C.C.P.I.'s Photographic Mentor Program

22. Silhouette.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:27:00 +0000

22. Silhouette. Sometimes less information is better. this is where you can tell a story with silhouettes. It lets the viewer guess what's happening and allows them to fill in the parts they cannot see. This can be a very powerful form of story telling, give it a try!

21. Negative space.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:37:00 +0000

21. Negative space. Sometimes it's effective to leave some negative space, an area of your image left alone. It leads the eye back to the main subject. Try moving your subject off center and putting some negative space in your images. If you try this vertically, you may end up on the cover of a magazine!

20. Image surprises.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:18:00 +0000

20. Image surprises. Keep shooting. Shoot lots. We are not restricted by 36 exposures anymore! In this image by Elsa Blake, a gull flies into her camera's viewfinder, as she presses the shutter release. It couldn't have been more well placed! It's hard to plan these types of images, but if you can anticipate the possible, keep shooting in case it does!

19. The Eyes have it.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:06:00 +0000

19. The eyes have it. Always focus on your subjects eyes, their window to their souls! Even if the rest of the image is out of focus, keep the eyes sharp. It will grab the viewers attention and make them want to look at your image.

18. Soft Light.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:52:00 +0000

18. Keep the light soft when shooting soft things. A soft light on the subject and the background helps the overall mood of the image. Hard light has it's place, but not when shooting your favorite soft objects.

17. Odd numbers.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:05:00 +0000

17. Odd numbers. Generally speaking, when photographing several similar objects, odd numbers work better. Weather they are lined up or scattered, an odd number of people, flowers, babies or marshmallows works best. Don't know why . . . . it just does!

16. Reflections are our friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:17:00 +0000

16. Reflections are your friends. Use reflections to help tell your story. Whether it's a canoe just out of the water with trees and your friend's reflection or a sunset mirrored in the lake, maybe a passer by looking at someone in a cafe's window. Reflections are often there for us to use, not to fear.

15. Shoot into the Sun!

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:31:00 +0000

15. Shoot into the sun! Never underestimate the power of shooting into the sun. Of course you'll have to get creative and block it either totally or partially, adjust your exposure, and be aware of where the shadows fall, but the results can be worth the planning. Increase the impact of your images by putting that "big light" behind them!

14. Out of Context Subjects

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:22:00 +0000

14. Out of context subjects. Lynn Murphy from New Brunswick has allowed me to use her image to illustrate this idea. Take the viewer by surprise by placing your subject in a location or situation that it normally wouldn't be in! Always keep them guessing!!

13. Monochromatic.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:18:00 +0000

13. Monochromatic. Try it, you will be surprised at the possibilities. It forces you to properly compose, light and design your image. It's like a black & white image, just choose different colours and tones of that colour.

12. Love or Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:33:00 +0000

12. Take images of something that you love or inspires you. You will care more about the outcome, and have more patience. It is possible you already know how that subject will look it's best, so a favorable outcome should follow.

11. Get Real Close!

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:27:00 +0000

11. Get really close! This perspective opens up many new possibilities. Flowers, dirt, folds in skin, eyes, the list is endless. Get real close, and discover a new world!

10. Morning Light

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:40:00 +0000

10. Never underestimate the value of waking up early and shooting the morning light. There is nothing like it. It's magical, animals are out, dew on everything. A great tranquil time to possibly get some of your best images!

9. Side Entrance

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:18:00 +0000

9. Side entrance of your main subject is a great way to switch things up. Especially if they are, or are close to horizontal themselves.

8. A Spot of Colour

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:21:00 +0000

8. A spot of colour can be quite dramatic. Try photographing a colour palette with a splash of a contrasting colour. Sometimes that's all you need to create a powerful image.

7. Rule of Thirds

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:21:00 +0000

7. The Rule of Thirds. This is one of the first rules you are taught in an introductory art class. Put the center of interest in one of the areas, where, if you were to draw lines to divide the image into thirds, the lines intersect. Here the mushroom, or point of interest, is in the upper left intersection point.

6. Tone on Tone

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:20:00 +0000

6. Tone on tone is a great way to present an idea. Try to shoot your subject on the same colour it is, use your lighting to make your subject separate from the rest of the elements in your image.

5. Kids or Animals

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:18:00 +0000

5. When shooting kids or animals, get down at their level, and have some fun!

4. Colour Harmony

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:49:00 +0000

4. Sometimes the simplest of images are the most striking. The colour harmony and diagonal element combined with the calm water helps make this image last. If you are a camper you can relate to the early morning start, even if you are not the serenity is calming.

3. Lead the Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:47:00 +0000

3. Lead the viewers eye, provide some interest or action to your image. In this image, your eyes are lead along the train tracks and off into the distance of your imagination.

2. K.I.S.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:45:00 +0000

2. Keep it simple and avoid distracting backgrounds. Eliminate power lines, posts, and other visual noise form your images and lead the viewers eye where you want it to go.

1. Get Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:42:00 +0000

1. Get closer: if there is one point I would offer to aspiring shooters, it would be to get closer than you think you need to be. Fill the frame. Don't be so far back you loose the beautiful expression of your subject.

Sleep :)

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:54:00 +0000

Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.

George Bird Evans

Bloodthirsty!

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Campbell) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

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