Photography Composition

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Photography Composition

• Miss Wadycki
• and Mrs. Verpooten
• AND Lolkema too ?

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Composition

• The way the parts of the picture are arranged.
• Should be clear and concise information
• Controlled when taking the photo as well as in
  the darkroom or on the computer
• Main idea is to eliminate distractions

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Elements of Composition

• Lines
• Most fundamental element of composition
• Provide shape, shows motion and suggests hidden
  meanings

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Vertical Lines

• Associated with power, strength, height and depth

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Vertical Lines
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Horizontal Lines

• Suggest calmness, weight and distance

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Jagged Lines

• Creates tension

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Curved Lines

• Shows grace and beauty

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Leading Lines

• Tend to draw the readers eye right into the
  center of interest.

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Center of Interest

• Must have a dominant element
• Your eye should not have to search for the main
  subject

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Bad Center of Interest
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Bad Center of Interest
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Good Center of Interest
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Filling the Frame

• Crop in the viewfinder any unnecessary
  information
• Filling the frame without changing your position
  requires different lenses.

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Filling the Frame
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Filling the Frame
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Tones and Contrast

• Strong differences between black and white
• Tones carry a mood throughout the photo

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Tones and Contrast
Grrrrr Im gonna eat you!
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Contrast
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Angle of View

• The amount of the subject you see in the
  viewfinder
• You can change the angle of view by changing
  lenses and by moving your body

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Angle of View
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Hi Everyone!
Just saying hello!
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Wads saying Hi too!
Do you miss me?!
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Framing

• Adds depth to photo
• Adds emphasis to the subject

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Framing
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Cropping

• Never cut off peoples limbs
• Horizontal vs. Vertical shots

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Bad Cropping
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Bad Cropping
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Good Cropping
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Rule of Thirds

• Divide the photo into thirds
• Moving the subject off center generates tension
• Helps compose an orderly picture
• Rule can be broken

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Good Rule of Thirds
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Bad Rule of Thirds
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Good Rule of Thirds
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Good Rule of Thirds
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Balance

• Equal weight on both sides of the photo
• Symmetrical created feeling of formality and
  boredom
• Asymmetrical Informal and Active

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Good Balance Bad Balance
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Depth of Field

• The area in front or in back of the subject that
  is sharply in focus
• Controlled by the lens length, aperture and
  distance between you and the subject

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Large Depth of Field
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Small Depth of Field
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Other things to pay attention to

• Backgrounds
• Avoid busy backgrounds that compete with your
  subject.
• Keep it simple!
• Mergers
• Things growing in the back of peoples heads.

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Bad Merger
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Bad Merger
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Cool Merger
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Cool Merger