Introduction: A tall building rises from the ground. To learn any knowledge, you must start with the basics. To take good photos, you must first master basic photography knowledge.

1. The correct way to hold the camera

Among the basic knowledge of photography, the most important thing is to hold the camera steady. No matter how well you master other photography elements and techniques, as long as there is vibration at the moment of shooting, the quality of the photo will be greatly reduced due to image blur.

Although a tripod can be used to reduce the possibility of vibration, more often than not, hand-held cameras are used for shooting, and during the decisive moment, the photographer is often not allowed to spend time setting up the camera. Tripod and secure camera.

Compared with traditional cameras, digital cameras have higher requirements for shooting stability. This is because electronic components require an extra period of time to store information, often called "lag."

1. The correct posture of holding the phone

Whether you are standing, sitting or kneeling, the correct posture of holding the phone should be:

(1) , Hold the handshake position on the side of the camera with your right hand, and lightly touch the shutter button with your index finger to prepare for shooting at any time.

(2). Hold the bottom of the camera body with the palm of your left hand, and hold the camera with your thumb and index finger to stabilize the lens.

(3). Keep your arms close to your body, try to maintain a natural drooping state and move closer to your body. Never hunch your shoulders. Because shooting with your shoulders hunched for a long time will cause fatigue in your shoulder joints, making it more difficult to stabilize the camera.

(4) When holding the camera vertically to shoot, generally the left hand is at the bottom and the right hand is at the top. Pay attention to the left arm being close to the body.

2. Precautions when taking pictures while standing or sitting down

(1) When taking pictures while standing, you should spread your feet slightly, or stand in a forward and backward manner, so that the entire body can be weight flat on your feet. It will be better if you can rely on some fixed objects, such as leaning against a tree trunk or wall.

(2) The stability of sitting down for photography is already very high, but you can still use external objects to further stabilize your body. Relying on the back of a chair or a table is a good choice.

3. Precautions when kneeling down to take pictures

When kneeling down to take pictures, the left foot should be arched, the right foot should be kneeling, and the left hand holding the bottom of the fuselage should be supported on the arched on the left foot. Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to stabilize the body when shooting in a kneeling position. It is best to rely on fixed objects, such as trees, walls, etc.

4. The important role of the camera strap

Put the camera strap on your wrist, hold it in the tiger's mouth, wrap it twice and then tighten it, pass your thumb through the loop and then hold it tightly The camera integrates the camera and the right hand into one, which not only reduces the tremor of the hand, but also allows the camera to be held when accidentally letting go, preventing it from falling to the ground and being damaged.

2. The use of light

Photos are artistic products of light and shadow. It is not an exaggeration to call light the soul of photography. To take good photos, you must master the key element of light.

1. Nature of light

(1) Direct light

In sunny weather, the sun shines directly on the subject without any obstruction. The side that receives the light will produce bright shades, and the side that does not receive direct light will form obvious shadows. This kind of light is called "direct light". Under direct light, there will be a very obvious contrast between the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface, so it is easy to produce a three-dimensional effect.

When the sun is blocked by thin clouds, the sunlight will still penetrate through the white clouds and diffuse. At this time, the lighting contrast will be reduced, which is very suitable for portrait photography.

(2) Scattered light

On a cloudy day, the sunlight is blocked by clouds and cannot shine directly on the subject. It can only reach the subject through an intermediate medium or through reflection. On objects, light will scatter, and this type of light is called "scattered light". Since the light-receiving surface and shadow surface formed by scattered light are not obvious, the contrast between light and dark is also weak, and the changes in light and shadow are smoother, the resulting effect is relatively dull and soft.

Direct light will produce light with strong contrast, resulting in thicker shadows, less tonal changes, and harder lines and tones in the captured image. And "scattered light" will produce light with weak contrast, so the shadows will be lighter, the tonal changes will be richer, and softer and softer image lines and tones will be produced. Therefore, photographers should choose appropriate light according to different situations.

2. Different directions of light projection

When shooting the same scene, using light projected from different directions will produce different effects.

(1) Smooth light

The light that comes from behind the camera and hits the subject from the front is called "smooth light". The characteristics of "Front Light" lighting are: most of the objects being photographed are directly illuminated, the shadow area is not large, and the tone of the object is relatively bright. The light and dark contrast formed by this kind of light is weak, and the three-dimensional sense of the object cannot be reflected mainly by the lighting light, but is expressed by its own fluctuations. Therefore, the three-dimensional effect is weak.

(2) Front side light

The light projected from the left rear or right rear of the camera to the subject is called "front side light". Most of the objects that receive light will receive light, and the resulting bright surface will be large, so the shadow tone will be brighter. The area of ??shadows produced by the objects without light will not be too large, but the light and dark distribution and three-dimensional shape of the objects can be expressed. This type of light can not only retain a brighter tone, but also show the three-dimensional shape of the subject.

