february-2010

glorious morning lighting. Snow or ice never go
astray either!
What photography gear do you never leave
home without?
Spare memory cards and batteries! And, even
though I bring a serious digital SLR camera, I
always try to bring a trusty little compact pointand-shoot
style camera — ideally waterproof
and shockproof like the Canon Powershot D10
— for those moments you’d otherwise miss.
Your fi ve tips on how to take better
holiday snaps?
1. Rule of thirds: Avoid putting your subject in
the middle — mentally divide your scene into
thirds (both horizontally and vertically) and
position key parts of your photo on these
division lines.
2. Anything but eye-level: Crouch down low and
look up, climb high and point down. Try weird
and wonderful angles!
3. Fill-fl ash outdoors: Don’t be afraid to use
your fl ash in daylight. It can lighten shadows
under someone’s hat, add a sparkle to their
eyes, and so on.
4. Leading lines: Strong lines or curves fl owing
into a photo help lead the viewer’s eye
through the scene to your subject. A fence
line, a trail of footsteps, a pathway — it’ll draw
their gaze into your photo.
5. Depth of fi eld: If you’re using a compact
camera, use ‘landscape mode’ if you want the
foreground and the background in focus (for
a mountain scene), and use ‘portrait mode’
to help your subject stand out against a
blurry background. You control this effect on
your DLSR camera by setting the aperture:
Smaller F# = smaller depth of fi eld.
Five common mistakes people make when
taking photos?
1. Wonky horizons: Check your camera isn’t
crooked before you take the photo!
2. Camera shake: The slightest bit of camera
movement can turn a photo blurry, so hold
the camera properly, rest on something, or
use a tripod.
3. Distracting backgrounds: Position yourself so
that your subject is in front of a simple, plain
background — not busy colours or with poles
seeming to protrude out of people’s heads.
4. Too many, too boring: Before you take a
photo, think to yourself “Why am I taking
this photo?” Too often we come home from
holidays with several hundred mostly useless
photos. After you decide a scene is worth
capturing, rather than taking 60 photos in 60
seconds, spend a minute carefully setting up
one nicely composed photo.
5. Using fl ash on distant objects: Built-in, or
‘pop-up’ fl ashes can’t reach beyond about
fi ve metres. So unless you’re trying to
illuminate something in the foreground,
you’re better off turning the fl ash off, and
making the camera use the ambient light if
you want a properly exposed photo — keep
the camera steady though!
CHRIS BRAY ONE-DAY
PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE:
MELBOURNE @ Melbourne Zoo
• Saturday 6 March
• Sunday 7 March
BRISBANE @ Conrad Treasury
• Saturday 13 March
• Sunday 14 March
ADELAIDE @ Adelaide Zoo
• Sunday 21 March
SYDNEY @ Taronga Zoo
• Saturday 27 March
AUCKLAND @ Butterfl y Creek
wildlife park
• Saturday 10 April
PERTH @ Perth Zoo
• Saturday 24 April
• Sunday 25 April
What does your one-day photography
course cover?
I combine practical and theory sessions,
covering everything from basic composition
through to depth of fi eld, lighting, lenses,
histograms and pro tips. All fully catered
and held in amazing locations around
Australia, our small, friendly groups allow
plenty of one-on-one time. It’s perfect for
beginners right through to keen enthusiast
photographers looking to get serious. Go to
www.ChrisBray.net.
FEBRUARY 2010 17
HOW TO...