With new technology, a good photograph doesn't necessarily have to come from a professional. Cameras the size of a mouse can produce images similar to those seen on the sides of buildings in New York City, and even cell phones can produce decent shots.
Twenty years from now, we will be rifling through photo albums on facebook wondering who the heck that beautifully possessed red-eyed demon was standing next to us in a basement in University Heights.
Junior history major Joshua Walther has already found those ruined images from freshman year on his personal computer.
"Photographs hold a dream-like quality that helps you reanimate a sequence of events in time which occurred when the picture was taken," he said.
Now, blurry overexposed photos that look like a preview for the next Terminator movie, an epidemic of poor photography, can be held at bay for even the most amateur of photographers.
Daniel Calleri, the instructional support technician for the Department of Visual Studies has shed some light on a few tips that could greatly improve your photography:
Compose each shot. Often times a noisy background can be very distracting. You want viewers to be drawn to the subject, so try to find plain backgrounds such as the sky, so they can stand out.
"Small things such as poles going through the subject's head can ruin an image," Calleri said, referring to background objects. "Be aware of what is going on around the subject."
Sophomore photography major Kari Schwartz treats the viewfinder of her camera as if it were the "canvas of a painting." Directing the subject as well as the camera may give each image a stronger aesthetic appeal.
"I look for composition and texture," Schwartz said. "I try to view photographs with an artistic rather than a casual 'walking down the street' eye."
Correcting color. Calleri mentions that when shooting indoors and under artificial light, sometimes the colors may seem green under a fluorescent light. This has to do with the temperature of the lights illuminating the room. Most cameras are set on "Auto-White Balance" and are usually pretty accurate in determining how hot or cold the lights are.
"Sometimes the meter on the camera can be thrown off by the different lights in the room," Calleri said. "You can change the white balance in your camera by going in the menu and adjusting it manually."
Using flash. When taking a photograph at night, the flash is almost always the go-to setting. But few know that flash can also help to supplement your photographs during the day.
Calleri suggests reading the owner's manual of the camera and finding out how to use the "fill flash" option. This useful tool highlights areas of the subject that otherwise would be black as a result of strong light casting a shadow over areas like the eyes, mouth and neck.
"You should try to figure out the limitations of your flash," he said.
For big groups, or when taking pictures of people in the distance, the flash may not completely illuminate the subject.
Learning how to use the camera's flash settings can combat red eye and backgrounds that become completed blacked out. Using the "Night Shot" or "Red Eye" mode when taking photographs in the dark or outside will not only reduce the risk of friends looking like demons, but it also will bring some of the background into the photograph by slowing down the camera's shutter speed.
Inspiration. Creating a photograph that will stand out among the rest is not something outside of the average person's grasp. Many look towards magazines and newspapers to discover new ways of playing with light or finding a cool angle.
Schwartz finds inspiration in her monthly subscription to Vogue and Rolling Stone.
"I especially look at the ads and covers for their artistic appeal," she said.
But according to Calleri, the best way to improve is to just shoot. Tips can be helpful, but being familiar with one's camera will greatly increase one's skill level.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
