Last time I discussed using Macro photography and shutter speed to enhance your photo-taking abilities. If you didn't catch that blog you might enjoy checking it out before you read through part two. Again, I'm no expert here - these are just some things I do and look for when taking my own photos. 



With the sun directly overhead the lighting and Macro bring this ant on
a flower to life while the mountains in the background provide perspective

Perspective and framing is an area I love to play around with, probably just as much as Macro mode. I often try to line up the subject so part of it blurs into the foreground or background when I focus on a specific point. There are a couple ways to do this and your average camera in Auto mode will work just fine on a basic level.

You simply aim it at where you want to focus and, provided part of your subject is relatively close, achieve a focus on parts of the image while blurring out others. The auto-focus is basically picking a distance at which to focus the camera's lens but at some distance away (commonly anywhere from 15 to 35 or 40 feet, I'd say off the top of my head) it reaches a point where everything is in focus. So don't try to do this with subjects that are too far away from you, like mountains in the distance or some other landscape photography.

 
The wing and plane compose most of the picture,
but it is enhanced by the control tower in the background

Another easy trick is to pick an object, say a tree, that is a set distance away from you and press the shutter halfway down. This locks in the focus at that distance. Now you can move the camera (keep that shutter button where it is!) and take a photo of something else while maintaining that old focus. In the airplane photo above, for example, I aimed at part of the wing but then took the picture while looking at the control tower - this keeps the focus on the shiny wing close to me while bringing that secondary subject (the control tower) into the frame.

If you have a camera with manual focus ability you will be able to simply pick whatever focal length you want and won't necessarily have to use any tricks. Nonetheless, it can be helpful, quick, and fun to try your luck at messing around with the autofocus to create different perspectives.

 
Mushrooms on the log that fades into the foreground,
giving a more "dimensional" feeling to the picture

 
Chicago skyline from the sidewalk - taking the photo
low helps enhance the path's movement towards the city

Aside from focusing tricks on the camera, you can work to frame your subjects in all sorts of interesting manners. This is another one of those areas where there is no real "how to" or specific instructions. It really is more a feel for the subject, your location, and whatever mood you happen to be in. Basically I just look for a unique way to capture a moment to better incorporate the surroundings - the next two pictures might help you understand what I mean by this.

 
Dallas skyline reflecting on Reunion Tower, which
allowed me to capture all the major buildings in one shot

 
Framing the Italian beer with the beautiful cliffs
of Sorrento slightly blurred in the background

As you may figure, most techniques can be combined in a multitude of different ways. Maybe you use a long shutter speed with a subject framed from an interesting perspective like a sideways capture of a city skyline at night. Or you can do something like I did below, where I got up close with the shells using Macro mode but allowed the frame to include sticks that fade and blur into the background. Again, mix and match and play around and you'll probably come up with something cool.

 
Perspective + Macro on the beach helps focus your attention
on the colorful shell while blurring the rest out towards the ocean

Of course, sometimes I take a break from any of the aforementioned methods and just find things that are funny to me - like in the picture below. Maybe it's a sign on a building or someone or something in a funny position. Really it can be anything, but don't hesitate to snap a quick photo when you see something that's humorous to you.

So we're already trespassing?

Well, that concludes my two part blog series on how my mind often works when taking photos. I'm sure many of you will agree or disagree, and plenty of you (this is Kodak, after all) will probably have other great ideas and suggestions. On that note, I know I left out countless things to try to keep this simple but hopefully I didn't overlook any glaring details - so please post a comment if you've noticed I did. And more than anything, go out there and have some fun with your camera!

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