Delaware National Guard Unit Public Affairs Course (DNG) UPARC ELO1 - Provide Photographic Support (30 minutes) A. Elements of composition Rule of thirds Leading lines Center of interest Vertical and horizontal formats Distracters Uniform violations B. Photographic types The "grip and grin" Different types of feature pictures Research and plan photo shoot Variation and the picture story Identify photos for publication A. Elements of composition   The exact center of a photograph is normally the least effective position for a subject. Picture impact is greater if the subject clearly dominates the photograph and is connected to its environment. Stay close to the subject, but give it room to move within the photo frame. In the picture above each of the three sections contributes differently to the story. Center of interest Your center of interest is where the action is taking place in the frame, not the center of the photo. Make sure the shot is focused on the center of interest. For real attention getters, your shot should depict action and tell a story of its own. Remember the old adage, a picture that shows action or captures a particular mood and circumstance is worth a thousand words. Vertrical and horizontal formats Most photographers take plenty of horizontal shots and they need to do so. Remember that vertical photographs provide variety, and they're generally more forceful. They're also more likely to be published. Leading lines These are the lines of force that direct the viewer to the subject. Leading l ines also communicate a mood. Horizontal lines tend to calm or sooth. Vertical lines indicate strength. Diagonal lines create a feeling of movement. Curved lines create depth. Cropping: When taking a photo, remember you are usually taking photos of people doing things. Make sure you fill the shot with the people and not the things. Don't be afraid to look at the shot from a different angle. Step closer. If it's a child, kneel down to their level. Think of the final picture and what image you are going for when you take it. Keep distractors in mind and don't submit photos with uniform violations. Distractors: examine photos for often missed details like soda cans, leading lines that take away from the action, and distracting elements in the background. Too often we see perfectly fine pictures of people, except they have weird objects growing out of their head. The three-dimensional world can look quite differently in a two-dimension photo, so be aware of what else may be in your photo besides your primary subject. While you don't always want to shoot everything in front of a blank wall, you do want to keep the background in mind as you shoot the photos. Uniform violations: The photos you submit are a reflection on your unit. If a good photo illustrates a point, it is easy to miss or tempting to disregard uniform and procedure errors in our enthusiasm. But, to tell the Delaware  National Guard story correctly, it is imperative that attention to detail is not overlooked. B. Photographic types The "grip and grin" We see them all of the time. Stiffly posed people gripping a check, a trophy or an award, with grins plastered on their faces, staring straight into the camera. And of course these types of photos happen. They are better than having no photo at all. As a UPAR, your challenge is to avoid 'grip and grins,' which really don't add as much news value as a well-composed action photo. Better is a photo of the individual doing his or her job or an interaction that represents the type of thing that earned him or her that award. Your audience would be more interested in seeing a photo of a soldier or airman shopping in the new BX than a photo of the store clerk cutting the ribbon.  Avoid posed shots in general. Even if they aren't gripping anything, posed shots can come off badly. Candid shots look much more natural and usually do a better job of supplementing the story. Different types of feature pictures Stand alone - A photo with an extended caption that does not have an accompanying story. The photo should depict news worthy actions and the caption should include full identification and the 5W's and H (see ELO5 - Produce a news story or feature story  for more details).   Supporting photo - A supporting photo is usually a medium range or close up photo that accompanies a news story or feature story. The photo directly relates to the "news peg" or one of the other key elements in the story. The photo story - 4 to 7 images with in-depth captions that collectively convey a particular hard news story or feature story. Elements of The Photo Story Establishing shot - a long range image that establishes the site or setting in which the action is taking place. Medium range action  - involves one or two subjects with a strong center of action and good adherence to composition elements. Some peripheral objects are included to help tell the story.  Close up - image is cropped to hone in on specific action or person, eliminating most peripheral objects and persons. Extreme close up  - depicts an item or action that is only about a foot or two away from the camera. Ordinarily, an extreme close up could not be used as a stand alone or apart from the other photos in the picture story. Research and plan photo shoot Notify the photo subject in advance, whenever possible, so that he or she can prepare for photo shoot. Get as many details as possible before the photo shoot regarding the 5W's and H. Have an idea of what you are going for and what you want your photos to say and do for your unit.