P r o Ti p s
To elevate any kids’ art exhibit,
take cues from our resident expert,
Living photo editor Joanna Garcia.
- Tape posterboard, construction
paper, or kraft paper to a flat surface,
like a kitchen table, and push it
against a wall; hang paper on the wall
for the “set” backdrop. Use two
different colors or shades—our pup
is set against a white backdrop
and a red “floor”—to create depth.
- Zoom in or shoot from above to
nab good details, like these turtles’
shells and the hollow letter T.
- Play around to find an item’s
(or creature’s) best angle. Mr. Penguin
prefers his right side.
- Vary the horizon lines. A low one
makes these string sculptures pop.
2
I D E A
NO.
Shutter Smarts
You don’t need fancy
equipment or a
class to take display-
worthy pictures.
Just follow your in-
stincts, says Los
Angeles photographer
Max Wanger, who
works with clients
like Target, Gap Kids,
and Nike. “If you
trust your eye, you’re
going to get a cool
shot.” Follow these
guidelines to capture
some keepers.
Peanuts’ Gallery
Kids are famously prolific artists. To im-
mortalize their 3-D masterpieces without
sacrificing a shelf, try a mixed-media
approach: Edit clay figurines, string
sculptures, and putty puppies down to
your top picks. Snap them against mono-
chromatic backdrops, print them, and
intermingle them with paintings, drawings,
and collages, all in simple white frames.
SHOOT SHARP
Set your phone or camera
to take (and export)
photos at full resolution.
On an iPhone, for
example, go to Settings,
Camera, and Formats,
and select the Camera
Capture mode “Most
Compatible”; when shar-
ing photos by email or
text, always send them
at actual size. For crystal-
clear prints, photo files
should be 300 pixels per
inch (ppi).
GO OFF-CENTER
Photography is all about
experimenting, but pros
swear by the rule of thirds.
Picture three lines divid-
ing the frame horizontally
and vertically (or just turn
on your camera’s grid),
and put your subject(s)
where they meet—not
smack in the middle.
BACK IT UP
Apps make it a cinch to
crop a photo or apply
a filter: Our photo editors
use VSCO, PicTapGo,
and good old Apple
Photos. But before you
tweak anything, save an
unedited version.
THE DETAILS:
Framebridge Irvine Slim
frames, from $39 each,
framebridge.com. Shaker
Workshops Enfield
Shaker Meetinghouse
bench kit, in White,
$498, shakerworkshops
.com. Schoolhouse
Electric Isaac short-arm
sconce, in Persimmon,
$169, schoolhouse
.com. Martha Stewart
medium canvas tote
with leather trim, in
Olive, $169, qvc.com.
36 SEPTEMBER 2019
JOANNA GARCIA (3-D ART PORTRAITS)
