5
TIPS
to capture the ride with your
SMARTPHONE No fancy camera required.
S
everal years ago while on a commercial photo assignment, I was asked a question that has stuck with me ever since: “What’s in your toolkit?” In other words, what do you need to get the job done? It really got me thinking. A camera is a tool, and a powerful one at that. But taking good pictures is not so much about the camera as it is about how it’s used. Good photographs require the photographer to slow down, to see and personally express the world in front of them. This is true no matter what type of camera you’re using. How do you do this travelling on a motorcycle? The answer, as it so often is on two wheels, is to keep it simple and travel light. These days, chances are the smartphone you carry comes with a pretty good camera. And if you use it well, that can be all you need to capture memorable images from any journey you take. Here are a few tips for using your phone camera (or a simple point-and-shoot) to improve your picture taking and capture your next ride.
TIPS AND PHOTOS by CARLAN TAPP
photographs for this article were made with an iphone using the hipstamatic app. ©carlan tapp 2016, www.carlantapp.com.
1
MOVE IT –Moving the phone and reframing changes the composition to include more foreground or sky. Note that the two trees have remained the same size; only their position within the frame has changed.
framing and focus exposure
T
here’s an old saying in photography: The photographer is responsible for what goes in the frame. Before you take a picture, take a moment to look carefully at the screen on your phone. Is there anything in the picture you don’t want? Sometimes moving your phone less than an inch can make the difference between a good picture and a great one. Move the phone around to see how your composition within the frame will change. Once you have the framing, a simple tap on the screen will set the focus and exposure.
2
Seeing
EARLY MORNING
TWILIGHT
THE LIGHT
A
s the sun rises in the morning, travels overhead, begins to fade and slowly disappears, the quality and feeling of the light changes. Our eyes adjust to the changes quickly. The camera can record the changes and colours in ways our eyes may miss. Try making photographs first thing in the morning, at midday, at twilight and in the evening. Practice making pictures after dark; the results will amaze you.
28 hog® magazine canada » spring 2016
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