Dominance The Key - To Keeping it Simple - August 30, 2008 -

When someone talks too fast or too loud they tend to dominate the conversation. In photography, dominance is usually a much more positive experience. Dominance leaves no room for doubt; it

forces your viewer to look at a subject, usually because there is nothing else there to see. The good points are; you usually see great detail, and the background does not distract. The bad points are;

you usually see great detail, and the background does not support. In other words, be very careful

filling up the screen with a single subject because this will also bring out any flaws the subject might

have.

The two most common things that use Dominance on a regular basis are Close-Ups and Portraits.

With Close-Up work using dominance also means you loose something else. Depth is the most

common. If you shoot an entire field of sunflowers, it gives you one feeling; if you shoot one flower

only, that feeling changes dramatically. The only way to make this work to your advantage is to

have a large "depth of field" (meaning every detail is sharp from edge to edge.) Usually; although

not always, when you move in closer to something you are also cutting down on the amount of light

you have available. If you want a large depth of field then you are also going to want to give your close-ups more light. This can be tricky. In some cases, using a flash will simply blow away (way over expose) your subject. If you can bracket your exposures, then do it. If you dont have that option, try using a white poster board and work with reflected light.

Portraits are the opposite side of the coin. In other words, the odds are that with a portrait, especially

if it is going to be a head and shoulders shot you will not want as much depth of field. When shooting women in particular; most portraits want a depth of field that covers from her eyes to just behind her

ear. The reason for this is simple. One small flaw on the side of her nose could draw your attention

away and ruin the mood of the shot. The nose is already a strong line naturally. Focusing further back decreases the likely hood that it will distract. Remember, the eyes are the windows to the soul, thats where you want to focus. Although portraits of men tend to have more depth of field to show the

rugged texture of the skin, always be aware of lines that can distract.

In music there is a dominant beat or rhythm. In drama there is a dominant character. In life, there is something dominant that drives you. It could be your mate or your children. It could be your work. It doesn't matter what it is, it only matters that you have something. This something gives you security,

or gives you confidence. When all things in life are crumbling around you, this is what you come back

to. Like wise it is important to have something; whether it is the subject or the background that

dominates the shot. If someone looks at your photo and has no idea what the shot was about, then

youve lost your viewer. It doesnt mean there cant be other things going on in the shot to support

your dominant theme, but if it doesnt support . . .by all means get rid of it. By far the easiest way

to have a dominant subject is to get rid of everything else.

Look through back issues of Time, Life, or National Geographic Magazines. Some of the greatest photographs of all time are those that are simple. They have a dominate subject, mood, color, or

theme. Even when shooting nature, you dont need to show every blade of grass. If you think a

particular tree looks really cool, then make it the dominant subject. Dont confuse the viewer by

showing five or six trees and hoping they see what you saw.

Zoom in, get close. Dont give them choices of where to look (unless the subject itself is multiples).

Force them to see what you saw. Make them feel what you felt. The first award winning shot I ever

took was of a mushroom. Most people only view mushrooms from above,or under their feet. I

actually dug down in the ground in front of this mushroom, so that could lie on my stomach, and

shoot looking up to it. I could see the fins under the dome that everyone else sees. I could see the insects, and the moisture. I could feel a whole world that most people just walk on by. It was

because I forced them to see, that it caught peoples attention. You can do this too. Force people

to feel emotions when they view your work and they will never forget you.

This Article Written By: Tedric A. Garrison Cedar City, Utah

Tedric Garrison has done photography for over 30 years. In college he was an Art Major,

and firmly believes that Creativity can be taught. Today; as a writer and photographer

he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: http://www.betterphototips.com

Dominance in Photography - Guaranteeing Success
In a motivational speech given by Mr. Zig Ziggler; he talks for several moments about aworld class archer, then states that he could teach anyone to hit the target more consistentlythan that archer on his best day, if . . . that archer was blindfolded and turned in the wrongdirection. Of course, the whole point of the example was how can you hit a...

What To Do About Dog Aggression
Even the best dog in the world can sometimes show a bit of aggression. If barking, growling, showing teeth, snapping, snarling and even biting are a problem, it's take to take proactive steps.Dogs don't typically act aggressively without cause, but the fact remains this type of behavior is unacceptable and can lead to bigger problems down the road....

Bartending - Are You Up for the Job?
Bartending seems like a pretty easy occupation. Even people who have never been to Bartending School or have other similar education jump into the bartending business thinking that bartending the same as any other business.Indeed if you plan to hire people for absolutely everything including a manager who knows the secrets of bartending the whole v...

Outdoor Games and Activities for Toddlers
It's a beautiful day and your toddler or preschooler is begging to go outside. What to do when you get out? Here's some simple ideas:Walk to Park The walk alone is enough to keep them busy. When you there, of course they'll even have more to do. It's a great time for you to relax a bit and enjoy the day, keeping an eye on them while they bounce fr...

Is it Sex Drive that Causes Dogs to Hump Things?
Why do some neutered male and spayed female dogs try to hump other dogs, toys and even humans?Is it an unusual sex drive, a hormone deficiency or an over abundance of testosterone?This is a question that has been puzzling me for some time as I have been in the company of small dogs that seem to have an incessant need to hump certain toys on a const...

Dog Training And How To Start Off Right
Very few things are as cute as a puppy. If well selected and properly trained, the puppy will grow into a dog that will give the owner years of enjoyable interaction with the animal. The question is; What factors really do matter in choosing and training a dog? We have all at some time met a dog that behaves badly. Given the choice, most will p...

Choose The Right Autoresponder Service For Your Web Based Business
Does your business find itself lacking a little in the service department? Are you getting complaints about not getting back to people or do you think that you need to use a newer fresher style of marketing? If so then perhaps it is time that you started looking into one of the many different autoresponder services that are out there. These autores...