(3) Side light

The light coming from the left or right side of the camera is called "side light". It allows half of the subject to receive light, while the other half is in shadow, which is beneficial to expressing the undulating state of the subject.

Since "side light" lighting increases the shadow area of ??the object, the tone of the picture is neither bright nor dark, but mixed light and dark, and is not as bright as that produced by "front light" and "front side light" , but not too gloomy. The three-dimensional form will perform better.

(4) Side backlight

The light coming from the front left or right of the camera is called "side backlight". It creates a small part of the light-receiving surface and a large part of the shadow surface of the object, so the tone will be darker. The three-dimensional feeling produced by this lighting method on the object will be better than that of "smooth light", but it is still weak.

(5) Backlight

Backlight is the light coming from behind the subject and facing the camera from the front. The subject is mostly in shadow. Because the contrast of light is weak, the three-dimensional effect is also weak, and the tone is gloomy. However, "backlighting" can be used to outline the silhouette and outline of an object. It can also highlight the texture and shape of the object and clearly show the lines of the object. Using "backlight" in bright weather will create a strong contrast.

(6) Top light

The light coming from above the subject is called "top light". The sun's rays at midday are a good example. Top light often creates strong shadows on the subject. If used for portrait photography, dark shadows will be formed on the face, such as under the nose, eye sockets, and under the jaw.

(7) Bottom light

The light source of "backlight" is located below the subject. This kind of light is less common in daily life experience, so it has weird and dramatic effects, and is rarely used in general photography situations.

3. Contrast of light

Contrast refers to the relationship between the brightest and darkest tones of the subject.

The so-called "strong contrast" means that the difference between the brightest part and the darkest part of the subject's body is large, and the change from the brightest to the darkest is very drastic, and the contrast is very strong. On the contrary, "weak contrast" means that the difference between the brightest part and the darkest part is not too big. The change from the brightest to the darkest part is very smooth, making the color tone very rich.

3. Photography composition

Composition is to deal with the relationship between people, scenery and objects within the limited space of the photo, and to arrange the three in the best position in the picture to form a The process of creating a specific structure for the picture.

The main purpose of composition is to emphasize and highlight the theme scenery, while appropriately arranging tedious and secondary things as foils. Good composition makes photos look even, stable, comfortable, and regular, and can guide the eye to the subject point. Improper composition will lead to problems such as clutter, unbalanced left and right, top-heavy, and lack of visual focus due to too many subjects.

1. Composition precautions

To obtain a good photographic composition, you must pay attention to the following points:

(1) The photo should not be too monotonous. Otherwise the photo will look dull. But it shouldn’t be too complicated or it will feel confusing.

(2) Choose a suitable background. A good background not only helps to set off the subject and highlight the protagonist, but also enriches the content of the photo and adds color to the picture.

(3) Understand the relationship between people, scenery, and objects in the photo, and arrange them appropriately to express the theme effectively and avoid overestimating the subject.

(4) Consider the color contrast of each scene. Sharp contrast can help highlight a subject, but confusing colors can have the opposite effect.

(5) It is necessary to master the angle of light and the resulting light and dark shadows, which will affect the color and effect of the photo.

(6) Make more use of changes in lighting, perspective, overlap and shadow patterns, which will help to add a three-dimensional feel to a flat photo.

2. Use different shooting angles to create different compositions

Most photographed objects are three-dimensional and they show many sides. There are front, side, back, top and bottom surfaces. Shooting the same subject from different directions and angles will cause the picture to show a variety of composition effects. Therefore, before shooting, you should observe and compare objects from different directions and angles to find the best, most expressive and vivid viewpoint to find the most suitable composition.

(1) Frontal shooting.

Front-on shooting is the most commonly used photography angle. Shooting from the front produces a stately, steady composition. But smooth lines and symmetrical structures can also appear dull due to a lack of perspective. And in many cases, the three-dimensional sense of the object cannot be highlighted because the objects receive similar lighting conditions.

(2) Side shot.

Using an oblique photography angle, the original parallel lines on the picture become diagonal lines, giving a sense of depth, which can lead people's eyes deeper and enhance the three-dimensional sense. And extending the line of sight along the diagonal line will also make the picture more vivid. As the angle of the oblique side changes, the perspective effect will also change interestingly.

(3) Shooting looking up.

Looking up shooting refers to shooting from an angle diagonally upward, and is mostly used to shoot tall scenery. This kind of shooting angle can not only capture the panoramic view of tall scenery, but also create a perspective feeling of vertical ground lines converging upward. It can also highlight the towering characteristics of the object and increase the sense of oppression.

(4) Shooting from above.

