Eyeline Cinematography
As we mentioned before, cinematographers have many different jobs depending on what type of film they are working on at any given time. But one of their most important roles is to create an audience’s sense of eye-level or eyeline in relation to the screen.
This is typically done by either having the camera be placed higher than normal (which creates a feeling of distance) or by using lighting or backdrops that make the area around the viewer look bigger.
How to read the audience
As we discussed, reading your audience is one of the most important things you can do as a photographer. But what does that mean?
Reading your audience doesn’t just mean looking at how many people are watching you and trying to determine if they like you or not! It also means determining what emotions they may be feeling, what stories they need to hear, and what messages they want to receive.
Your style as a photographer will develop and shift with how well you know your audience. For example, someone who loves nature pictures might go into a restaurant and take beautiful close-up photos for an Instagram story or challenge.
That would be their audience, but maybe the staff there needed some inspiration before opening early for a Sunday brunch, so they thanked them for the kind gift and asked if anyone knew where this place was!
A good photographer always has something to say, and uses his or her skills to tell that story.
Expose the right way
A close up shot is very intimate, it makes you feel like you are being stared into with a level gaze. This can be tricky to achieve unless you know how to pose and/or trick photogs into doing so!
The most important thing when exposing your face is not to overdo it. Avoid having wide eyes or sticking out lips as this will look fake and uncomfortable.
By keeping the eye area relatively natural looking, the photograph comes across more authentic. Yours should look like they want to say something but they are holding back.
Shutter speed
A good eyeliner camera is one that has longer shutter speeds, typically faster than 1/30 of a second. This allows for more control over your photographs as you can let nature take its course or use some additional editing tools to enhance the image.
A fast enough shutter will also prevent motion blur, which could otherwise ruin the photograph. Some examples: If someone is running away from the camera, the length of time it takes to run back adds movement to the photo. Or if there are other moving objects in the picture, they may look blurry due to exposure times that are not long enough.
There are many ways to edit out this kind of noise so don’t worry about wasting film! Most cameras have at least basic settings such as “Speed Mode” and “Auto Flash.” More advanced users can use Photoshop or another editing program to improve pictures further.
Understanding colors
Color is one of the most powerful tools in cinematography. For this reason, it’s very important to be aware of different color schemes and how they can strengthen or weaken an image.
For example, using bright, bold colors could distract from the action happening on screen. On the other hand, darker shades may feel more ominous and dramatic.
It’s also worth noting that some people associate certain colors with specific emotions. For instance, red is often considered passionate, while blue feels calming.
As you begin exploring various color schemes, try looking at nature as a source of inspiration. A lot of beautiful natural scenes have patterns of light and dark colored vegetation or rocks, which are interesting contrasts.
When thinking about applying these concepts in photography, remember that not every subject is designed to tell a story! Sometimes, just because there's something pretty doesn't mean we should use it to make a picture. Take a look instead at things like photographs, paintings, and sculptures to learn how to apply color in visual storytelling.
Drawing attention to certain elements
As we mentioned before, cinematographers are very careful about where they position their camera lenses and how they lighten or darken areas to draw your eye in a specific direction.
This is an important part of eyeliner filmmaking because it is a way to tell a story by emphasizing something of importance.
For example, if the narrative requires someone to talk about something that makes them feel bad or angry, then the director will have the person get into the car with a heavy lens (bigger than normal) and leave quickly so that there’s a sense of urgency for what needs to happen next.
A similar thing happens when someone wants to emphasize how good or successful they are- by having the other party admire or praise them just as much as they do.
These types of shots always make me think about how people are influenced by those around them and how our perception of others is shaped depending on who you are talking to and what they say to you.
Learning to use your whole camera setup
A lot of people start taking better pictures by going more in depth with their hands-on time, trying different settings, experimenting with photoshop or lightroom! Doing that is great, but you will run into a problem soon enough.
If you are looking through the lens while holding the camera still, this is called eyepoint position. The eye goes where the lens is so it can focus on what you want it to be focused on (objects far away) and then it shifts to the next thing (close objects). This is how most people take selfies which is why they look like they have one eyebrow raised.
But if you shift your hand or body position just slightly, the angle of the lens changes and thusly, the way the picture looks. This is when using your entire camera set up comes in handy as you learn how to manipulate the angles and distances of the lenses to get various looks.
Camera equipment such as lights, gels, reflectors, and tripods can all help you achieve these effects, however, you do not need any of those unless you are sure you will use them! Simply knowing what each tool does for you will make creating cool photos much easier.