Merchandising Graphics

Week 1 - Intro to Digital Photography

 

In this class you will be doing all your own photography using a digital camera.

1. Make sure you bring your cable to class!  I have a standard cable, but your camera may require a docking station, or special cable to connect with the PC's.

2.  Usually a wizard will guide you through the process automatically.  Be sure you remember wherer you saved your photos!  Make a backup.

3.  Tips on photography for your book.

• best to have the light source over your shoulder.  Otherwise your foreground will be dark and the background too light.

• If you take a photo when the light is too bland and there is not enough contrast, your image will be difficult to see and will have little impact.

• When you are taking photos of people, make their face fill the frame.  Don't be afraid of getting close!

• It is possible to take photos looking into the sun and you can get some interesting lighting effects.  BUT be careful.  If there was a person in the following photo, their face would be in shadow and almost impossible to see.

• Not everything has to be in focus and a blur can suggest action and movement which is more interesting and dynamic.

• Try getting close and low to your subject.  Interesting and unusual angles are a great way to introduce some variety to your photos.  Think in terms of shapes, and angles, and light. 

• Try taking some photos at night with only the flash illuminating your subject.  You get a dark background with a well lit subject.

• There is a setting on your camera that is called white balance.  Make sure it is set to auto.  Otherwise your outside photos will be too blue and inside photos too yellow.

• You can take photos that you know will be combined with others.  In this case the image would make a nice background texture on which you might composite another image of, for example, a piece of jewlery or a model who would seem like she is standing in the air.

• Show your products in use!  You don't have to be conventional with your models just standing there.

• Be unconventional....write on your photos. 

• Try a collage of multiple small images on one topic instead of 1 or 2 large ones.  Maybe arrange them around a central image of your products.  Tell a story....

• Your subject doesn't have to always be in the center of the photo.  Break the rules!

• Recolor your images with desaturate->Quick Mask mode to select the T-shirt->fill shirt selection with color->use blending mode to blend color.