To shoot from above is to shoot from top to bottom. Looking down from a high place can capture a wide range of scenery, so it is often used in wide-angle landscape photography. Using the overhead shooting method in portrait photography can bring a slender effect to the protagonist.

3. The "Rule of Thirds" of composition

The "Rule of Thirds" was proposed by Greek mathematicians. Photographers can often take many harmonious and pleasing photos by applying it to the composition of photos. The specific method is: use two straight lines and two horizontal lines to divide the picture into 9 squares of the same size. When shooting, place your subject at the intersection of straight and horizontal lines.

The rule of thirds can be applied to any photography of people and scenery.

4. Selection of background and foreground

The difference in color, shape, line, texture, light and shade between the background or foreground and the theme will create contrast and highlight the theme. Use.

(1) Simple and soft background.

A simple background will not take away the status of the theme and will help highlight the theme. But a background that is too simple and monotonous will make the photo too dull.

(2) Avoid cluttered backgrounds.

A messy background will make the photo look very confusing, and even worse, it will make it difficult to identify the subject.

(3) Avoid too many people and things in the foreground.

If there are too many people and objects in the foreground, it will be difficult to highlight the subject, which will seriously damage the overall effect of the photo.

5. Basic patterns of photographic composition

(1) The composition is balanced and stable

Balance is balance. It is distinguished from symmetry. The picture composed in this form is not a one-to-one correspondence between the shapes, quantities, sizes, and arrangements of the scenery on the left and right sides, but different arrangements of equal or similar shapes, quantities, and sizes, which gives people visual stability and is a kind of The balance of responses of special shapes and quantities is an artistic balance that makes use of perspective rules and visual habits such as near weight and far light, near weight and far light, near weight and far light, depth and weight, shallow light, etc. Of course, equilibrium also includes symmetrical equilibrium.

Balanced composition gives people a sense of tranquility and stability, but does not have the dull and lifeless appearance of absolute symmetry. Therefore, it is a commonly used form by photographers in composition. Balance has also become the key to photographic composition. One of the basic requirements.

To form a balanced composition, the key is to choose a good balance point (balanced object). What is a balance point? This must be found from the perspective of artistic effect. As long as the position is appropriate, small objects can balance with large objects, distant objects can also balance with nearby objects, and moving objects can also balance static objects. Objects, low scenery can also balance high scenery. It is necessary to practice and learn more to make good use of this artistic skill.

(2) Breaking the balance

With the development and progress of society, some trendy photographers believe that balance is not exciting and does not reflect the pace and characteristics of life in the new era. They advocate breaking the balance, and they also practice their views and produce some unbalanced works. We call the composition of these works unbalanced composition. Life is diverse, and there are both balance and imbalance in real life. The form can be chosen arbitrarily as long as it meets the needs of the content and creative intent.

Unbalanced composition has the characteristics of instability, disharmony, tension, excitement, and turmoil. It is ideal to express the momentum from the scene image; it has advantages from the psychological reflection to express restless emotions, uncoordinated movements or inconsistent attention and different expressions; such as showing the cruelty of war, revolutionary storm, Good visual effects can also be achieved in scenes such as messy scenes.

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(3) Frame composition

Frame composition uses some foreground to frame the subject. Commonly used ones include branches, arches, beautifully decorated railings and hall doors. This composition naturally focuses attention on the subject and helps to highlight it. On the other hand, sharply focused borders, while attractive, can work against the subject.

Therefore, frame-type compositions are often coordinated with the adjustment of aperture and depth of field to make the scenery around the subject clear or blurred, so that people can naturally focus on the subject.

(4) Right-angled triangle composition

A right-angled triangle composition generally uses one vertical side of the picture as one right-angled side of the triangle, and the base as the other right-angled side of the triangle. This kind of composition mostly pays attention to the directionality of the subject. The moving direction or facing of the scene should be facing the hypotenuse of the triangle, leaving space in front of the moving object or the facing of the scene to provide a way out.

The composition in the form of a right-angled triangle can be used in either banners or vertical pictures. Its characteristic is that the vertical straight lines can show the towering scenery, and the bottom horizontal lines have a sense of stability, stability, and are full of movement. It has the dual advantages of the right triangle form and the inverted triangle form composition. At the same time, the left and right right-angled sides are flexible and changeable. It is very popular among photographers, so it is often used.

The flexibility of the composition of the right-angled triangle form is also reflected in the fact that it can be used with a long base or a short vertical side or a short base or a long vertical side. As long as one of the three corners can form a right angle, this type of composition can be used. Formal composition.

(5) Circular composition

Circular composition arranges the scenery in the center of the picture, and the center of the circle is the visual center. The circular composition looks like a united group, which is represented by a schematic diagram, forming a circle in the center of the picture.

