Table of Contents
Compose Picture Elements To Enhance The Theme
The key to great photograph is to develop a clear understanding what it is about the scene that compels you to take the photograph in the first place. This is the underlying story of the photograph. It may not be an action; it could be a mood a texture or just the beauty of a landscape. There are many stories to tell, so photography is a rich art form.
The eye and the brain create their own composite image of the world while the camera captures its own harsh version of reality. The photographer needs to understand how their camera and lens alters the perception of a scene.
Part of the art of photography is seeing beyond the obvious and using the camera to bring a different view of the world to make the viewer stop and think. Photography is a visual language and an effective photograph creates its own reality
According to John P. Schaefer in the The Ansel Adams Guide: Basic Techniques of Photography, “The ability to visualize a scene as a photograph is one distinction between a “snapshooter” and an accomplished photographer.”
Understand the Camera’s View
Camera and lens impose their own view on a scene and the process of visualization is bending that view to suit the photographer’s creative purpose. The photographer needs to understand how the limited angle of view of the camera lens frames a scene and prioritizes parts of it. Then the impact of the variables, such as aperture and shutter speed, and how they can enhance the photographer’s visualization of the scene needs considering.
Choosing the focal length of the lens gives a very different view of a scene. Shorter focal lengths tend to exaggerate the depth of objects in a scene, while longer focal lengths tend to compress the distance between objects.
Shutter speed is a critical factor in portraying a sense of motion in a still image.
Positioning the subject in the frame
There are rules of composition such as the rule of thirds, which are guides on where to position the critical aspects of a scene that will support the photographer’s visualization. Another device is using lines and patterns in the scene to lead the viewer’s eye to areas of the scene the photographer considers important. Even if compositional techniques are not used, the photographer needs to consider them to avoid creating distractions from their story.
The Rule of Thirds
Understanding the Rule of Thirds is the single most effective way to immediately transform your image capture skills. Using this rule is achieved by mentally dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The points where the lines intersect are called ‘power points.’ Placing the subject at one of these points and placing other areas or secondary subjects in the photo along the dividing lines or along other power points will draw the viewer into the photo and will cause the image to be a much stronger and balanced image.
For instance, consider a simple portrait. Many people mistakenly assume that they should put the person in the center of the photograph. However, this often leads to boring shots. It is better to offset the person in the image, and using the Rule of Thirds can help you place the subject. Try framing the subject so she is in the upper right hand third of the photograph, or someplace other than dead-center, and see how it can bring the photograph alive.
Using the Rule of Thirds means that the amateur photographer must purposely override his initial tendency to place the subject square in the middle of the photograph. Every once in a while it is ok to center the photograph. But initially it is important to become very familiar with the Rule of Thirds and to use it consistently. After the photographer is comfortable with this concept he can later learn when it is appropriate to actually break the rule.
This can apply to any type of photography, from a sports shot to a landscape. If you are shooting a sunset, don’t put the sun in the middle; put it off center, perhaps up in the low part of the grid if you want to highlight the sky or the high part of the image if you want to highlight the foreground to create a more dramatic shot.
Leading Lines
Leading lines are things in the photograph that lead the eye towards the subject of the photography. Leading lines can dramatically increase the quality of landscape and wildlife shots. Leading lines can be things like a mountain ridge, a road, or even footsteps that direct the eye towards a spot in the photograph.
For instance, while shooting concerts, try to use the guitar or the microphone stand as a leading line. While shooting hockey, use the player’s stick as a leading line to direct the eye to the player.
Look for Lines
Lines are extremely important in a photograph as they can have many uses. If they are interesting enough, they can become a visual topic in themselves: Who could resist the lines of a spider’s web glistening with dew or the soft yet sleek lines of a desert sand dune?
Lines lead the eye into a scene and they are often essential for showing distance and depth in a photograph. Leading lines appear in various ways. Curved lines can lead just as well as a straight line. Just think of a winding country road that draws the eye into the frame. Also look for intersecting lines, converging lines and even implied lines to help draw the viewer into the image.
Combining the two
Let’s consider an outdoor shot and see how you can use leading lines and the rule of thirds to achieve a dramatic shot. Let’s say you are out hiking and want to frame the person you are with to create a memorable shot. If you are on a trail, you can put the person one side in the upper part of part of the image and back up so that the trail in the foreground leads towards the person. If you are above treeline, you can create a dramatic scene by having someone pose near the ridgeline up high and have the ridgeline leading towards the person.
Above all, experiment with your photographs. Don’t keep taking the same boring shots over and over; consider these rules of composition and soon people will be exclaiming over all your shots from your “once in a lifetime” trip.
Fill the Frame
Another useful compositional rule is to make sure and ‘fill the frame’. The first mistake many amateur photographers make with a digital SLR camera is they tend to capture the subject so that it is far too small within the frame. In other words, the subject and the important parts of the image don’t extend to the edges of the photograph. Don’t make this mistake. Use the zoom on the lens to get closer to the subject or even use the built in ‘foot zoom’ – i.e. get up and physically move closer to the subject.
Hidden Meanings
This can be the most difficult and complex part of composing an image. There can be many subtle meanings and connotations conveyed by the image created by the cultural context of the viewer. This meaning derives from the viewer’s perception rather than the photographer’s intention, so where the image will be displayed needs to be a factor in its composition.
A simple example from our stories is typically good guys wear white, while the villains wear black. Some viewers may interpret the choice of color and exposure levels as value judgment of the subject. Semiotics, the science of signs, is an important tool for deeper analysis of the hidden meanings in images.
Format – Vertical or Horizontal?
Don’t forget that the camera doesn’t just have to stay in the horizontal position. It can actually turn vertically too. Most new photography enthusiasts whip out the camera and just start shooting. The natural tendency is to shoot horizontally and some new photographers will go years without ever turning their camera to the vertical position.
Some subjects simply require a vertical orientation. Photographing taller subjects or using a wide angle for unusual viewpoints work well within a vertical framework. If in doubt, shoot it both ways. It is a digital world – it never hurts to have more shots of a subject than a photographer thinks he needs.
Simplify the Image
A good photograph should reveal a single subject or idea with as little clutter as possible. If someone has to ask what it is a picture of (unless it is a purposeful abstract) then the image doesn’t work. If the photographer has to defend or explain the image, then the image doesn’t work.
Try to describe in a single sentence what the image is about: “This is a photograph of driftwood on the beach at sunset.” Then begin to eliminate all but the essential visual elements. Is the family walking down the beach the background necessary for the image? Are the random sticks at the edge of the photograph adding to the idea? Probably not. Zoom in or recompose to capture only exactly what is necessary to the image.
One way to isolate subjects is to experiment with different angles of view. This means getting up above or down below the subject. Sometimes shooting from an elevated vantage point will help you eliminate distracting or cluttered backgrounds. If you shoot from below you may be able to isolate subjects against the sky. Also, consider using different lens lengths. Zooming in on your subject is an excellent way to reduce clutter.
Guaranteed Success
If a photographer incorporates all of these tips into his image capture process, it is sure to make quite a positive change in his photography. Just remember: What format is best for this image – vertical or horizontal? Are there any leading lines that will help pull the viewer into the image? Is the subject on a power point or one of the dividing lines? Does the subject fill the frame and have all distractions been eliminated?
If a photographer asks himself these questions when composing an image, he is guaranteed to end up with drastically better images.