Composition Techniques
Composition deals with the arrangement of subjects & directing the viewer’s eye through your image. Elements of Art & Principles of Design
Art requires that you understand and creatively use the Elements of Art & Principles of Design in combination with some basic techniques for composition, you create beautiful images. Composition Techniques
Backgrounds Framing the subject Spot Cropping Creative Lighting Cropping & Content Hard or Soft Lighting Choices Point of View Get Closer Perspective & Depth Portrait vs Landscape Simplicity Rule of 3rds Geometric Composition Golden Triangle Strong center of interest Golden Ratio Diagonals Golden Rectangle Avoid Mergers! Framing the Subject
Framing occurs when objects in the foreground frame subjects in the background Framing also has to do with where you choose to crop into or include in your scene Cropping Choose where to place things in the frame…what will be at the edges? Will you create tension or move closer to something. The cropping can add to the mood of the subject. Cropping can simplify your forms. Look carefully at the frame and the corners of the viewfinder. Do you need all that background? Can you get closer to the subject or zoom in? Cropping & Content Choices
Are you going to show the whole scene or a part of a scene. Sometimes the detail shots give as much info as the whole scene. Only keep what you need. Choose what will be at the edges of your picture space. Also, crop out the unimportant things. Shoot tight when possible to focus greater attention on the important things in the image area. Get Closer
Often, beginning photographers are afraid to get close to their subjects. Being closer helps limit distracting elements and strengthens your composition. Portrait or Landscape View
The picture at the left is a typical snapshot at a beach shot using horizontal composition – or a Landscape view. However, it’s too far away from the main subject and the space on either side of the girl seems to over power her and it’s difficult to see her face. By zooming in on the girl and turning the camera, the image is much improved. This is now a vertical or portrait view. This works better with the shape of the subject – she’s vertical, so a vertical composition works better for her.
Horizontal- Landscape View Vertical - Portrait View Portrait View is a Vertical Composition Landscape View is a Horizontal Composition
When looking at your scene consider which view is best for your subject. Landscape View
Portrait View Rule of Thirds
Places important subjects at the intersections of the 1/3 lines horizontally or vertically or both. Keeps things out of the middle which can become boring.
Try placing the horizon along the upper or lower 1/3 line. Placement of Horizon Line
Place the horizon line either in the upper or lower third of the image area.
The Golden Triangle
This method requires that you divide the image diagonally from corner to corner. Then draw a line from one of the other corners until it meets the 1st line at a 90 degree angle. Now, Place your important photographic elements so that they fall within the resulting triangle. The Golden Ratio – The Fibonacci Spiral The Fibonacci Series of Numbers
The Fibonacci Series gets its name from Leonardo Fibonacci, who lived in the twelfth century. He wanted to calculate the ideal expansion of pairs of rabbits over a year.
The first step was taking each number in the series and dividing it by the previous number. At first the results don't look special. One divided by one is one. Two divided by one is two. Three divided by two is 1.5. Riveting stuff. But as the sequence increases something strange begins to happen. Five divided by three is 1.666. Eight divided by five is 1.6. Thirteen divided by eight is 1.625. Twenty-one divided by thirteen is 1.615.
As the series goes on, the ratio of the latest number to the last number zeroes in on 1.618. It approaches 1.618, getting increasingly accurate, but never quite reaching that ratio. This was called The Golden Mean, or The Divine Proportion, and it seems to be everywhere in art and architecture.
The Fibonacci sequence starts like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 and so on forever. Each number is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. It's a http://io9.com/5768696/the-fibonacci-series- simple pattern, but it appears to be a kind of built-in when-math-turns-golden numbering system to the cosmos. http://io9.com/5985588/15-uncanny-examples-of-the- golden-ratio-in-nature The Phi & The Golden Ratio – The Fibonacci Spiral – In Your Face!
The Golden Ratio & The Fibonacci Spiral – are even found in your face! http://www.goldennumber.net/facial- beauty-golden-ratio-florence- colgate/ http://www.goldennumber.net/face/ Our bodies are mathematical miracles!!!
http://www.goldennumber.net/human-hand-foot/ Golden Rectangle In Architecture
This ratio is even found in ancient architecture.
The Greeks used 1.618 the Golden Rectangle to build the Parthenon.
Phi was used in constructing the Pyramids at Giza. The base of the Pyramids is considered one unit, the sloping sides are 1.618 units, and the height is the square root of 1.618 units high. Backgrounds
Have the background work with the foreground for added impact. Or…have the background be less important. The image to the right is a great example of an image where the background really works with the foreground subject. It would not be nearly as Artist: Donato Buccella interesting without the lips Copy the URL below to go to the image. almost kissing the man’s https://www.flickr.com/photos/sibemolle99/4308973828 head. /in/gallery-pottengermn-72157623211980987/ Avoid Distracting Backgrounds
Avoid a bunch of junk in the background that distracts from the subject and prevents you from seeing it clearly. Spot
Consider a spot of light Consider a spot of color Either will draw attention to your subject. Creative Lighting
Lighting is everything! You are painting with light. Change it up, do something interesting. Lighting - Hard or Soft
Hard or soft light Hard can change the Light entire mood of your subject.
Soft Light
Shadows with hard light have sharp edges and show a dramatic shift from light to dark. Shadows with soft light softer edges and have a longer transition zone from light to dark. Point of View
Vary your point of view so that you are not looking at things from eye level all the time. Consider high and low vantage points. Perspective & Depth
Try creating a sense of depth in your image by using the converging lines associated with perspective. Leading Lines - S Curve
It could be a leading line that leads the eye back in space. Simplicity Probably the most important “rule” of composition. Try not to have distracting elements in the picture. Geometric Compositions
It can sometimes help to arrange things in geometric Triangular Composition shapes such as circles, triangles, hexagons. Sometimes they just happen and sometimes you make them happen.
Below is a link for book for portrait composition
http://books.google.com/book s?id=bwritLFycM0C&lpg=PA 40&ots=a6M7wcf1DS&dq=ge ometric%20composition%20p hotography%20portrait%20gr oups&pg=PA44#v=onepage& q&f=false Triangular Composition Strong Center of Interest or Focal Point
You have a nano- second to capture a viewer’s attention in a magazine page. A strong center of interest will help you create a dynamic photo. If your viewer can’t find the subject, they won’t bother to look for stay with your image any length of time. Use Diagonals
Setting your subject matter on a diagonal will almost always make for a more dynamic picture. Implied diagonal that draws your eye between two points. Even sight lines between subjects work. Move around the subject and look for a diagonal. Diagonals command attention and draw the viewer’s eye. Avoid Mergers Avoid things sticking out of the heads of your subjects. Avoid color mergers so the subject doesn’t get lost in the background.
This picture has the red part of the ball merging with the umbrella in the background. Reposition yourself or the model to avoid this type merger as shown in the far right. Break the Rules
There are many things we have not discussed here. Experiment Play with new ideas Do the opposite of what anyone says and see what happens.