9 Critical Points to Consider When Making a Photograph -- by John Warton at Photo Laureates

Hold your camera at different angles for more diversity in your compositions. Experiment with repositioning the camera before repositioning yourself!

- John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org). He provides here his top 9 photography tips for amateur photographers to submit quality entries - and in particular for those feeling that their work is lacking 'something'.

1) Watch out for both background and foreground in your compositions

Quoting John Warton: "Do not use an overly cluttered background if you want to focus on a particular object or portrait. Less is more. Also remember that foreground elements can help frame your subject". Architectural elements work well in framing subjects (arches, doorways, windows). However be careful not to have these elements overshadow the subject.

Furthermore, it is always wise to ask oneself: is the background unique or interesting? Does the background help in telling a story about the subject or what was happening at the time the picture was taken?

2) Lighting can be your best friend or your worst enemy

Quoting John Warton: "Lightning plays a key role in getting a quality shot. Whenever possible, I always recommend outside lighting".

Also, contrary to popular belief, an overcast sky is in fact much better for shooting than a sky with bright sunlight as the later washes out color on the subject. Many rejected photographers at photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org) fail to make that distinction.

3) Zero in!

Quoting John Warton: "Your directional is important as it assists the eyes of your audience in understanding what you want to show in your work. One of the biggest mistakes most beginning photographers make is shooting from so far away. The subject should be the focus of the picture."

Also remember that visual elements can help draw the viewer's eyes into the photo.

4) Be spontaneous!

Quoting John Warton: "Try to always be ready. I have it as a rule that the best shoot opportunities come when you least expect them".

5) Creativity rules!

Quoting John Warton: "The idea here is to transcend the ordinary. You have to try to experiment with new things and methods. It is OK to make mistakes and learn. Be original. Be bold. Be a photography director. Remember that photographs are made to be made - not to be taken. Boring shots are not an option".

Very creative amateur photos are sometimes selected at photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org) even if they are technically weak.


6) What center?

Quoting John Warton: "Avoid that reflex of centering your shots. Take your subject off center." This is often referred to as the 'rule of thirds.'

Imagine that there are lines dividing your image into nine equal-shaped blocks. You want to frame your subject at one of the intersection points instead of in the center of the viewfinder.

7) Great but what's your point?

Quoting John Warton: "I always try to ask myself what my point is in making a particular photo. Ask yourself what you are trying to demonstrate. What is your message? What vision are you trying to convey to your audience? What will they think of when they see your work?"

8) Single position photographers are boring!
Quoting John Warton: "Hold your camera at different angles for more diversity in your compositions. Experiment with repositioning the camera before repositioning yourself!"

The most interesting photographs are often taken from a unique vantage point. So it is always good to experiment and to try different perspectives. Use angles to recreate the mood that you are trying to convey.

9) Let them be natural!

Quoting John Warton: "Let your subject be natural. You adapt to them. They do not adapt to you. Follow the action and the vibe of the scene you are depicting." Whenever members browse through the database of amateur photographers at photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org), we hear that they particularly enjoy natural, direct shoots.

John Warton is a senior photography editor. He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center)

Photography Laureates offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn

About Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org)

The mission of Photo laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

The manuscripts from photography laureates are distributed internationally. Photographers always retain full copyrights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 30,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org

Contact:
Customer Care Manager
Photo laureates
www.photolaureates.org

John Warton at Photo Laureates Discusses Judging Amateur Photography

As part of John Warton’s evaluation of photographs at photography laureates, he has a basic rule. The photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment, or the history of the shoot.

(PRWEB) Jan 12, 2007 -- John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org). He sometimes reads skeptical comments in Internet forums, some from professional photographers, which sometimes doubt his ability to judge photographs. Does photography only belong to professionals? Can professionals decide what is publishable or not on behalf of amateurs?

John says, “The answer is a resounding 'no!' Inflexible and rigid professional photographers have laid down certain 'rules' and then, being a certain sort that they are, call them 'guidelines' and see themselves as rule-makers of some sort. I say to them: Diversity is a source of creation. I embrace the diversity of the creations of my fellow amateur photographers, their passion and interpretation of the thousands of daily instances that make our lives memorable. They deserve the promotion and exposure that I work on getting for the most talented of them.”

Perhaps a more interesting and relevant question for John Warton then, would be the following: can photography be judged?

According to John, photography is subjective, art is subjective -- but it can be judged. And it can be judged, differently. If one prefers a particular style, that does not make one wrong. For example, the F/64 school insisted upon sharp photographs, which notion still dominates much thinking, today. So they therefore judged certain work - bad - because it was fuzzy, the so called pictorialism – while others seek to add that dimension to their work.

