Rain, rain go away...or not?

Muddy uniforms can add additional interest to sports images.

As a sports photographer I have been cold, baked, drenched, and even cold and drenched while on assignment at an event.  Yet, while being wet on a late fall, or winter, evening is no ones opinion of fun, I have captured some rather unique moments in--to quote a former high school assistant marching band director of mine--passing moisture moments.

Better Photgraphy Tip #2: Using Aperture to Control Focus

Take a look at most cameras and chances are you will notice a setting on your camera's dial either marked by an "A" or "Av." This is your camera's aperture priority setting and it can be a useful tool in taking better photos. Besides controlling the amount of light that is allowed to pass through the lens, the camera's aperture also controls the "depth of field." Defined simply, "depth of field" is the amount of "stuff" that is in focus in an image. This can be very useful when you either want to show the vastness of a scene, or you want the viewer to focus on one thing in an image. To create a photo, say for example, a landscape, that shows the vastness of a scene, you will a large depth of field. This can be achieved by setting your camera's aperture to a high
f-stop number (ie: f32, f16, f11) (Note: An f-stop is the measurement of the opening in the aperture). On the other hand, if you want a picture that is focused on one particular subject, a shallow depth of field is a good way to achieve this. To get a photo with a shallow depth of field, set your camera's aperture to a low f-stop number (ie: 2.8, 4, 5.6).

A photo with a large depth of field.

The same subject in a photo with a low depth of field.

Better Photography Tip #1: The Rule of Thirds and a Sense of Place

Given that "rules" in photography, and art for that matter, are not hard and fast, I am willing to bet that there a are a few professional photographers out there that may not agree with the Rule of Thirds as a tip for better photography. However, I personally believe that in order to break the rules, and be effective with it, you have to know the rules first.

To use the Rule of Thirds, first imagine that your scene is divided equally into three sections, both horizontally and vertically, so that you have a 3x3 grid. (Some point and shoot cameras actually have a mode that allows you to see this grid on the the LCD screen when taking pictures.)

Next, put the subject of your photo on or near one of the points where the grid lines meet (or along one of the grid lines themselves) and snap the photo. This rule can also be applied when photographing landscapes. In that instance, the horizon is generally placed on or near one of the horizontal gridlines.

As a side note, an advantage to using the Rule of Thirds is that it better places your subject in a setting becase you can see more of the background, even if that is not the focus of the image.