Composition (The elements)

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Composition(The elements)
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What is Composition

• Composition is the arrangement of shapes (forms)
  in an image their position, relationship to one
  another and to the image as a whole.
• Photographers, like other artists, compose their
  images to create certain effects and to affect
  the viewer.

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• How you arrange a scene's elements in your
  camera's viewfinder will not only determine the
  effectiveness of your picture, but will also
  contribute to how well its message is conveyed.
  There is more to good composition, than the
  placement of elements.
• Lighting, shutter speed, and depth of field and
  aperture contribute to a picture's mood and
  clarity of what the picture is saying, and
  therefore the effectiveness of its composition.

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Elements of Design

• Space - Space is defined and determined by shapes
  and forms. Positive space is where shapes and
  forms exist negative space is the empty space
  around shapes and forms. For images to have a
  sense of balance positive and negative space can
  be used to counter balance each other.
• Line - A line represents a "path" between two
  points. A line can be straight, curved, vertical,
  horizontal, diagonal, or zigzag.
• Shape - Shapes are the result of closed lines.
  However shapes can be visible without lines when
  an artist establishes a color area or an
  arrangement of objects within the camera's
  viewfinder.
• Color - Color occurs when light in different
  wavelengths strikes our eyes.
• Texture - Texture refers to the surface quality
  or "feel" of an object - smooth, rough, soft,
  etc. Textures may be actual (felt with touch -
  tactile) or implied (suggested by the way an
  artist has created the work of art -visual).
  Texture is often emphasized in oblique lighting
  as it strikes the objects from one side.
• Form - Form refers to the three-dimensional
  quality of an object, which is due in part to
  light, and dark areas. Light and dark areas
  within an image provide contrast that can suggest
  volume
• Value - Value helps with Form. It gives objects
  depth and perception. Value is also referred to
  as tone.

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More about Space

• Positive and Negative Space
• Positive space is where shapes and forms exist.
• Negative space is the empty space around shapes
  and forms.

The next few slides will help to see the positive
and negative space in photographs
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Positive Space

• The positive space masked in black

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Negative Space

• The negative space masked in blacknotice how
  the negative space defines and implies the shape
  of a plane

Negative space helps define a subject, so
negative space works when theres a balance
between the positive and negative spaces.
Negative space also works when it draws the
viewers eye into the subject.
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Negative Space

• Negative space can actually be used as the main
  subject in a composition itself, sometimes to the
  extent where it takes on an identifiable shape
  defined by its surrounding positive space.

Photography by Numlok
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Balancing Negative and Positive Space

• In this photo the black area is negative space
  and it serves to balance the area in which the
  marmot and rock occupy. Areas of a picture that
  contain "nothing" are important visual elements
  that provide balance in an image.

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Examples
Photography by Faquino101
Photography by Stephen M. Gray
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Line

• Diagonal, Horizontal, Vertical and Converging,
  Leading lines all impact images differently when
  photographing use the lines to strengthen the
  images.

Photography by Stevacek
Lines have the power to lead the viewers eye to
certain points in the image.
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Diagonal Lines

• Diagonal lines generally work well to draw the
  eye of an images viewer through the photograph.
  They create points of interest as they intersect
  with other lines and often give images depth by
  suggesting perspective.

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Horizontal Lines

• Theres something about a horizontal line in an
  image that conveys a message of stability or
  even rest.

Photography by Tal Bright
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Vertical Lines

• Vertical lines have the ability to convey a
  variety of different moods in a photograph
  ranging from power and strength (think of
  skyscrapers) to growth (think of trees).

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Converging Lines

• A picture with converging lines contains a set
  of lines which seem to come together in the
  distance.
• Experiment with Positioning
• Positioning the convergence
• Adding Interest at the Point of Convergence

Photography by Kenny Maths
Photography by MarvinOS
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Leading Lines

• Leading lines are used to draw the viewer's eye
  through the photograph. This is an especially
  powerful technique to draw the viewer's attention
  to one or more intended subjects or a single
  focal point.

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Shape

• In photographs, shape can be the objects in the
  image, but they can also be the way subjects
  connect to each other in a photo to form shapes
  that draw the eye from subject to subject.

Photography by Wong Chek
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Texture

• Texture helps to emphasize the features and
  details in a photograph. By capturing "texture"
  of objects, you can create form.
• Texture particularly comes into play when light
  hits objects at interesting angles.

Photography by Grant McDonald
Photography by Scose
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More Texture
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Color
The 12 part color wheel below is based on the
three primary colors - ( Red, Yellow and Blue )
The secondary colors (Green, Orange and Violet)
are mixtures of the two primaries they sit
between. The tertiary colors fall between each
primary and secondary.
Color wheel with primaryand secondary colors
Color wheel with primary, secondary and
intermediate (or tertiary) colors
Another color wheel with primary, secondary and
intermediate (or tertiary) colors
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More about Color

• Color Terms
• Hue refers to the names of the primary colors,
  red, green and blue.Value lightness and
  darkness of the color - the amount of white or
  black added. Intensity the purity or
  saturation of the color Monochromatic color
  use of one color where only the value of the
  color changes Analogous colors colors that are
  adjacent to each other on the color wheel, e.g.
  yellow and green

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Analogous Color

• Analogous colors next to each other on the color
  wheel "get along" and are referred to as being
  harmonious.
• Analogous colors are often used in visual
  design and have a soothing affect.

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Monochromatic Colors

• Monochromatic colors are all the hues (tints
  and shades) of a single color. As a result, the
  energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack
  of color contrast.

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Complementary Colors

• Complementary colors colors opposite to each
  other on the color wheel, e.g. Blue-violet and
  yellow, represent colors positioned across from
  each other on the color wheel.
• Complimentary colors exhibit more contrast when
  positioned adjacent to each other -for example
  yellow appears more intense when positioned on or
  beside blue or violet

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Warm Colors

• Warm colors include yellows, red and orange we
  associate these with blood, sun and fire. Warm
  colors make you feel energized.

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Cool Colors

• Cool colors include violet, blue and green
  because of our association with snow and ice.
  Cool colors invoke sadness.

This image is monochromatic.
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• http//www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_cool_color
  s.html
• http//www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_warm.html
• http//www.tutorial9.net/resources/enhancing-your-
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• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_p
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• http//www.flickr.com/photos/blind_eye_frank/35144
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