Circular composition, in addition to circular objects expressing their circles in this way, there are actually many scenes where circular composition can be used to express unity, both in form and in will. . For example, many people are signing autographs around a heroic model, many children are listening to the old man telling stories attentively, children are playing games in a circle, etc., you can choose a circular composition.

The circular composition gives people a sense of unity and no sense of looseness, but this composition mode lacks vitality, impact, and vitality.

(6) S-shaped composition

The S-shape is actually a curve, but this curve is a regular and stereotyped curve. The S shape has the advantage of a curve, which is beautiful, full of vitality and charm. At the same time, the reader's line of sight moves in depth along with the S-shape, which can effectively express the sense of space and depth of the scene.

There are two types of S-shaped compositions: vertical and horizontal. The vertical can express the depth of the scene, while the horizontal can express the breadth of the scene. The S-shaped composition focuses on the overall image that is closely combined with lines and tones, rather than on the internal connections or echoes between the scenes.

The S-shaped composition is most suitable for expressing the curvaceous scenery. In natural scenery photography, you can choose winding rivers, winding paths in courtyards, winding paths in mines, etc.; in large-scale photography, you can choose scenes such as queues for shopping, parades, etc.; when shooting at night, you can choose winding paths. The trajectory of street lights and car lights, etc.

(7) Cross-shaped composition

The cross-shaped composition is the vertical intersection of a vertical line and a horizontal line. It gives people a sense of stability, solemnity and seriousness, expresses maturity and mystery, and is healthy and upward. Because the cross is most reminiscent of the cross of the church, the red cross of the medical department, etc., it creates a sense of mystery.

In a cross-shaped composition, it is not advisable to make the horizontal and vertical lines the same length. Generally, it is better to make the vertical line longer and the horizontal line shorter; the intersection point of the two lines should not be divided into equal parts, especially the vertical line. Generally, the upper half is shorter and the lower half is shorter. Half a little longer is better. Because the two lines are the same length and equally divided by the intersection, it gives people a sense of symmetry. The lack of omission and momentum will weaken its expressive power.

Cross-shaped composition scenes are not always a simple intersection of two horizontal and vertical lines, but scenes that are similar to a cross-shaped composition can use a cross-shaped composition. For example, in a frontal portrait, the head and upper body can be viewed as vertical lines, and the left and right shoulders can be viewed as horizontal lines; the height and horizontal structure of a building, etc. It can also be said that anything that can form a cross-shaped image visually can be used in a cross-shaped composition.

4. Aperture, shutter, focus, depth of field

The control of exposure mainly depends on the size of the aperture and the speed of the shutter. To learn to shoot manually, you must learn how to coordinate aperture and shutter settings.

1. The relationship between exposure and aperture

The aperture is a hole in the camera lens that can change in size. It controls the amount of light entering the lens. Holding other factors constant, the wider the aperture, the more light will enter through the lens. It's like a window in a room, the wider it opens, the more light comes in.

The value of the aperture is usually expressed by the f-stop value. It should be noted that the larger the f-stop value, the smaller the aperture is. For example: the aperture of f16 is smaller than the aperture of f8.

When the shutter speed remains unchanged, the size of the aperture determines the lightness and darkness of the photo. If the aperture is too large, the exposure will be overexposed and the photo will be completely white. If the aperture is too small, the exposure will be insufficient and the photo will be pitch black.

2. The relationship between exposure and shutter

The shutter is a gate that controls the entry of light. Holding other factors constant, the higher the shutter speed, the less light will enter through the lens. vice versa. It is equivalent to the length of time the window is open.

Both aperture and shutter can control exposure. Their combination is the main factor in controlling exposure and affects each other. If you close the aperture one level (for example, from f/4 to f/5.6) and double the shutter speed (for example, from 1/60 to 1/30), the exposure will be the same.

3. The importance of focus

Focusing refers to the process of adjusting the focal length of the lens to make the image the clearest after pointing the lens at the subject. Only when the focus is correct can the image be clear, otherwise the image will be blurry.

4. The relationship between depth of field, aperture, distance and focal length

Depth of field refers to the scene we want to shoot, and depth is the depth range of clarity. When the lens focuses on the shooting target, this corresponds to a clear image on the CCD sensor. Scenery within a certain range in front and behind it can also be recorded more clearly. This range is the depth of field.

The greater the depth of field, the greater the clear range of deep scenes. The smaller the depth of field, the smaller the clear range of deep scenes.

The three major factors that affect the depth of field are:

(1) Aperture: When the focal length and distance of the lens remain unchanged, the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field, and vice versa.

(2) Distance: When the focal length and aperture of the lens remain unchanged, the closer to the shooting target, the smaller the depth of field, and the further away from the shooting target, the larger the depth of field.

(3) Focal length: When the distance and aperture remain unchanged, the shorter the focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field. That is, a short focal length lens has a large depth of field and a long focal length lens has a small depth of field.