windows to the soul

Whew! That last tip was more on the technical side. After covering it, however, we can move on to some other related tips.



Without a doubt, taking pictures of people is one of the main uses for our cameras. Now that we have a better idea of where in the picture to place our focal points, I want to stress that, in most instances, the eyes should be our focal points when photographing people. They are the first thing we look at when we look at a face.

The eyes, as they say, are the "windows to the soul".





Knowing then the importance of the eyes, we can keep the following pointers in mind as we take our pictures:

• we can treat the eyes as the focal points if we choose to apply the rule of thirds.
• we should make sure that we can, at least, see the eyes when we take ours pictures! (believe me, I take so many pictures where I can't see the eyes... I just don't show them to anybody ;)
• after downloading from my camera, if I see images with the eyes out of focus, I usually end up deleting them. This is because I enjoy seeing the eyes that much. I think they are that important. I think they are that beautiful.

Smile, beautiful eyes!

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rule of thirds

Of all the tips, I think that following (or, rather, understanding) the Rule of Thirds may make the biggest difference in the quality of your photos.

The Rule of Thirds is a guideline used by painters to help create more 'energy' or interest in their compositions than simply centering the subject would. Essentially, you equally divide your viewfinder using two vertical lines and two horizontal lines to form a grid. You then compose your scene so that your features align with the grid, or so that your focal point falls generally on one of the four intersection points.



Hopefully, the following examples help to better understand the concept. Click on the photos to see the grid lines and observe how the features line up with them.

Of the items in this photo, attention tends to be drawn towards the knight because (1) it aligns generally at the third, (2) it happens to be the piece most in focus, and (3) it is the most brightly lit piece. (More discussion on lighting and its effects in the future).

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As with many rules, this rule is widely considered a guideline only. Strictly following any set of rules tends to make your photos predictable. However, I believe that understanding and applying the concept is the first step to learning how to visualize things a little differently.

jte