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January 16: Off-Center Focus (Photography Challenge)
Welcome to Day 16 of MOC! Isn't it exciting, we're past the halfway point of the month now! I am excited to be hosting a photography challenge for you today.
CHALLENGE REQUIREMENT:
***Below, I've provided samples and links to explain in more detail.
Think of your photograph as being divided into 9 equal grids (3 horizontal and vertical intersecting lines). When you use the rule of thirds you avoid placing your subject in the center of the frame, instead you place your subject somewhere in the framing of your shot so that they are on one of those intersecting lines (thus, they will be off-center either horizontally or vertically, over one of the grid lines). This creates more visual interest.
Some cameras have the capability to show the rule of thirds grid lines when looking through the viewfinder of your camera but don't worry, if not, just eyeball it, just imagine those lines. You don't need to be exact either. A simple way to do it is to just take your centered subject and move them a bit to the left or right and/or up or down in the framing before you take your photo. If you prefer though, you can also achieve this off-center placement in editing, by cropping your photo to shift from a mid point (if there is room around your subject, so this would not work for a close-up/macro shot).
By placing your subject off-center, you might convey movement/direction in your photo.
In this sample, the area of focus rests on the middle rider. Placing him, along with the other riders in the upper left portion of the frame directly affects the balance of the composition, giving a sense of movement, of direction, as they are riding off to the left of the frame. This is an effective way to communicate dynamic movement.
In this sample, the hiker is off-center, in the left portion of the framing, conveying a sense of movement, of moving uphill.
Off-center placement can also help to create context for the subject. By placing the subject off-center and allowing more of the background in the framing of your photo, you are capturing more details about the background, how it relates to the subject, as in this sample.
CHALLENGE REQUIREMENTS:
****Enjoy the additional links and videos with further information you might find useful****
CAMERA APERTURE: some cameras have the capability of changing the aperture to apply the sharpest focus to your subject while the background/foreground appears blurred with a bokeh effect. This helps to enhance the focus on your subject but is not a required or necessary step for this challenge. But....if you have a camera that allows an aperture adjustment and would like to learn more about this feature, here is a short video by Jared Polin (who is just fun to watch, he's so entertaining) that will help explain aperture.
To learn more about rule of thirds, off-center composition, please enjoy reading these articles.
http://www.techradar.com/how-to/pho...f-photo-composition-and-why-they-work-1320770
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/courses/simple/place-your-subject-off-center/
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/5058631297/photo-tip-left-of-center
https://petapixel.com/2015/03/16/9-photo-composition-tips-as-seen-in-photographs-by-steve-mccurry/
https://www.photoworkout.com/foucs-off-center-compositions/
Here is a Youtube video explaining the rule of thirds (off-center subject framing)
***Of note***
If you would like to learn how to enhance your off-centered subject, please join me for the Slow Scrap tonight, January 16, 2018 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time. We'll be using blend modes and other layer adjustments. Hope you join me!
Welcome to Day 16 of MOC! Isn't it exciting, we're past the halfway point of the month now! I am excited to be hosting a photography challenge for you today.
CHALLENGE REQUIREMENT:
- You will need to take a new photo or use an old photo that meets the criteria for "off-center (rule of thirds)".
- You will create a layout, using this photo (you may use additional photos as long as you use the one that is "off-center".
***Below, I've provided samples and links to explain in more detail.
Think of your photograph as being divided into 9 equal grids (3 horizontal and vertical intersecting lines). When you use the rule of thirds you avoid placing your subject in the center of the frame, instead you place your subject somewhere in the framing of your shot so that they are on one of those intersecting lines (thus, they will be off-center either horizontally or vertically, over one of the grid lines). This creates more visual interest.
Some cameras have the capability to show the rule of thirds grid lines when looking through the viewfinder of your camera but don't worry, if not, just eyeball it, just imagine those lines. You don't need to be exact either. A simple way to do it is to just take your centered subject and move them a bit to the left or right and/or up or down in the framing before you take your photo. If you prefer though, you can also achieve this off-center placement in editing, by cropping your photo to shift from a mid point (if there is room around your subject, so this would not work for a close-up/macro shot).
By placing your subject off-center, you might convey movement/direction in your photo.
In this sample, the area of focus rests on the middle rider. Placing him, along with the other riders in the upper left portion of the frame directly affects the balance of the composition, giving a sense of movement, of direction, as they are riding off to the left of the frame. This is an effective way to communicate dynamic movement.
In this sample, the hiker is off-center, in the left portion of the framing, conveying a sense of movement, of moving uphill.
Off-center placement can also help to create context for the subject. By placing the subject off-center and allowing more of the background in the framing of your photo, you are capturing more details about the background, how it relates to the subject, as in this sample.
CHALLENGE REQUIREMENTS:
- Please take a new photo or use an old photo, where the subject is off-center, to use in your layout design.
- Create a new layout for the challenge, using that photo with the off-centered subject (you may then use additional photos in your layout design).
- Uploaded to the TLP Gallery (not an outside hosting site).
- Posted in your page thread you created in the MOC Layouts Folder. You should have one post per completed challenge page. If you complete all 31 challenges, your thread should contain 31 posts. Please do not comment in the participants’ page threads so we can keep them clean.
- Posted in this thread. People can comment here if they wish.
****Enjoy the additional links and videos with further information you might find useful****
CAMERA APERTURE: some cameras have the capability of changing the aperture to apply the sharpest focus to your subject while the background/foreground appears blurred with a bokeh effect. This helps to enhance the focus on your subject but is not a required or necessary step for this challenge. But....if you have a camera that allows an aperture adjustment and would like to learn more about this feature, here is a short video by Jared Polin (who is just fun to watch, he's so entertaining) that will help explain aperture.
To learn more about rule of thirds, off-center composition, please enjoy reading these articles.
http://www.techradar.com/how-to/pho...f-photo-composition-and-why-they-work-1320770
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/courses/simple/place-your-subject-off-center/
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/5058631297/photo-tip-left-of-center
https://petapixel.com/2015/03/16/9-photo-composition-tips-as-seen-in-photographs-by-steve-mccurry/
https://www.photoworkout.com/foucs-off-center-compositions/
Here is a Youtube video explaining the rule of thirds (off-center subject framing)
***Of note***
If you would like to learn how to enhance your off-centered subject, please join me for the Slow Scrap tonight, January 16, 2018 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time. We'll be using blend modes and other layer adjustments. Hope you join me!
