We're Talking Composition in Our Pictures

on
We're still not moving on to shutter speed because ......

It doesn't matter how good you are at using your camera or phone.  Or whether you are on manual or auto.....

Composition is key

How you compose your image is what draws the eye.  It's what makes people linger and take a second look.

Whilst there is an auto mode for our camera, there is no auto for composition.

Rules of composition in photography

Firstly let me say there are no hard and fast rules ..... but guidelines to help enhance.
  • Rule of thirds adds balance
Imagine your image is divided into 9 sections by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. The rule of thirds says that you should position the most important elements in your picture along those lines, or the points where they intersect.

Below:  this little Robin was taken a few years ago now.  He popped into view whilst I was shooting a wedding.  Obviously I was unable to take my time in capturing the image correctly.   I cropped it afterwards.

To be honest I could have zoomed in, but then it wouldn't have shown how tiny the Robin looked on the rather large pot!  Cute:)
Rule of Thirds
Rule of thirds explained

  • Leading lines naturally draws the eye 
The image below draws the eye to the basket of blankets on the decking.  By holding the camera down I captured the lines of the decking leading to the basket.

And the image below is of my two granddaughters, taken a few years ago now.  
This was at Exbury Gardens.  Including the winding path in the image draws your eye to the little girls and creates a little story telling.


Leading lines draws the eye

  • Symmetry and patterns

Instead of shooting head on try a different angle.
  • Reflections 
Reflections can be found everywhere
Reflections can create an interesting image and helps tell the story.

  • Horizons
The horizon is visible in the image below but capturing it from a low perspective creates a more interesting image.

If you remember a couple of weeks ago we talked about perspective.  

Many a time I've seen a wonky horizon!  Now there was a time when we were shooting weddings that quirky wonky horizons and putting things on a slant became the norm ... well for some.  Not for us!

In fact we gained a wedding commission because we were one of the few photographers who kept horizons straight!

As I said, rules are there to be broken if you so wish.  These are only guidelines.

If you, like us, like to keep things real and you have shot an image at a bit of a jaunty angle, most editing programmes/apps come with an easy fix.  Even your iPhone has an easy fix for wonky pics :)

'You don't take a photograph, you make it'
Ansel Adams

Thanks for joining me again this week.  Have a great week.  Keep your feet firmly on the ground in these winds that have been hitting us all, especially if you live by the sea! :)