame.
- Learning how much perspective matters and how to use it.
- Creating a meme.
If there are other things you’d like to learn about, or have a question about, please let me know! You can find me over at my blog, www.marydenman.blogspot.com writing about life and lots more photography tips.
Baden-Baden Sunset
I’m excited to join you here and hope that I can inspire you to pick up your camera more often and learn how to take better photos!
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Mary Denman: Why is #Photography Important to #Bloggers? @RealMojo68 @MaryDenman #amwriting
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley
Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.
As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.
Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.
Mar 11, 2013
The last few weeks have been as busy as ever. Never could I have imagined the bulk of my work for the Cookbook would come after the success of the Kickstarter campaign! But here it is, and I’m filling hours with orders for merchandise, approving final edits, managing mail lists… what a great, exhausting time this is!
Are you ready for a surprise? Until just about ten days ago, I assumed the cover for the Second Edition would be the same. That is, until I received this flavorful photo.
Hot Dog Casserole
And then I got to thinking… and talking with my Designer. Who put two and two together and came up with a new cover. I can’t possibly tell you how incredibly impressed I am with his talents. Especially when they gift me with something like this.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition
Speaking of talents, Dot put her heart and soul into sketching the cover for my next project, ‘A Study on the Ten Commandments’. This is what her sketch looks like.
Ten Commandments Stone
And this is what it looks like with the title.
Ten Commandments Cover
I can’t begin to tell you how utterly amazed I am at how fast this new project is coming about. And just this weekend I realized how I can accomplish my next project. But that’s a surprise for now… for most of you!
My work here is done, at least for tonight.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 26, 2012 |
Two days ago I came up with the idea to start a Photo Challenge on Instagram. Little did I know, you would eagerly await the start on December 1st!
I’ve received some wonderful comments and suggestions. But the best help of all was when Dot showed me how to make a better posting for it.
I went from this:
To this:
I changed just a few of the challenges. I hope you’ll participate; I can’t wait to see everyone’s photos!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
