Creative Photography for Photo Tours and Workshops Composition

PETER EASTWAY AND BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE’S CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS COMPOSITION

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 1 2 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE PETER EASTWAY AND BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE’S CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS EXCERPT: COMPOSITION

Written, photographed and published by: Contents Peter Eastway Reader Information Services: Composition Kim Valenti And How To Use It 5 This is a special interest photography magazine Lenses In Composition 7 published by Pt 78 Pty Limited ABN 75 003 152 Viewpoint 8 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach NSW 2097. Framing 11 Phone: (02) 4388 6851 Fax: (02) 4388 6852 Cropping 12 Web: www.betterphotography.com Centre of Interest 15 www.betterphotographyeducation.com Rule of Thirds 16 Horizon Placement 18 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Fore, Middle, Background 21 or transmitted, in any form or by any means, Lines and Leading Lines 23 electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording Patterns & Repetition 24 or otherwise, without the prior permission in Balance 26 writing of the publisher, or for particular images, the individual photographers. Colour & Tonal Contrast 29 While all care is taken in compiling this publication, the editor and publisher assume no responsibility for the effects arising therein.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 3 4 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Composition And How To Use It Composition is a skill which, once mastered, can transform your images into masterpieces.

The camera manufacturers would have you drawing and painting. Many also studied them. What's important is to learn a variety are portraits of a family member with a tree believe that their fully automatic cameras under 'the masters' where they could of ways of analysing and photographing a growing out of his head! By simply moving will make you a great photographer. Perhaps develop their talent and understand the subject, and then to apply it to your own your standpoint, you could move the tree they would be more accurate to say they can thought processes behind 'great art'. work. Hence the need for practice. to one side of the head (or perhaps select make you a great technical photographer – So why do photographers think they can Composition is a broad topic and there an aperture to throw the background out of one who gets the focus and exposure correct just pick up an automatic camera and take are lots of aspects to consider: framing, focus). Simple, but fundamental. most of the time. great photographs? Automation is one thing, centres of interest, dividing the image area, A new standpoint might solve the However, we're yet to see a camera that but it doesn't replace the thought processes. colour, lines, shapes, repetition, texture tree, but what else is in the photograph? A will tell you where to point the camera, how It can't give you ideas or experience. and balance. All these concepts are as brightly coloured chair, someone's shoulder to frame the subject and when to press the To become a more proficient fundamental to art and cinematography as or an unsightly piece of rubbish? By simply shutter. photographer, you need to expose yourself they are to photography. reframing the photograph, you may be able So how do you learn to point the camera to a wide variety of ideas and images by Perhaps the best place to start improving to eliminate these. Walk in a bit closer or in the right direction and press the shutter at other photographers, artists and writers. your photographs is with framing. Framing zoom in... the right time? However, don't just look at the photos is not just about how close you are to your While you're moving the camera around, Experience and learning from or paintings, study them. Where has the subject, but what you include and exclude in see what effect positioning the subject on observation. This is the only way. Some photographer positioned the subject in the the photograph. one side of the frame has. Think back to a people can be lucky and take one or frame? What shape is the frame? What is the Before you press the shutter, take a look lot of the really good portrait photographs two excellent photographs, but the best main light source? How does the light reveal around the viewfinder. Where is the subject? you've seen in books and magazines. Where photographers are committed. They have the subject? Is colour an important element? In the middle? Why? Probably because has the subject's face been positioned in put in the hours to learn their art. They take Why? How many colours are used? that's where the autofocus gunsight is! Stop the frame? Chances are it's not bang in the lots of photos and they look at all their results Remember, you're not looking at these being lazy – anyone can take a photo with middle! – critically. images to copy them, but to learn about the subject in the middle, but how many There's lots more to composition, so turn The great artists we revere today all them. Decide what works and what doesn't. photographers take a look at what's around the pages and have a read. started somewhere. Most of them went to Although there are rules of photography, the edges? But remember, these are just suggestions art school where they learnt the basics of there's nothing to stop you from breaking Some of the most common mistakes to get you thinking!

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 5 6 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Lenses In Composition Perspective, along with light, can give a photograph its three- dimensional characteristics, even though we all know that a photo is only two-dimensional.

