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Documenting your living abroad experience: photography tips
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A portrait of a man in Market Mercado, Brazil. Notice how I connect with my subject.
Whether you're visiting a country for three days or living there for three months to three years, documenting your stay through photography is a great way to capture all your experiences. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. If writing in a journal or keeping an online blog isn't your style (or you simply want to enhance your journal/blog), then read on.
If you have a point and shoot, great, if you have an old-film camera, that's fine, too. Digital SLR's are also a great investment. No matter your equipment, though, this advice applies to you.
(Note: I've been playing behind a lens for about four years now and would describe my style as fresh and sincere. I always try to draw on my subject's emotions and pride myself on my ability to capture the true sense of my subject with the camera. In addition, I like to explore unique angles and interesting textures and spaces.)
1) Rule of thirds
How often do you see a photograph with the subject smack dab in the center of the photograph? While you may think that centering your subject is ideal, it often leads to a less than interesting snapshot. Mentally divide your frame into three equal parts (either vertical or horizontal). Put your subject in either of the outside imaginary parts and snap away.
You'll find that the un-evenness creates an interesting photograph and makes your eye linger a bit longer.
2) Move your feet
Your feet are your best zoom-ers! Be wary of your body when you're taking photos. You should move around, experimenting with different angles and distances from your subject. Try a worms eye approach (Sometimes I literally lay on the ground) or even a birds eye (You'll often spot me standing on impromptu ladders - aka chairs, ledges, tippy toes, etc). After a good photo shoot I am usually a bit sweaty!
3) Find the light
Light and shadow in a shot can make for a beautiful and dramatic photograph. Look for where the light is in your shot and work around it. Your subject can be illuminated by the light or even in the shadow. These contrasts make a photo interesting and much more pleasurable to the eye.
4) Connect with your subject
One thing I notice in unexperienced photographers' photos is that the subject is often not connecting. (I am of course talking about humans/animals, but you can pull out the beauty in inanimate objects, too).
I often have to get myself into "acting" mode when I'm photographing a subject. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? By doing this I am sensitive to my subject's emotions and it makes it much easier for us to connect. Remember: Eyes are the windows to the soul. Here is an example where I really connected with my subject. See how I have connected with this dogs eyes? How does this photo make you feel?
5) Patterns, repetition and texture
Play with various surfaces and textures. It's especially interesting when surfaces work against each other. This makes the eye linger longer and creates a beautiful tension. Also try taking pictures of repeated patterns. This is always interesting to look at.
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