As part of John Warton’s evaluation of photographs at photography laureates, he has a basic rule. The photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment, or the history of the shoot. This is the “painting-must-stand-by-itself”, rule, without some elaborate exposition in artsy double-speak as to the 'real meaning' of the thing. One may speak of the meaning of the photo, but whatever that meaning is, it must be reasonably presented to the viewer. What you see is what you get! John always keeps this in mind when selecting entries for photo laureates.

Hence, another rule might perhaps be – have a reason for why everything in that photo is there. Why is the subject there? What is the object, or the point, or the 'effect', or the emotions, even? Does anything detract? Is it a clean shot? Can something be removed by the angle at which the amateur photographer shot? Is the photo just of what you wish it to be? Amateur photographers: Think about what the shot is all about. Less is more.

Finally, John looks at the line, or composition, taken from art - sculpture, painting, etc. to determine which photographs he recommends for publication in the anthologies at photo laureates (www.photolaureates.org). This line must stand out. John looks for referential points within the photograph. He looks for amateur photographers that successfully manage to find shapes that emphasize lines, curves -- even repetition of same.

John Warton is a senior photography editor. He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center…)

Photography Laureates offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn with other peers and experts

About Photography Laureates
The mission of Photo laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

Photography laureates’ manuscripts are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 30,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.com.

Contact:
Customer Care Manager
Photo laureates
www.photolaureates.org

Five Most Common Photography Mistakes and Tips for Improvement -- By John Warton at Photo Laureates

Pieces of advice to get to the next level in photography from a leading expert helping manage one of the largest amateur photography community sites ever with over 45,000 active members (www.photolaureates.org).

(PRWEB via PRWebDirect) Jan 12, 2007 -- John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photography laureates (www.photolaureates.org). Building on his experience reviewing thousands of entries by amateur photographers from all over the world, John provides here a list of 5 most common mistakes observed in the 2006-2007 entries as well as tips for improvement to submit quality entries.


1. Pictures have too much or too little contrast

Quoting John Warton: “With too much contrast, the shadow areas of the picture are very dark, lacking texture and detail, and the light areas are very light, also lacking texture and detail. These photographs contain no information and damage control operations most often end up with an area of lifeless gray“.

To Improve, John further advises to create contrast using a fill flash to illuminate foreground objects. Objects that the photographer is lighting need to fall within the range of the flash

2. Highlights are blown out

Quoting John Warton: “In a correctly exposed photo, both the highlight and the shadow areas of the image show details but whenever highlights are blown out, the highlight areas of the image are solid white with no detail”. John further continues: “Blown-out highlights are most likely to happen in brightly lit scenes with large areas of white. This problem also occurs in scenes where there is a strong difference in contrast between different areas in the scene, such as when photographing a building or a person against the backdrop of a bright sky”

To Improve, John usually advises his fellow amateur photographers to use a fill flash to light the subject. Otherwise, photographers can meter and expose for the highlight area, thereby underexposing the darker areas. Then use an image-editing program, such as Picture It! Photo, to compensate for the underexposed areas. This technique works especially well on digital photos.

3. The picture has an overall blue, yellow or green tint

Quoting John Warton: “Color temperatures of light vary significantly. If you use a film that is balanced for daylight in tungsten light, the color will be incorrectly balanced, and the image will have a yellowish-orange color tint. The same is true with digital cameras using the white balance setting. As with film, the white balance adjusts the image for the temperature of light. If the setting is wrong, an undesirable tint results.”

To Improve, John advises to use a fill flash to light the subject. Otherwise, photographers can meter and expose for the highlight area, thereby underexposing the darker areas.

4. The entire picture is blurry

Quoting John Warton: “Whenever the focus is not sharp or where the camera moved during the exposure, the entire image is blurry. The larger you make the image, the more the lack of focus shows”.

To Improve, John further advises to avoid holding the shutter release button halfway down and also avoid focusing and then changing the distance from the subject without refocusing. Mr. Warton advises his fellow amateur photographers to focus carefully on the subject and hold the focus as they make the exposure.

5. Pictures are too light or too dark

Quoting John Warton: “In an overexposed image, the shadow areas are light and the highlight areas are entirely or almost entirely white. Too much light has reached the film or digital image sensor. On the other hand, in an underexposed image, too little light has reached the film or sensor and, as a result, shadow areas are filled in and much detail is lost”. John notes that special lighting situations are most frequently driving this: backlighting, strong side lighting, photographing small subjects that contrast against a large expanse of a very light background (snow or sand) or very dark background (water).

