Composition 3

In this, the third article on composition in photography let's look further at placing the main subject of an image within the frame of the viewfinder.

We discussed in 'Composition 2' how the positioning of the various items within an image affect the viewer's perception. We will look now at some of the less obvious arrangements we can use to this end.

Gravity

It may seem strange to consider gravity in a static, 2-dimensional photograph but it does have an effect upon our perception. Without other clues, we naturally expect large, heavy objects to fall under gravity's influence.

A photograph of a kite in the sky gives us no problems because we naturally assume a kite to fly. Something large and heavy that did not belong in the sky would give a strong implication of downward movement and maybe even impending disaster. This would obviously affect the way the viewer perceived things.

Tone

The tones in an image, especially a black and white one, also have an impact. Heavy, dark tones at the bottom of the frame imply a settled, stable image. At the top of the frame they suggest dark, gloomy unsettling atmosphere.

The eye tends to find light, bright tones and will move from shadow to highlights where it will settle. Use this to fix the focal point of an image.

Shape

Once again left to it's own devices, your brain will automatically scan a scene from left to right. Vertical objects will be noted from bottom to top. A square object will cause a feeling of indecision. The less obviously square an item is, the more decisive the eye and brain are in tackling it. To some extent you can control the way an image is viewed by the shapes included in it.

Converging Lines

Converging lines will move the eye to the imagined crossing point. Think of the way the edges of a road or pavement disappearing into the distance draw your eye toward the horizon.

Viewpoint

In a studio you can completly control everything that appears in the image and therefore have a lot of control over how an image is perceived. When shooting in a town centre you have no control over the content, so to have any control over the emotions of the viewer you will need to play close attention to the shapes and implied movements. Shooting a street scene from across the other side of the street and low down, lots of legs, car wheels etc. will imply movement and dynamism. The same scene shot along the length of the pavement from a normal height will show lots of heads and shoulders, many facing the wrong way. This perhaps more usual view will convey a much more calm and normal feeling.

Image Format

The impact of the shape of the object can be affected by the format of the final image.

A tall, thin rectangular shape may look more comfortable to us if the camera is rotated through 90 degrees so that the final image is in portrait format rather than the normal landscape format.

Turn the shape on it's side, photograph a table rather than a door, and the landscape format will often feel more natural.

Photograph both together, the door in the wall behind the table for instance, and you gain some control over how the viewer perceives the scene. Move the table so that the door is behind it's centre and the effect of portrait or landscape format will be fairly neutral. Pull the table to one side and a portrait format will look slightly at odds with the scene.

Using these Guidelines

Once again you can probably see that a wide range of reactions can be drawn from a viewer by working with these guidelines in mind.

Try experimenting with these combined with some from the previous article and see how they affect you. Notice how you can guide the eye to specific areas of the image as well as invoke emotion by using these techniques.

Upload these to your computer and compare them on the screen, or better, print them out and examine how they fit in with the above guidelines.

Further Reading

If you would like to learn more about this aspect of photography,
check out 'Learn to See Creatively'