Photographic composition isthe pleasing arrangement of subject
matter elements within the picture area
The camera sees and records only a small isolated part of the
larger scene, reduces it to only two dimensions, frames it, and
freezes
3. Composition Composition is the selection and arrangement of
objects in the picture area.A well composed photograph is more
attractive and pleasing to the viewer.There are 6 guidelines to
follow to get well-composed photographs.
7. Simplicity Compare the simple photo on the left... with the
busy photo on the right. Which one do you prefer?
8. Simplicity
9. Simplicity
10. Simplicity
11. How are photographic composition skills developed?
You look,
You study
You practice.
12. Think through your Camera
13. Analyze various media
Motion pictures,
Television,
Magazines
Books and newspapers,
valuate what you see
What is good about this picture or that TV image? What is bad
about it?
14. SUBJECT PLACEMENT
Principle of Third
In the principle of thirds, the intersection of lines that divide
the picture area into thirds are marked by Os.
15. Rule of Thirds
Divide the picture area like a tic-tac-toe board and place the
subject at one of the intersections.
Place horizons high or low in the picture.Rarely should
horizons be in the middle.
Give moving subjects room to move in the picture.
16. Rule of Thirds
17. Rule of Thirds SubjectPlaced inLower Right
18. Rule of Thirds Have a strong center of interest
19. Rule of Thirds
20. Rule of Thirds Horizons High or Low Subject in Lower
Left
21. Rule of Thirds
22. Rule of Thirds
23. Rule of Thirds
24. Rule of Thirds The boat has room to move in this
picture.
25. Rule of Thirds
26. Principle of Third
27. Principle of Third
28. Principle of Third
29. Principle of Third
30. Principle of Third
31. Dynamic symmetry
32. Dynamic symmetry
Symmetrical, or formal, balance in a photograph is achieved
when elements on both sides of the picture are of equal weight
.
Symmetrical pictures, in which both presumed to be
approximately equal.
33. Balance
34. Balance Having good balance can help to prevent having a
picture that looks lopsided.Provide objects and shapes on either
side of the picture to compliment each other.Also provide visual
support to objects that need it.
35. Balance The wheel has visual support on both sides of the
picture.
36. Balance In this picture the wheel on the right is not in
the picture and the Wheel lacks support.
38. Balance The Bison on the right balances the people on the
left.
39. Balance The Bison on the right balances the people on the
left.
40. Aspects of Balance
An object far from the center of the picture seems to have more
weight than one near the center.
Objects in the upper part of a picture seem heavier than
objects of the same size in the lower part of a picture.
Isolation seems to increase the weight of an object.
Intensely interesting objects seem to have more compositional
weight.
Regular shapes seem to have more weight than irregular
shapes.
Elements on the right side of an asymmetrical picture appear to
have more weight than elements of the same size on the left side of
the picture.
41. Symmetrical Asymmetrical
43. Framing
Use Foreground Objects to Highlight the Subject and Give the
Picture Depth
Pictures of Scenery should have a foreground and
background.Provide some visual depth to the picture.
44. Framing The trees in the foreground provide a frame for the
mountain in the background.Also, the mountain has been placed in
the upper left corner to meet the rule of thirds.
45. Framing This photograph does not have a lot of framing but
it has an obvious foreground, middle ground and background.
46. Framing
47. Framing Overhanging branches and plants in the foreground
provide a frame for the lake and trees.The person has been placed
in the lower right.
48. Framing
49. Framing
50. Framing
51. Framing This photograph does not have a lot of framing but
it has an obvious foreground, middle ground and background.
52. Fill the frame
53. Fill the frame
54. Mergers Mergers are something to avoid!
A merger could be a background object that interferes with the
subject...
or an object that is too close to the subject that takes
attention away from the subject.
A border merger is when peoples heads or feet are cut off at
the edge of the picture.
55. Mergers In the picture on the left the tree in the
background appears to be coming out of the persons head.This is a
merger that can be avoided by simply moving your vantage
point.
56. Mergers A common mistake when photographing large groups of
people is to not fit everyone in the picture.This results in people
being cut off.This is a Border Merger.
57. Mergers Balloon Head? Much Better!
58. Lines
Use Dynamic Lines to Make the Picture Interesting
Use Leading Lines to Draw attention to the Subject
The S-curve is a popular line used in photos.
59. Lines
A mark made by a moving point.
Has greater length than width.
Directs the eye horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curvy, zigzag,
etc
60. Lines
61. Lines
62. Lines
63. Lines
64. Lines
65. Lines
66. Lines S-Curve
67. Lines S-Curve
68. Lines Leading Lines
69. Lines Leading Lines
70. Lines Leading Lines
71. Lines
72. Lines
73. Lines
74. Cropping
77. Composition Remember, these are guidelines, not Rules. You
may only use 1 or 2 of these guidelines at a time.Try them and see
if your photos improve.
78. Tone is probably the most intangible element of composition
TONE Tone may consist of shadings from white-to-gray-to-black The
use of dark areas against light areas is a common method of adding
the feeling of a third dimensionto a two-dimensional
black-and-white picture. Tones are mostly light and airy, the
picture portrays lightness, joy, or airiness .
79. EMPHASIS or Focal Point Emphasis in a composition refers to
developing points of interest to pull the viewer's eye to important
parts of the body of the work.
80. EMPHASIS EXAMPLES
81. Example of digital refocusing
82. Pattern
83. Pattern
Pattern can help echo the character of a photo
Catching attention
Slight variation in a pattern
Random patterns
Pattern in common places
84. Pattern
85. Texture
How an object feels, or how it looks like it feels.
Rough, smooth, bumpy, gooey, sharp, etc.
Adds interest! Sense of sight and sense of touch involved.