"If you want to have a staff retreat or bachelorette party, we can accommodate group settings," added Liz Holtzinger.

To learn more, please visit Agua Vivir's website.   ​

Fully charged with Duck Donuts’ coffee and sweets, Eric Zimmett of Braden Social Media opened up his portfolio to give CBICC members some visible examples of photography at work during this week’s CBICC Seminar: Coffee & Cameras.

The tips that Zimmett shared are universal, whether implemented for professional or personal uses.
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“I want to help people take better everyday photos of our experiences – those at events, with our family, our kids, even our pets,” explained Zimmett.

With that, class was in session and the next hour was spent exploring photos and discussing tips to improve our photography skills.

This type of photography is preferred by Zimmett, where no staging is needed and the photo is simply in the moment, in action, and comes across as authentic.

To capture a candid moment, Zimmett suggested using the element of surprise.  When photographing children, he recommended telling them to not smile and not look at the camera, which inevitably gets the opposite reaction.  It may also be useful to have the subject expend some energy and then snap the photo.

“My daughter became my muse two to three years ago and allowed me to practice my photography,” noted Zimmett.

​“Think about these as you are shooting,” advised Zimmett, adding that forethought will reduce post-production editing time, cropping, and potentially reduce the resolution of the final image.

Lighting

“If a photo I take doesn’t turn out right, the biggest reason is usually the lighting," Zimmett cautioned. "Generally, you want the sun behind the (photo subject)," he added, noting that experimentation with natural light, reflected light, low-light, and direct-light can result in very intriguing photos.

​The "golden hour," one hour before sunset, is the most coveted light for photographers.

Environment

As a photographer sets up a shot, it is helpful to keep an eye on what else ends up in the frame of the photo. Things in the background that might distract or detract from the final photo's quality could include garbage cans, bathroom signs, or glowing exit signs - just to name a few examples. 

Whatever cannot be kept out of the frame of the shot can potentially be handled in post-production with cropping or even photo editing.

Composition "Rules"

Although some of the best photos break all the rules, there are a few rules to be aware of when composing photos - ways to arrange photos to make them more aesthetically pleasing.

• Rule of Thirds (cut the photo into three sections)

Zimmett's daughter is certainly the "centerpoint" of this photo, which also exemplifies the "rule of thirds."
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• Leading Lines (using lines in the environment to guide the viewer's eye to the photo subject)

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• Vanishing Point (capturing lines in the environment at the point in which they disappear, like at the horizon or behind a photo subject)

CBICC's Nichole Yatta is "framed" by the wine bottles in this photo taken by Zimmett at the Gigi's Southern Table CBICC After Hours in October. 

• Perspective (space between objects within a photo; space between photographer and subject)

When photographing children, Zimmett advises photographers to get down on their level; for adults, aim for eye-level (or just above if shooting corporate headshots). 

​If demonstrating the audience's perspective/existence, then include some of them in the background even as the main photo subject remains in the center foreground of the photo.

Finally, Zimmett challenges photographers to decide with each shoot and shot what their role in the photo will be: participant or observer.

To break the wall down between the photographer and the photo subject, Zimmett has recently begun a new photo series with CATA in which he captures fist-bumps between himself and CATA employees.

Of course, mirrors and selfies can also accomplish this idea.

​Even the simple direction of having the photo subject look directly at the camera can help bring the photographer - and ultimately the viewer - into the photo.

Inspired?

Grab your camera or smart phone and start clicking!

​We can’t wait to see your photos!