WPFMA :- Hints and Tips
Hints and Tips for Photographers. (v1)
A series of hints and tips have been put together to provide guidance for photographers.
- Content should be interesting, original, and creative to convey an idea, an emotion, a message or a purpose. The subject can be quite mundane, provided that the photographer has demonstrated an interesting approach, showing us something that we may otherwise have missed.
- Composition. is central to the attraction of an image and should bring all the visual elements together harmoniously, so as to express the purpose of the image. Effective composition immediately attracts the Adjudicators to the image and should prompt them to look where the photographer intended. Good composition will normally lead the viewer to the main point of interest. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest, and occasionally there will be no specific point to look at if the entire scene collectively serves as one focus of interest.
- Impact. This is where the statement above is thrown out of the window and the subject may ignore the rule of thirds and be on the edge of the picture or walking out of it. These are images that can instantly evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, admiration or wonder.
- The use and control of light is the essence of photography and critical in entries to this distinction. The effective use of light, natural or manmade, can add excitement to a photograph, enhancing its story telling and impact. This is particularly relevant to landscape and architectural photography where time of day can have such a dramatic effect.
- Story Telling. How the image communicates with the viewer to help them understand why it was taken.
- Colour Balance. The use of colours and tones in an image. An image in which the tones work together, effectively supporting the image, can enhance harmony. Of course, a lack of harmony can be used for effect, to evoke negative feelings. In some pictures it may be more suitable to use monochrome where colour could be confusing the image.
- Technique. How the photographer has approached the subject; the viewpoint, lens chosen, focus and other camera settings? How much has the photographer thought about the image to give depth or a three dimensional feel. For example in landscapes early morning or late evening using a telephoto lens can often give great depth and recession to an image.
- Presentation. The degree of skill in processing and printing – appropriate to the level applied for. We specify a standard size of mount, (but you may cut the aperture to suite your photograph), and pixel length. Things we have noticed are:- the use of an antique white board has greater flexibility in showing off prints and having a 2 pxl keyline in light grey applied after sizing to the image helps separate it from the background.