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Learning about composition is one of the best ways to move out of snapshot mode and begin to produce professional looking images.
In fact, you cannot realistically hope to compete with professional or even top notch amateur photographers without paying close attention to the composition of your photographs.
If you would like to look a little closer at this topic, I recommend you give this book at try:
Learn to See Creatively
Click above to read the reviews at Amazon.
While you're there, they have a large selection of books on this topic here:
Books on Composition
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This article will form the introduction to a series I will be posting on the secrets of composing photographs. It is a surprisingly large subject, so I will introduce some of the basics here and get a little deeper in future articles.
So, what's It All about?
At it's most basic, the term 'composition' simply means arranging the subject of your image to produce something that is easy on the eye whilst getting your message across. Often fairly basic common sense is all that is required, but it is surprisingly easy to miss something that may look blindingly obvious to someone else when they look at the photo.
In essence, make sure that your subject is the obvious focal point. When you look through the viewfinder try to look all around the scene, not just at the subject. Wait a few seconds until the guy walking his dog in the background gets out of the frame.
If the infamous lamp post is standing on Uncle Freds head, ask him to move a little, or move your self to one side.
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Here is an excellent example of what can go wrong when not paying attention!
Who is that little fellow whispering into this guy's ear? |
Set the Scene
If possible try to ensure that the setting of the shoot is appropriate to the subject. If you are taking a shot of a local shopkeeper to hang on the wall of his new shop, it will look fine with him standing in the doorway with a carefully dressed window display on show. It won't quite have the same impact if he is standing on the pavement with a crowd of shoppers blocking the view.
You may be trying to shoot a local pillar of society at a fete when it will be difficult to catch him or her away from the crowds and you can't really just ask them to move to where you want them. In this case you may need to try to isolate them from the background clutter by using selective focusing. See this article on depth of field for more info on how to use this very useful technique.
Rule of Thirds
When you have more influence over the shoot, when you're in a more formal setting, there are some 'golden rules' you can apply to your work.
One of these is the Rule of Thirds which will help you obtain a well composed and appealing image once you have sorted out the stuff in the background mentioned above. |
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| To apply this rule, imagine the scene in the viewfinder divided into three rows of three columns and try to locate the subject on one of the intersections. |
Rule of Thirds
Try to place the main subject
on one of the intersections
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If you are photographing a person, try to have them looking in toward the two thirds area rather than out toward the nearest edge.
Conclusion
To wrap up this intro then, simply try to slow things down a little to give yourself time to look carefully all around the scene. Do this both through the view finder and simply through your eyeball before you raise the camera. You will soon get into the habit of doing this, and it will become second nature. It will improve your photography no end and once again at no cost!
One last point, take lots of shots. Loads of 'em. From close in, far out, from the left, from the right. Stand on a wall and look down. Use those long, thin, dangly things that poke out of the tops of your socks, they're the most versatile tool a photographer has! |
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