Anyone can take good photographs with any camera. Creating good photographs has less to do with the equipment you have and more with the composition you use - it’s not WHAT YOU SEE, BUT, HOW YOU SEE IT. The viewfinder is the small window to the world around you on the outside of a camera. The photographer decides on the limits and boundaries of the scene and finally what he/she includes or excludes contribute to the final composition of the picture.
Taking a photograph is in itself a selection process; I call it selection because the photographer has to make the choices. It could mean the subject itself, environment, light and shade, shape, texture, patterns, scale, and line. The details a photographer chooses to include can create the meaning and provide clues to the identity of the photograph. You can read a photograph as you would a book, from left to right, and then downward.
There are as many ways to take photos as there are photographers. However, good composition always stands out and is not produced by tricks or special equipment; instead it is the result of careful thought and planning. In order for an image to be successful and pleasing to the eye, it needs to be composed correctly.
SO WHAT IS COMPOSITION? Are there any rules that one must abide by? Without getting into the many fine points of composition, there are a few basic rules that should be applied; even though, as everyone knows, ’’rules are made to be broken’’... But, the rules do need to be known before they can be broken.
RULES OF COMPOSITION
LIGHT: Light is a critical element in any type of photography whether one shoots indoors or outdoors. LEARN TO OBSERVE IT RELENTLESSLY. For landscape photography, the most spectacular light happens when the sun is low in the sky-- early morning or late afternoon. Clouds are a big help. The worst time for taking pictures is when you are encountered with a cloudless sun, particularly near midday – the light is in one word, harsh. The drama of early morning or late afternoon light is what is needed to shoot breathtaking landscapes. Northern light is the best for portraits by the window. If you have a window facing north, consider yourself to be blessed with a perfect light source indoors.
SIMPLICITY: The biggest enemy of good images is too much stuff. THE CAMERA ACTUALLY SEES MORE THAN WE DO – A LOT MORE. That’s because we usually focus our attention on our subject and fail to notice the surroundings – that means everything else. You must learn to develop the habit of scanning the entire image in the viewfinder, not just the subject. As for the digital camera’s, its always a good habit to check what is on the LCD before shooting since most of the camera’s below $1000 are not SLR’s (single lens reflex) and do not comply to “WYSIWYG” (what you see is what you get) when you view through the viewfinder.
ANGLE OF VIEW: A walk around the object gives you an idea of the best possible views. Determine where the light is coming from and try to find different variations by choosing very high or low standpoints. The distance and the focal length should be adapted to the perspective you’re looking for: Have you seen photos of kids taken from the adult’s perspective, looking down at the subject? The kids look like just that: kids down below us! However, if you get down to their level, looking at them in the eye, you feel more in touch with the subject, more as an equal. In addition, you can see them better. The effort involved is minimal. You can always do a few deep knee bends to get into shape for it.
A 50mm lens roughly has the same perspective as the human eye, anything below is considered wide angle and above, telephoto.
FRAMING: Most of us take photographs with the camera held horizontally. After all, this is the way the camera was designed to be held and is the most natural way to hold it. Some photos are perfectly suited for this horizontal format. Most landscapes seem to flow from left to right, and need the wide-open spaces of the horizontal shot. But, when thinking about composing your shot, don’t forget the other option you have. Vertical shots are sometimes the perfect choice. Check to see the horizon is straight before you squeeze your shutter
GOLDEN RULE/RULE OF THIRDS: The golden rule establishes an ideal ratio between height and width. More or less, the ratio corresponds to 2/3 x 1/3; and this is a ratio that can be recognized in the size of most film frames and, today, in the image sizes of digital cameras. These proportions are derived from the field of view of the human eye, and are used, often with slight variations, throughout a large number of commonly used objects. Examples can be found in architecture, in the shape of doors and windows, to more mundane items such as picture frames and sheets of paper.
Within that frame, another rule is used: the RULE OF THIRDS. The idea is that the ’’hottest’’ zones of the image are the zones a third of the way from the borders (1/3 from bottom left, top left, bottom right and top right), and the most important parts of the subject should be placed there. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Learn this rule and break it! Draw an imaginary grid on your viewfinder and place your subject at one of the spots where two of the lines intersect. Your subject will be off center, and has a stronger impact than one that is centered. The most important thing to remember here is to use those other 2/3 wisely. Similarly, compositions containing diagonals can also be based on the golden rule and the rule of thirds, so that the resulting image is balanced
FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND: Keep an eye on the background, busy backgrounds can add to confusion and steal attention from your subject. Foliage or blue sky makes a good background. Whenever you take scenic pictures or pictures of buildings or monuments, try to include something in the foreground to add interest and dimension. How you want people to view your picture determines what you do with the foreground and background.
CENTRE OF INTEREST: One element is dominant - which tells the story. The viewer should be able to easily identify the center of interest.
DEPTH: You can create the illusion of depth in your composition by overlapping objects and natural lines, 3-D effect when objects and people occupy the foreground, middle distance and background.
LEADING LINES/CURVES: Select a camera angle that will allow a leading line, such as a road, path, fence, railing or river, to lead into your picture. This can create interest and also lead the viewer to the main subject.
CONCLUSION: The rules of composition are based on patterns identified in several artistic works that are commonly accepted as having good composition. The theory behind the rules is that if you try to follow them the odds are in your favor that your image will look properly or pleasingly-composed.
Many artists and photographers rely on the rules of composition daily in their work – some instinctively and some with a bit of effort. These rules are very useful particularly to the photographer who is starting out and feels that his or her photography could benefit from better composition. If you ever encounter a situation where you are not sure what to do to tell your story better, you can always fall back on the rules, then judge the results. But, if you are pleased with a composition that conveys the meaning you want in your images, but that completely violates the rules, then ignore them. The rules should be broken when you feel that by applying them it would negatively impact your picture’s meaning.
YOU are an artist! Pick up that camera of yours and start shooting. Show us what YOU see.
Thank you for dropping by and reading what I write
All text copyright Quadophile 2004