Composition
Introduction I have decided to discuss the topic of composition within photography as many people seem to believe photography is an effortless uncomplicated subject. My aim is to change people’s perception of photography and the difficulties along with taking an ideal photograph.With today's high-tech pro cameras and IS and VR lenses, learning to take perfectly sharp, expertly exposed photograph is getting easier and easier for the amateur photographer.
There are thousands of technically perfect photographs in print and on the web and it seems there are as many talented amateurs emerging every day. But there is a notable difference in the work of a photographer who takes the time to think about the composition of their image. The composition sets the mood for the shot and tells the story. Compositions can be used to suggest powerful emotional responses, a goal for many photographers, but something that is achieved by few.In order to create a technically good, visually pleasing photograph it would make sense that a photographer has a solid understanding of both the technical and artistic sides of photography.
The ability to link the two is what enhances the work of masters like Henri Cartier-Bressin (the decisive moment). I have always felt that the best way to improve composition skills is to first learn how to see compositions. Try to see the compositional elements in every photograph you can find. Look at the lines in the image. Do they work together or against each other? How does your eye travel around through the image? Does it flow smoothly from one thing to the next or jump all around in the image? Look for space distribution, colour, mood, perspective, depth, light and time of day, shapes, etc. How did the photographer use major components of the image like light and shadow, shape and form, background and foreground?It has been found that certain points in a picture's composition automatically attract the viewer's attention. Similarly, many natural or man-made objects and scenes with certain proportions whether by chance or by design automatically please us.
There are various compositional rules (guidelines) to help you. These rules will help you to compose a pleasing photograph, however, you will often find that a really striking picture will show a deliberate disregard for the rules. The most common mistake people make when taking pictures is not filling the frame with the subject. If it's a photo of a person waving from the doorstep, let's just see person and the door, not half the houses in the street with a small person in the middle. I think the culprit for this phenomenon is the focusing aid in the centre of the viewfinder. Most cameras have some sort of circle or rectangle etched onto the glass.Selecting your viewpoint, the position from which you photograph the subject, is a very important part of composition and one that some people pay very little attention to. When taking a photo of a group of friends, how often do you move around the group looking for the best angle?The first, most obvious difference between one viewpoint and another is the background. If you are photographing a subject that cannot easily be moved, the only way to change what is in the background is to choose a different viewpoint.The subject itself can look quite different viewed from different angles. Photos can be made to take on a whole new dynamic by selecting an extreme angle of view. I shoot a lot of pictures, especially sports shots, laying down, getting the camera as close to the ground as possible.
Also the perspective can change quite drastically, especially with wider angled lenses. If you photograph a person full length with a wide angle lens from a standing position, their head will be too big in proportion to the rest of their body. If, on the other hand, you kneel down and shoot the same picture from waist height, you will see that the whole picture is better proportioned.Studying compositions builds good design skills even though you are not actively designing the image. Seeing is half of the art of photography and this exercise will help you to recognize that prize-winning shot when you have it in your viewfinder, If you keep composition in mind when in the field, it will eventually become second nature to you. It will go from being a source of uncertainty to a powerful tool that will enable you to speak to the world through your images, exactly how you want and on your own terms.
