CONTEXT: WHAT YOU DON'T SEE CAN HURT YOU

Playing with context is a good way to create stunning images whilst enabling little use of an actual background. Being so, it is the perfect technique to for beginner photographers to start with when trying to better their pictures. An out of context photograph is used to create a picture that has no sense of place nor time. By eliminating this, it allows your photograph to be able to be used in nearly any instance without conflict.

HOW DO I INFLUENCE CONTEXT?

Influencing context is done through the the use of both zoom and camera positioning. To take an out of context photo, the camera needs to be high up, above the car, so that the only identifiable part of the background is the ground.

After you increase the height, increase the zoom on your camera. By doing this, you'll be able to blur the background, and increase the quality of the subject. By zooming in, the background will compress into the middle-ground, making the photo coherent, and not appearing to be separate (ruining how real it looks).

ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS

- For best results, increase the shutter speed, so that the subject will be in focus, and the background will further be blurred, at minimal quality loss

- If the background peeks through at points, either tilt your camera, or utilize vignette to blend together a hard edge with your subject and background

Continue with our teaching series to learn more photography techniques such as Suns & Scapes, Zoom, and Selection. Click here for more from Project Overtake.