Good photographers make conscious decisions about what they put in the frame, what they leave out, how elements are arranged and how they interact with each other. Whether you’re photographing your family and friends at a barbeque or a sunset at Kakadu National Park, an understanding of the principles of composition will help you produce better photos. In the first article in a new two-part series, Robert Keeley sets out six simple steps to help you improve your composition.
01 VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL OR SQUARE?
The first thing to consider is whether you should shoot your scene vertically, horizontally or square. Some subjects naturally lend themselves to a vertical format, whilst others tend to work horizontally. Tall buildings will fit well in a vertical frame, whereas ocean beaches probably work better as panoramics. This is the first and most basic creative decision you have to make, and it’s one of the few where what seems to be a natural fit usually works. Rarely will a tall structure work in a wide format, and just as rarely will a wide subject work in a vertical frame.
In this square-format image the photographer has used the rule of thirds to position the horizon (on the top horizontal line) and a leading line (the footprints) to draw our eyes into the picture. (Thinkstock.)
02 THE RULE OF THIRDS
Of all the ideas about composition, the so-called ‘Rule of Thirds’ is arguably the best known. It’s often mentioned between enthusiasts, but many amateurs may not know exactly what it means. Essentially, to use the rule of thirds you divide your scene with a ‘noughts and crosses’ grid – two lines running across the scene, and two running down it, dividing the scene into thirds in both directions. Where the lines intersect you should place your key points of interest. This sounds simple, but it works, and many great photographers have used it because our brain responds to the arrangement and notes the simple, balanced organisation of elements.
A lesser known variation of this arrangement is the Golden Mean, which divides your scene into a ratio of around 5:8 rather than 1:2. The Golden Mean is a ratio seen a lot in nature. This arrangement can still be relatively static, so if you can place another component in your scene at another intersection of lines the eye will scan from one to the other, creating more interest. The key point to remember with rule of thirds, as with every other idea behind composition, is that it’s only a guide, and there will be times when it will work to set your scene up against this theory.
In this photo, the photographer has composed the photo according to the ‘rule of thirds’ positioning the eyes – the key point of interest in any portrait – on the top horizontal line. (Thinkstock.)
03 PATTERNS
Another commonly used element in composition is the use of patterns. It often works in man-made objects like buildings with arches, or rows of light poles, but there are patterns everywhere, existing in natural settings as well.
Once again, our eyes search for order, so patterns can used to impose a strong sense of it. Some patterns are easily discernable, while others require a little more examination, but sometimes these more subtle patterns make an image much stronger than the obvious ones. Keep an eye out for patterns when you compose your shot.
Our eyes tend to be attacted to patterns and a sense of order. Some patterns are immediately obvious. That doesn’t mean they have any less impact! (Thinkstock.)
04 LEADING LINES
Closely related to patterns is the use of ‘leading lines’, which draw our eye through a scene. But these don’t always have to be lines – and they don’t have to be straight! A series of objects photographed from the close foreground to the distant background will work as well as a river or a fence line or a winding road to create an illusion of depth. Combing our previous ‘rule’ with this one, patterns receding into the distance also work well to keep us interested in an image, which is always the key objective.
Here the photographer has combined three design elements to attract our attention – the pattern created by the line of identically shaped bathing sheds, a leading line created by the strong receding perspective, and strong saturated colours.(Thinkstock.)
05 TRIANGLES AND OTHER SHAPES
In engineering one of the most stable structures is the triangle. It works by evenly spreading a load. In photography it works in a similar manner. It creates an enclosed composition, but draws our eye around a given scene. You’ll often see this used in set portraits of groups – for instance the family portrait with one or two members seated, one standing behind, and a shorter person standing on the edge. The triangle can work with inanimate objects as well as it does with people. It can work with one person by arranging their arms appropriately (which doesn’t necessarily mean forearms in front, with bent elbows – that can be interpreted as a defensive, or ‘closed’ pose).
06 THINK ABOUT IT
Every time you lift a viewfinder to your eye, you subconsciously start making decisions about what you want and don’t want in the image. You might not think too much about it, but at least one decision has been made to include something in the scene – otherwise you wouldn’t be taking a picture! If you’re photographing friends at a beach, for instance, quickly check what else is in the scene. Run your eye around the edge of the frame – is there a discarded piece of rubbish visible, or somebody distracting in the background? By removing unwanted elements you automatically improve your shot. Just remember that as you move you’ll also be changing the angle of the light hitting your subject, which will then have another impact on your composition.
Our eyes are intuitively attracted to the brightest areas of an image. In this case a vignette (darkening of the edges of the image) keeps our eyes from wandering out of the frame. (Thinkstock.)