Composition is simply referring to the different elements of your photo. By this I mean things like the angle you took the photo at, the different objects (or lack thereof) you included in the photo, the placement of your main subject within the frame of the photo.
Think Before You Shoot
Just randomly firing off shots with your intended subject in the middle of the frame rarely produces an eye catching photo. A little thought beforehand can lift the quality of your photos.
ASK YOURSELF
Ask yourself exactly what you are trying to achieve with the photo. Do you want to show how big the building is? Do you want to show how fast the bike is going? What is the main subject of the photo?
These are the types of questions that are worth asking yourself before taking the shot because to achieve them you may need to take more time in setting up the shot.
Let’s say you want to show how big the building is. Moving right back so you get it all in the frame and shooting is the way most happy snappers would do it. The result would be a building that fills the frame nicely but the size of the building wouldn’t be impressive.
Making sure there is an element in the shot to show the size is a way to highlight the buildings size. A person on the steps, a low angle that creates a sense of height is a couple of ways to achieve this.
Showing the bike is fast is not likely with a clearly focused shot with a fast shutter speed that stops the action cold. Unless, you managed to catch some dirt or rocks flying off the tyres, a dust trail or something similar.
Another method is to use a slower shutter speed, perhaps 1/80th, and move the camera with the subject and hit the button as it passes you. If you are lucky (it takes a bit of practice) and you panned with the bike correctly, the rider and some of the bike might be in reasonable focus and the background will be very much blurred. This creates a strong sense of speed.
Making sure you get a photo that clearly show the subject is your main target is another element of a good photo. Ask yourself what the main subject of the photo is going to be. Let’s say you are taking a photo of a statue in front of a building. Many happy snappers would move back to get plenty of the building in the shot as well. The result is a statue in front of a building and an uncertainty by most viewers as to which was the real target.
Moving in and focusing specifically on the statue and shooting at an angle which still has some of the building in the background will produce an image that leaves no question as to which element is the real subject of this photo. Take another photo of the building if you need that and make the building the real subject in that photo.
You can ask yourself many questions if you want before taking a photo. What mood do I want to create? What needs to be in this photo and what does not?
A SMALL STEP FOR MAN …
When you’ve taken your shot or while you are deciding how to compose your shot consider that a small change in where you are shooting from can make a big difference. Try moving just a few paces or metres to your left and right, try standing up and looking from down low for instance. Maybe instead of shooting straight on, a low angle from the side of your subject makes a better shot?
Here’s an example of how a few steps can make a huge difference to the photograph.The first shot is not bad but the 2nd shot shows a very different perspective by moving only about 3 metres to the right.
Power Lines 1
Power Lines 2
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a rule for placing your subject in a way that adds to the overall interest of the photo. Placing a subject in the middle of the photo is a time honoured method by the happy snap parade and it sometimes is still the best place of subject placement for even the professional photographer. However, more often than not, considering the rule of thirds is a better idea.
The rule of thirds is simple. Divide a photo up with 4 lines as shown in the photo below. The lines are placed roughly at 1/3rd and 2/3rd’s both horizontally and vertically. Where the lines intersect are the 4 ‘power points’ in the photo and roughly where it’s a good idea to place your main subject.
The result of following this rule is that after the viewer looks at the main subject and then they tend to look around the rest of the photo. Not every photo or subject suits this rule but some, like landscapes, often do.
This photo shows the Rule of Thirds. The lines show the photo divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally and the pinkish spots show the intersections or ‘power points.’
Rule of Thirds
As you can see, your eye looks at the parrot’s head (main subject) and then looks around the frame because your mind wonders why the waterfall isn’t centered.
Leading Lines & Elements
Leading lines and elements are things in your photo that make the viewers eye follow the line or element further into or along the photo. For best effect, have the element end at your main subject or a minor subject. For instance, you might have a stream that begins at the lower right of your photo and winds up and ends at a bridge on one of the rule of thirds ‘power points’ in the top left side of your photo. The viewer’s eye will naturally want to ‘swim’ along the stream either to or from the bridge. This adds interest.
An example of leading lines might be natural lines in the sand leading to a shell.
In the photo below you see a more subtle way to use ‘leading lines & elements.’ You can see the right hand railings (both lines & elements) start high on the right side of the photo and drift downward, past the light poles (leading elements) and end at the covered area near the centre of the shot. The floor boards (more leading lines) also all lead your eye to the covered area. Even the left hand rail leads you along also.
Leading Lines