To improve, John further advises to take the following actions:
• In the case of a small light subject against a dark background: Use negative exposure compensation, say, -1, or decrease exposure by one stop, for example, from f/8 to f/11.
• In the case of Small dark subject against a bright background, or any subject in a very bright scene: Use positive exposure compensation of +1 to +3, or increase exposure by one to two stops, for example, from f/8 to f/5.6 or f/4.5.
• In the case of a backlit subject: Increase the exposure by one stop, or step in close and meter directly on the subject, step back and recompose, and then shoot at the reading you took on the subject. You can also switch to spot metering.
• In the case of a side lit subject: Increase exposure by one-half of a stop.

John Warton is a senior photography editor. He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center…)

Photography Laureates offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn

About Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org)

The mission of Photo laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

The manuscripts from photography laureates are distributed internationally. Photographers always retain full copyrights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 45,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org

Contact:
Customer Care Manager
Photo Laureates
www.photolaureates.org

Photo Laureates Released this Corporate Statement on Defamatory Statements on Internet Forums

Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org) hereby communicates a rebuttal to unethical activity observed on some Internet forums.

Montreal, Canada (PRWEB via PRWebDirect) Jan 10, 2007 –- Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org) hereby communicates a rebuttal to unethical activity observed on some Internet forums.


--- CORPORATE STATEMENT --

Please note that it is the corporate practice of some competitors and/or professional photographers to issue defamatory statements about Photography Laureates in Internet forums in an attempt to harm our reputation as a leading publisher and community site catering to amateur and professional photographers. These competitors simply post defamatory comments on photo laureates (www.photolaureates.org) in forums under fictitious names and address fictitious issues -- but with the same internet IP address. These claims indicate that our editors do not review photographs, associate us to non reputable companies or allege that we do not ship our manuscripts.

Photography laureates does not engage in these unethical and malign practices. No serious company ought. We would just hope that these local competitors focused on caring for their associate photographers as opposed to blackmailing Photography Laureates.

We have also noted that some professional photographers believe that only they should ever be considered for publication with amateur photographers having no place on any publication and not deserving any exposure

We disagree. Talent is everywhere and amateur photographers can teach a lesson or two to even the most professional photographers out there. Photographs are highly individual means of expression and sensibility – traits independent of technical proficiency. Diversity is a source of creation. We, at Photo laureates, embrace diversity.

The mission of photo laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression to the amateur photography community.

Photography Laureates’ track record speaks for itself with a 98% satisfaction rate and general success in our mission to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. We promote photography and photographers through technical workshops and improvisation sessions.

The manuscripts of photo laureates are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. Photography laureates now has more than 35,000 happy members.

--- MISSION AND VALUES ---

Photography Laureates values are shared, as a team, from senior management to provide a leading platform of artistic expression to amateur and professional photographers.

The mission of photo laureates is to get talent known out there. Our professional editors and infrastructure have that sole purpose in mind. Photography Laureates grows through referrals and hence is built to exceed expectations.

--- #1 Our first priority is the satisfaction of our associate photographers ---

1.1 The two senior photography editors of photo laureates, Kyrta Reeve and John Warton, carefully evaluate photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light. They recognize that each photograph is a unique piece. All rejected photographs will be clearly documented for the artist to understand and improve his or her submission. Kyrta Reeve and John Warton may also refer the most talented amateurs to prominent publishers (under the photographers’ full copyrights)

1.2 All of us here at Photo Laureates work to craft very high quality products (manuscripts, plaques…) featuring selected photographs. All products are engineered and designed to provide great support for photographers to showcase their work for years to come to friends & family and on their coffee table

1.3 We provide superior customer service and get back to clients within 8 hours on all their questions. Our team also provides full support to all photographers considered for publication by our senior editors.

--- #2 Our mission is also to create a vibrant platform of self expression---

2.1 The mission of photography laureates is to provide a platform or artistic expression and to let the most talented amateur photographers promote their work, network and gain general exposure. Editors refer talented amateur photographers to other prominent photography publishers.

2.2 Photography laureates and its web site www.photolaureates.org is an organization whose main purpose is to create a platform of artistic self expression and to promote the passion of photography.

--- #3 We only work with leading senior professionals ---

3.1 Nothing beats experience. The editors at photo laureates are senior professionals with decades of experience. They are members of international photography associations

3.2 Photo laureates editors treat each photographer as a unique individual and provide feedback on their work


--- #4 We follow through and guarantee satisfaction ---

4.1 Photography Laureates is a North American incorporated entity and has compliance requirements. We only take 35% upfront deposits on our orders as manuscripts take a while to get manufactured (being works in progress as editors need to select entries and then orchestrate the entire design and production). This is done in order to reassure our associate photographers

4.2 We stand behind our offer and will refund our associate photographers if they are not satisfied with their manuscripts.

