Dittobug.com has everything you need to decorate your home with high quality, personalized items for every room, including one of our most popular services, online canvas printing. Custom canvas prints are a great way to celebrate your favorite memories and give your house a homey, inviting feel.
To get a great canvas from online canvas printing, follow these tips for capturing the perfect printable photo, or choosing a great one you already have for printing.
Interesting Angles and Perspectives.
Most living things (humans, animals, and plants) take great photos with the camera slightly elevated over the subject. This position enhances the angles of the face and head. The just over eye level angle is particularly flattering for larger people. If you are posing subjects, do not have them standing with both feet planted straight toward the camera. Try posing with one foot closer to the camera and that hip forward. For women, standing with one or both hands on the upper hip is flattering while men might look better with one hand held loosely in a pocket. If you are taking photos and you have the time, it’s worth trying a few different angles with your subject(s) to ensure you get the best canvas printing online result.
Posing Groups.
Make sure every face is visible by having tall people in the back or having some in the group kneel in front to create depth and visual interest. Also consider grouping the tallest people in the center of the back and then getting shorter toward the ends. For every pose or location, take a burst of photos to ensure you have extra options in case of the occasional eyes closed, sneeze, or other gaffes during a shot that inevitably happen with every group image.
The Rule of Thirds.
To follow the rule of thirds, divide your photograph in nine equal squares, three across and three down. Focus on getting the subject of the shot (usually a human) in one of the intersections where four of the quadrants meet. These spots are a third of the way from bottom or top and right or left of the photo. The rule of thirds is easy to follow when you turn on the grid lines on your phone’s camera. Abiding this rule makes the photo more visually interesting than when the subject is centered. It also helps you focus on creating interesting “negative space” surrounding your subject. Give it a try and you will notice an instant boost in the professional appearance of your pics that will be reflected in the online canvas printing of your photos.
Colors.
Try adjusting the camera settings in your phone to see what options you have for black and white, sepia, or toned photography. If you have Photoshop skills or other photo editing apps, try editing existing photos to black and white or even tint (blue, green, yellows, browns) to match your decor. Or you could even try color blocking. Color blocking is the effect where an image is black and white except for one element that is in full color. This can work great for an image of someone holding flowers for example, or for a striking look to highlight the subject’s eyes.
Groups of Photos.
One popular option with online canvas prints is to take a series of photos to display together in a group of three canvases - your kids making different faces, couples in different poses on the same day, or one of each child. Or for something interesting, intersperse a nature shot with photos of family. For example, include one canvas of some foliage on the same autumn day in the same location as family photos on either side of it. Or print one canvas from a photo of a crab in the sand along with photos of the kids playing at the beach the same day. This will set a fun and engaging mood for the whole room.
Lighting.
Lighting is one of the most important elements of any photograph, and can make or break the final product when you print your canvas online. Bright noonday sun is tough for photos for two reasons. First is that it can cause the photo subjects to squint or make perplexed-looking faces. The second reason to avoid midday sun is that it can cause a harsh, washed out look on the subjects and scene. The best lighting is during the few hours after sunrise or the last couple of hours before sunset when the sun’s light is less bright and direct. Cloudy, overcast days also create more diffuse light that is good for photos all day.
Use the tips above when taking photos for the best canvas printing online. This will guarantee a great canvas to put on display with your professional canvas printing online.