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How Do I Compose A Photograph? Whether taking that "once in a lifetime picture" or just taking some family shots at the local park, knowing how to compose a picture is very important. Thinking about a composition can really help make better photos, but dwelling on rules and technicalities can cause missed opportunities. The best way to find a happy balance is to get out and practice. Shoot heaps of photos, and do it often (that's way we love digital photography!). Even if you don’t have your camera with you, if you see something that would make an interesting shot, close one eye and imagine how you would compose it. To improve your skills, find photos you like and study them, asking yourself: 'Why exactly do I like this picture?' Subject. Ask yourself: 'What is the purpose of this photograph?' and 'What is the reaction I want a viewer to have?'. Identify what the subject of your photograph is. Answering 'a person' or 'a building' is not good enough. You need to go deeper and specify 'the curves of the body' or 'the crumbling stonework' -- something that activates your senses, that you can touch, feel, smell, or taste. Although it may be tempting to simply snap your photos and rush on, take your time to visually explore the subject and see what appeals to you. If the subject is moving, take multiple shots and choose offline the best of them. The "Rule of Thirds". It comes down to us from the ancient Greeks and has to do with proportions and what is pleasing to the eye. Imagine that your picture is being divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically (thus called the "Rule of Thirds" to figure out the intersections). You can put the subject in any one of the intersections, depending on light, shadows, size, etc. The center of the frame is the weakest place -- it's static, dull, and gives no value to the context. Don't worry about being exact; just make sure that the composition is balanced. After a while, it will become second nature. Context. It adds relevance, contrast, and/or location to the 'subject.' When at the Grand Canyon, allow some of the background to show! You can add depth by finding a 'context' in a different spatial plane than the 'subject.' For example, if the subject is a building in the background, make the context a flower or person in the foreground. Do not let the context ruin your photo! It's not good to have branches sticking out of heads or nasty reflections from shiny surfaces. The subject placed in a context is the photograph. Remove any clutter that detracts from your message. If you had a bald eagle flying through the clear blue sky, it looks a lot simpler, and better. Get closer -- zoom in -- and crop as tightly as possible. The more you move the subject away from the center, the more relevance you give to the context; so juggle until you get the right balance. Use contrast, or the difference between dark and light, to compose the picture. Also, having a wide variety of colors helps the picture not feel "grayed" or "washed out". It makes the picture look interesting. Create impact by using real or inferred lines that lead the viewer's eye into and around the picture. Railway tracks, rivers, and fences are obvious choices, but there are also inferred lines from the subject to the context. The direction a line takes is also important, symbolizing the idea of passage in space. Lines have subtle effects. Horizontal lines are peaceful; diagonals are dynamic or tense; and curves are active and sensuous. Diagonal lines are more interesting. They tend to focus the eye into the image. They have more visual power. Things should always appear to move into the image rather than out of it. For example, it is more interesting to see the front of a car moving into a scene than the back of a car moving out. |
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