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TECHNOLOGY Thursday 29 december 2016
Avoid dull snapshots: Tips for taking stunning pictures

ANICK JESDANUN or skyline, have it match
AP Technology Writer one of the imaginary hori-
SINGAPORE (AP) - Smart- zontal lines. For shots of
phone cameras have seen people, have the eyes fall
dramatic improvements, along one of those lines.
but technology alone ___
won’t produce shots that LIGHTING MATTERS
grab attention. You’ll typically get the best
That’s where the human lighting shortly after sunrise
eye comes in. Here are or before sunset. During
eight tips to keep in mind these “golden hours,” sun-
when composing that shot, light is softer, and subjects
whether of family during look better.
the holidays or sights dur- But it’s not practical to
ing a vacation. You don’t constrain your sightseeing
need to own a fancy cam- to just a few hours a day.
era or mess with manual At least try to avoid having
controls. the sun shine toward the
___ camera, as that leads to
WHAT’S THE SUBJECT? dark subjects. If you can’t
Give people something to avoid it, some cameras
latch onto when viewing In this Dec. 10, 2016, photo combo, people ride elephants outside a floating market, in Ayutthaya, have an “HDR” mode to
your photo. As a rule of Thailand. While it’s important to have a clear subject in your shot, the background can enhance help. The camera basically
thumb, close-ups are bet- it by placing the scene in context. The photo at right stands out because the scene is uncluttered stitches together separate
ter. and Buddhist stupas in the background provide context as to the scene’s location. shots of the subject and
At a party, for instance, Associated Press the background adjusted
avoid wide shots of ran- to different lighting condi-
dom people mingling in and get close up did the the shot straight on and THE RULE OF THIRDS tions. Turning on the flash
a room, as the room be- lizard look ferocious. The avoiding tilt. But diagonal Divide your frame into thirds - yes, in daytime - can also
comes the subject - and good thing about smart- lines can enhance photos horizontally and vertically, help light up an otherwise
that’s boring. phone cameras is that you at times. For instance, they like a tic-tac-toe board. dark subject.
Instead, get close-ups can change the perspec- can lead the eyes out- Some cameras will even At night, though, you
of the guest or two who’s tive easily by just lowering ward to give the viewer a draw these lines for you should try to keep the flash
laughing or singing. The the phone. greater sense of depth. But on the screen (but won’t off, as light distribution can
photo is now about people ___ make sure you’re trying to include them in the final be intense and uneven.
having fun at a party. PLAY AROUND WITH DEPTH say something with the di- shot). Ideally, keep your Cameras have gotten
People mingling can still be For those obligatory poses agonal. If the skyline or the main subjects where those much better at low-light
part of the shot, but in the next to landmarks, there’s bench is tilted, it will just lines intersect, as eyes tend shots, such that you’re of-
background, to give peo- no law saying you must look lazy, not artsy. to gravitate there first. If ten better off working with
ple a sense the party’s well actually stand next to the ___ you’re shooting a horizon ambient light. q
attended. landmark. If the landmark
The same principle ap- is huge, you’ll look tiny Tesla, Panasonic to make solar
plies to parades: It’s bet- by comparison. Why not
ter to home in on one or stand closer to the cam- cells in Buffalo, New York
two drummers than on era? Since photos are two-
the entire marching band, dimensional, it’ll still look as BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jap- owned by Tesla. The pho- upstate region’s largest
though the rest of the though you’re next to the anese electronics com- tovoltaic cells and mod- city.
band can still be in the landmark, but you’ll look pany Panasonic and U.S. ules will be used in solar SolarCity has committed
background. appropriately sized. You electric car maker Tesla panels for non-solar roof to investing $5 billion over
For landscapes, keep in might need to try various said Tuesday they plan to products and solar glass 10 years in New York state,
mind that it’s tough to give depths until you get it right. begin production of solar tile roofs that Tesla plans hiring almost 1,500 work-
viewers the same sense ___ cells at a factory in Buf- to begin making, the an- ers at the Buffalo plant for
of grandeur you get from CONSIDER THE BACK- falo, New York. nouncement said. five years and employ-
being there in person. But GROUND The two companies said Production is due to be- ing at least 2,000 more
you can nudge viewers While it’s important to have they finalized an agree- gin in mid-2017. Tesla said people across New York
by focusing on specific a clear subject in your shot, ment calling for Tokyo- it will create 1,400 jobs in in exchange for use of the
elements, such as moun- the background can en- based Panasonic to pay Buffalo, 500 in manufac- state-owned plant.
tains or some trees. And of hance it by placing the capital costs for the man- turing and plans further In October, when word
course, if there’s wildlife - scene in context. I took ufacturing. expansion in Buffalo. emerged about the pos-
well, that’s your subject. several shots of people rid- Palo Alto, California- Panasonic also is to work sible manufacturing col-
___ ing elephants in Ayuttha- based Tesla made a with Tesla on next-genera- laboration, the head of
BEYOND EYE LEVEL ya, Thailand. The ones that “long-term purchase tion technology, the com- New York state’s eco-
Be willing to crouch down stood out had Buddhist commitment” to Pana- panies said. nomic development
or even lie on the ground stupas in the background. sonic. New York state has com- agency said SolarCity will
to give viewers a fresh per- The other shots could have Their statement gave no mitted $750 million to be held to job creation
spective. When I encoun- been taken anywhere, financial figures. build and outfit the plant promises made when the
tered a lizard in Singapore, such as a local zoo. The factory in Buffalo is at Buffalo’s RiverBend state committed fund-
my instinct was to snap ___ under development by site, the centerpiece of ing to build and outfit the
while standing up. But the WATCH THE LINES SolarCity Corp., a San Democratic Gov. Andrew plant, which is expected
lizard looked generic from In general, aim for hori- Mateo, California-based Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” to begin production next
that angle and distance. zontal and vertical lines solar panel
It wasn’t until I brought my in shots. For a skyline or a company program to revitalize the summer.q
camera near the ground bench, that means taking