Category Archives: Composition

Off centre

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Michael Willems

Remember, everyone: use off-centre composition often. Like in these portraits, where I am using the rule of thirds, roughly:     In all of these, I am using the Rule of Thirds to create a visually pleasing composition. (And do … Continue reading →

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Posted on January 30, 2012 by Michael Willems

I did a family shoot this weekend: what a wonderful family of engineers. Great people: How do you do this? Emptied the room. Lit by three speedlights: one bounced, one umbrella’d, and one gelled and flagged, using Honl Photo modifiers. … Continue reading →

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Look in my eyes

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Michael Willems

..or, do not! What I mean is this: for a character portrait, you do not necessarily need eye contact. In fact, often, there is more of a story – more intrigue, more for viewers to work out for themselves, i.e. … Continue reading →

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Snaps with thought

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Michael Willems

It is important, when taking a snap of, say, a tourist destination, to think for a few seconds. Take this image, of a guard at Stockholm’s Royal Palace: A snapshot, but one I thought about for a bit. I got … Continue reading →

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Shoot vertical!

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Michael Willems

Remember – a very very quick tip today – that when you shoot one or two people, it’s often best to shoot vertical. Turn your camera a quarter turn – shutter above, not below – and fill the frame, and … Continue reading →

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Environment

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Michael Willems

I like people in their environment, and I like to picture them in it. A short word about that, today. Last night, I made kid and family portraits of a very nice family. Mostly straight four-light portraits against a backdrop, … Continue reading →

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So wrong

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Michael Willems

The UK, in my experience, is one of the worst places in the world for photography. Photography on Trafalger Square? forbidden if it is “professional”. And now this, Aldwych Station, London, UK: Of course this shows the UK’s obsession with … Continue reading →

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Be A Cyclops

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Michael Willems

You know that feeling? You see something impressive, like the Grand Canyon, and when you get home your pictures are… blaah. Not impressive, they just don’t do it justice. That is because when you are there, you are moving around … Continue reading →

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I wanna know…

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Michael Willems

….haveyou ever seen the rain? With a tip of the hat to CCR, I do wonder if we look at rain the right way. Rain, especially in winter or at night, is great weather to take pictures. This snap, although it is … Continue reading →

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Sometimes you tilt…

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Michael Willems

…just to get it all in. Remember, the diagonal is longer than the two sides of a square. So if you cannot get it all in – tilt! As in this church: Is that allowed? Absolutely! Does it work? Yes, often it … Continue reading →

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