Photography Laureates offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers network
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn with other peers and experts

About Photography Laureates
The mission of Photo laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. We promote photography and photographers through technical workshops, improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

Photography laureates’ manuscripts are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. We have more than 30,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information about Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org

Contact:
Customer Care Manager
Photo laureates
www.photolaureates.org

John Warton from Photo Laureates (www.photolaureates.org) on what makes a good photograph

John Warton from Photo Laureates (www.photolaureates.org) on what makes a good photograph

(PRWEB) Jan 16, 2007—John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photo laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org).

Why are most amateur photographers taking poor pictures? Views diverge.

According to John from photo laureates, photography is before hand a question of feeling: “I always tell my fellow amateur photographers to get back to basics before talking technical chit chat. Here is what matters to me: why are you into photography? Why drives your shoots? What are you trying to say? How is this depicted in your compositions? Do you “feel” the picture as it is shot?”

Understanding one’s inner passion for photography is critical, technicalities follow.

Quoting John from photo laureates: “Any time an amateur photographer shoots with her soul, this makes a better picture as compared to excellent technical work with no feeling or emotions. And techniques can be taught more easily than emotions”.

OK, so “technicalities”, as John from photo laureates (www.photolaureates.org) calls them, are just intended to materialize the feelings and emotions of the photographers.

Now, taking for granted that the emotion part is there, which techniques should an amateur photographer focus on to refine her art?

Quoting John from photo laureates: “I disagree on what I see in most Internet forums on what the top 3 technical elements are in making a good photograph. It is my opinion that the following are the absolute of all photography: subject, light and then framing”

(1) Subject: think about your subject and the focus of your picture, when you frame the picture. Quoting John Warton: "I always try to ask myself what my point is in making a particular photo. Ask yourself what you are trying to demonstrate. What is your message? What vision are you trying to convey to your audience? What will they think of when they see your work?"

(2) Light: it is the absolute of all photography. Make sure it stands out, throwing shadows and light in unique ways, created by the photographer's emotions

(3) Framing. Quoting John Warton: "Hold your camera at different angles for more diversity in your compositions. Experiment with repositioning the camera before repositioning yourself! The most interesting photographs are often taken from a unique vantage point. So it is always good to experiment and to try different perspectives. Use angles to recreate the mood that you are trying to convey”.

John Warton is a senior photography editor at photo laureates. He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center…)

Photography Laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org) offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn with other peers and experts

About Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org)
The mission of Photography laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

Photography laureates’ manuscripts are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 55,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org

Photographer John Warton from photo laureates defends his position on Amateur photography and digital pictures

Photographer John Warton from photo laureates defends his position on Amateur photography and digital pictures

As part of John Warton’s evaluation of photographs at photo laureates, he has a basic rule: the photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment or the history of the shoot.

(PRWEB) Jan 15, 2007—John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photo laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org). He sometimes reads skeptical comments in Internet forums, some from professional photographers, who sometimes doubt his ability to judge photographs. Amateur photographers also question his selection of photographs (some going as far as calling it a scam!)

Hence this relevant question for John Warton: can photography be judged? Can there be widespread agreement on what makes a publishable amateur photograph?

According to John from photo laureates, photography is subjective, art is subjective—but it can be judged. The basic rule is that the photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment, or the history of the shoot.

Quoting John from photo laureates: “Keep in mind that I work with amateur photographers. I know that some of the photographs I select for publication are not technically “perfect”. But they tell a story and reveal the photographer’s view on the subject. This matters to me. I am not here to please professionals. I am here to reveal potential”

John Warton and photo laureates have the following 7 pieces of advice to quickly improve the quality of your digital pictures and ….for making his review job easier!

(1) Know your equipment very well: how to control exposure, using different camera modes, using the flash, exposure, shutter speed, aperture and depth of field…read the manual!

(2) Become familiar with your macro mode for great close up shots

(3) Have the reflex to use your tripod for low-light conditions and fast moving subjects

(4) Control the flash: controlling the illumination of the subject in different indoor/outdoor settings is critical

(5) Play with your ISO settings and know how to control sensitivity to light

(6) Make sure your memory capacity is adequate

(7) Know how to hold the camera level and how to frame your shots

John Warton is a senior photography editor at photo laureates (www.photolaureates.org). He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center…)

Photo Laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org) offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn with other peers and experts

About Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org)
The mission of Photography laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

Photography laureates’ manuscripts are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 55,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org