60 minute general session on yearbook photography best practices. Geared for high school students, but also can work with middle school students.

1. >>

2. Why is great photography
>>
•
•
important for yearbooks?
Tells a story on its own
Supports the written word
• Provides visual coverage
• Sparks memories faster
Great
photography
makes a
yearbook…and
bad photography
will break it.

3. The ABCs of Coverage
>> using Candids
Individual portraits and group photos aside, candid photos are
the essence of the yearbook.
They capture emotion, expression and actions. But most
importantly, they capture the moment.
Great candid photos don’t happen accidentally. Think of
yourself as storytellers, but without words.
Use your ABC’s—start at the beginning:
–Arrive early. (Stay late.)
–Be prepared. (Shoot fast.)
–Closer is better. (Get even closer.)
To ensure proper coverage, make a shot list beforehand.
Use ABC’s to ensure unique aspects are on the list.

4. >> •
•
Tips and tricks of the trade
Shoot at Highest Resolution
Check the Quality Periodically
• Darker is Better than Too Bright
• Use Modes When in Doubt
• Never Turn on Digital Zoom
• Protect your Ports
• Take Backup Batteries
• Have Extra Memory Cards
• Keep Originals as Masters

5. Rock Your Camera with
>> EXTREME Composition
Photographers take time to balance composition (the
arrangement of elements in a photograph) and technical quality.
Sometimes, we trade one for the other but should always have a
reason.
Composition is most important to me. Shoot first, fiddle later.
– Vary your angles
– Light your subject
– Look for emotion
– See repetition
– Frame your subject
– Capture the action
– Vary your focus

6. >> 1. varytheangle
The photographer must…
• Have a vision for each shot
• Get “down and dirty!”
• Not be afraid to get right onto the action
• Take each picture from multiple
angles
•Use Rule of Thirds

7. >>
>>The girl in the shot sketches
the ceiling of the front atrium of
the high school for an art class
project. The photographer
actually had the girl lie on the
ground to capture the shot.
varytheangle
The photographer
must envision each
shot from different
angles to create
impact.

8. >>
>>Members of the yearbook staff
throw yearbook surveys up into
the air in giddy disgust of putting
together connections to reflect
the theme.
Sometimes you
have to get
varytheangle
“down and dirty.”
The shooter had
to move and
stand on a table
to create
elevation to get
this angle on the
shot.

9. >>
>>Incredibly, the photographer,
Shauna Miller, took this picture
of herself by setting the camera
on the ground with a delay to
capture her own cartwheel.
Again, the
photographer has to
envision each shot with
a direct intent in mind.
Also, sometimes, you
have to take many
pictures to get the great
varytheangle
one.
How many takes
do you think it
took Shauna to
get this shot?
4
Sometimes it
takes
patience.

10. >>
Leading lines play a part.

11. Use rule of thirds.
>>

12. >>

13. >> 2. makelightofit
Many times, the lighting of your shot will
determine its success or failure.
• It’s much better to underexpose your shots
than to overexpose them.
•Less lighting is much better than too much
lighting.
• Don’t count on your flash to provide enough
light, especially in sports photography.
• Don’t underestimate the sun.
• Get as close to your subject as possible.
• Embrace low-lighting opportunities.

14. Photoshop
>>
allows you
lighten and
darken
pictures.
Still, look
what
happened
here.
Over-
exposed The best it gets
makelightofit
Under-
Moral of
exposed the
Story…
Less light is
better than
too much
light.
Not too bad

15. Tips
>>
• Don’t expect your flash to make
up for the low lighting.
for • Use a tripod.
shooting • Purchase a lens that has an
internal image stabilizer.
inside
• Wait for the action to come to
your you and set yourself up
appropriately.
gym…
makelightofit
• Set your camera to take many
quick shots in a row.
• Shoot more coverage shots –
coach advising the team, huddles
during a time out, and emotions
on the faces of the sidelined
players.
• Shoot pictures before the game
and after the game.

16. You can
>>
Have a
This shot came from an camera
get these image stabilizer and a
tripod.
focused
on the
shots! sidelines
for
reactions
makelightofit
Easy shot
if camera
is focused
on coach
This shot
represents one
of ten rapid
shots in a row.
Also, the
shooter knew
Make sure you get shots where the
during time-outs. These are action would
the easiest to get and can happen and had
reflect the intensity of the the camera
game. aimed there.

17. >>
Capitalize on your lighting…
Notice how the pole
lighting in this picture
enhances an already
great shot.
makelightofit
What else
about this
picture
demonstrates
great
photography?

18. Embrace low-lighting opportunities…
>>
makelightofit
>>This shot was one of the first pictures taken
for the 2008 YB. The photographer shot this at
Capitalize on dusk
the first June marching band practice at dusk. picture opportunities.

19. >> 3. getemotional
The good photographer looks for
opportunities to capture emotion.
• A great emotional shot can almost tell the
whole story of the situation without a caption.
• Much of the time, it takes many shots to capture
the great emotional shot. Hence, make sure you
take lots of pictures at each event and patiently
wait for the “money shot.”
• At sporting events, many times the emotion
happens on the sidelines, in the stands, or just
after the race or game.

20. >>
Again, sometimes it
takes many pictures
and lots of patience
to get that one great
shot!
getemotional
>>This shot was
taken just after the
For the event, the yearbook staff had 6 announcement of
photographers aimed and ready for the Homecoming
Queen. The Queen
announcement. Out of over 200 shots taken, shared an embrace
this one showed the best emotion. with dad.

21. >>
>>The shooter captured this shot
just after a cross country race at
getemotional home.
Again, a great
emotional shot
should convey
much of the story
without a caption.
Still, unless in a
module or as a
panel shot, every
picture should have
a caption.

22. >>
getemotional
>>This shot was taken after
Always have one camera the football team scored their
on the crowd when your first touchdown of the
season.
team gets close to a big
score.

23. >> 4. repeatthat
The good photographer looks for
repetition opportunities in his or her
pictures.
• When possible, you should always look for
situations where you have a subject that repeats.
• When possible, you should always look for
situations where you have a subject that repeats.
• It raises the composition level of your shot.
• This really represents an opportunity to
impress the judges who will adjudicate your
book.

24. >>
repeatthat
>>This shot was taken
A great place to find repetition is just before the band’s
in marching band formations. halftime show at a
football game.

25. >>
repeatthat
>>The photographer took this
just before a golf match at Even golf can provide ops for
home as the girls practice their
drives.
repetition if you look.

26. >>
>>Students hang over the
balcony of the front atrium
between every period. The
photographer recognized this
and purposely took the shot from
this angle to capture repetition.
Sometimes
repeatthat
repetition
opportunities
appear in trite
daily events. A
good
photographer
will seek and
find these.

27. >> 5. FRAMEofmind
Taking great framed shots requires the
“know how” and many skills.
• When possible, you should always look for
situations where you can naturally have your
subject framed.
• Framing draws attention to the subject of
your picture.
• This really represents yet another opportunity
to impress the judges who will adjudicate your
book.

28. >>
Notice how the
flags frame the
girl’s body.
FRAMEofmind
>>This shot was taken
during a guard
rehearsal. The
photographer took
many shots in hopes
of framing the girl in
her flags. After taking
nearly 50 pictures, this
one fulfilled the task .

29. >>
FRAMEofmind
>>This shot was taken
Notice how #58 with a stabilizer lens and
and #69 frame a monopod from the end
zone.
the shot for #50.

30. FRAMEofmind
>>

31. FRAMEofmind
>>

32. >> 6. takeaction
Great action shots do not happen
accidentally.
• The first basic rule to getting a great action shot
requires that you MOVE and MOVE MORE!
• Familiarize yourself where most of the action will
take place for each sport and set up accordingly.
• Use a monopod whenever possible. You can also
use a tripod, but this tends to limit your capabilities
in fast action sports.
• Don’t rely on flashes and vary the lenses.
• For sports with game balls, anticipate the shot.

33. >>
Set yourself up
for where the
action happens.
Prioritize sports
that have few
home meets or
games.
takeaction
>>With only two home
track meets, two
yearbook photographers
attended both meets
and took hundreds of
shots. One of them
caught this shot of a
triple jumper.

34. >>
takeaction
>>The photographer
Anticipate the noticed that every time
this diver surfaced, he
moment. shook his head. The
photographer took over
a dozen shots and this
one came out the best.

35. >>
Use a monopod
when you can.
Find where most
of the action
happens. To do
this, you must
MOVE!
takeaction
>>The photographer
utilized a 75mm-300mm
lens to take this shot.
She stood from the far
sideline with a monopod
and captured this
picture.

36. >> 7. intothedepths
Do your best to show depth in your
shots.
• Learn how to focus correctly to show
your intent for each shot.
• Depth shots can really spice up your
academic section.
• Look for opportunities to show
depth. This requires that you think
about your shots.

37. >>
intothedepths
>>The photographer
Science lab classes stood across the table
and experimented with
present a great the focus to capture this
shot.
opportunity for depth
shots.

38. >>
intothedepths
>>Used for a student life
Notice how the focus of the spread on farms, the
picture lies on the girl and that photographer captured
this shot at the turkey
the birds in the forefront seem farm of a senior at
school.
out of focus.

39. >>
Where do you
suppose the
photographer
“stood” to take
this picture?
intothedepths
>>The photographer
intended to provide a
different and more
artistic prospective on
golf.

40. intothedepths
>>

41. But sometimes the best ideas
>> don’t quite turn out as
imagined.
The key is to keep on shooting, keep on practicing.

42. >>

43. >>

44. >>

45. >>

46. >>

47. >>

48. >>

49. >>

50. >>

51. >>

52. >>

53. >>

54. >>
Let’s look at more great shots.
See if you can identify the photocomposition techniques

55. >>

56. >>

57. >>

58. >>

59. >>

60. >>

61. >>

62. >>

63. >>

64. >>

65. >>

66. >>

67. >> For More Info
• BalfourVirginia.com
• Email scott@stalcup.com