The lens we choose can have an effect on You almost feel like you can walk into a the perspective we see in our photographs. landscape captured with a wide-angle lens. Wide-angle lenses generally deepen To enhance this feeling of depth, you perspective while telephoto lenses compress can include a foreground object (such as a it. rock or a tree) so that it is large within the frame. Its relative size is exaggerated when Wide-Angles compared with the rest of the landscape Wide-angle lenses have a focal length wider behind. The result is very powerful. amount of compression with a 100mm, blue colouration. If you can find a viewpoint (smaller number) than 50mm on a full frame A 28mm lens (for a full-frame DSLR) will while at 200mm and 300mm the effect is where the line of sight is just skimming DSLR, 35mm on an APS-C size camera, produce some feeling of depth, but the more obvious. across a series of mountain ranges, the effect and maybe 25mm on a Four Thirds sensor wider you go, the easier it is to create depth. If you can go to a 400mm, 500mm can be magnificent. camera. These are approximate focal lengths, A 20mm is great, a 17mm better still. or 600mm, compression is very obvious, Compression doesn't just work with but the point is, when it comes to creating If you go even wider to a fish-eye lens, especially in distant landscapes. landscapes. Many portrait photographers perspectives with incredible depth, the wider while you create a great feeling of depth, For compression to be obvious, you need prefer a slight telephoto because it has a the lens the better. there are lots of curved lines to deal with to have two or more areas within the frame. slight flattening (compression) effect on the A wide-angle lens reduces subject size which are not always appreciated. A popular example is a series of mountain face, and this flattening is flattering for many in order to encompass more. As a part of this ranges, one behind the other. While the subjects. process, there is an exaggeration of size for Telephotos ranges may be ten or fifty kilometres apart, If you've bought a camera with a nearby objects compared to more distant The opposite to depth is compression, where in the photograph they look very close standard zoom lens and you're wondering ones. objects that in reality are quite distant from together. why other photographers are producing In addition, there is some image each other appear to be stacked up on top Atmospheric haze also enhances the more interesting image, in some cases it distortion – the objects in the photograph of each other. compression effect because, the greater could be their choice of lens gives them an are stretched towards the sides of the frame. Telephoto lenses produce compression the distance, the more haze you are unfair advantage. The net result is an image which can have an and once again, the longer the telephoto the looking through. Haze has the effect of Unfair? It's only unfair if you don't join incredible 'depth' to it. greater the effect. There is a very moderate reducing contrast and often produces a them!

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 7 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Viewpoint Many photographers reach a destination, step out of the car or coach and take the first scene they see. Sometimes the car stops in exactly the right position, but more often than not, you can find a better angle somewhere else.

Or perhaps they are taking a portrait, so and shoot high. Most humans look at life works best with a wide-angle lens). – climb the stairs and look out the window. they stand up and shoot from a comfortable from one and a half to two metres above the The second option is to gain a higher If you choose to shoot a photograph standing position. ground. vantage point. with a different viewpoint, do it in such a way Shooting from these viewpoints are Most photographs are taken from the Some photographers use a very tall that the viewpoint suits the subject. comfortable for us physically and chances same height. tripod and carry a ladder in the back of their Try not to use a high or a low viewpoint are they are also relatively boring. To create Immediately you change the height of car or van. It’s amazing how even an extra on a subject just because you read about it stronger compositions, you should consider your camera, you also create an image which one or two metres altitude can change the here – you will find some subjects work well your camera’s viewpoint first. It’s better to looks different and potentially has more perspective of a landscape. while others are not so successful. have an angle that is interesting to compose, impact. Another option is to climb a nearby hill Choosing a high or low viewpoint than composing a boring angle! Getting down low is easy to do, but it or mountain, or jump into an aeroplane, doesn’t mean you should never shoot from One of the easiest ways to find better only works if you have a foreground. If you’re helicopter or balloon and take a true aerial a standing position, rather that you should viewpoints is to go exploring. When you shooting a landscape from the edge of a cliff, perspective. It can be even simpler than this think about your options. reach a popular destination or a lookout, by then whether you’re standing or crouching all means take the ‘tourist’ photo, but then doesn’t make much of a difference. walk around. It’s amazing what you will find However, if you are including the edge by simply going to the side, or stepping back, of the cliff in your frame, then a low angle including some trees in the foreground, or will bring the rocks and grass on the cliff into shooting between two rocks. view. They will appear larger in the frame Sometimes getting a better angle will (they are closer to the camera) and, if you’re involve a lot of extra effort. If the really using a wide-angle lens, the foreground can good photos were that easy to take, they’d lead the eye into the distance. become the normal postcard shot and There are many situations where getting there’d be an escalator taking you up to the down low can make quite a difference. If lookout! Some locations are exactly like this you have trees in the foreground, why not and some locals at tourist spots also know lie down on your back and look up, with that they make a good subject and charge to the horizon low in the frame. Or place the be photographed. Good luck to them! horizon high in the frame and focus on the There are two other things you can do ground at your feet – the small pebbles can to create an interesting viewpoint: shoot low appear the size of boulders (this technique

8 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 9 10 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION (Top) Tight framing excludes unwanted surroundings, concentrating our attention on the subject. (Bottom) Framing Expansive framing with a wider angle includes the subject’s surroundings, Framing determines what you include in your photograph and, showing us where the subject is. The framing you choose depends on the equally importantly, what you exclude. purpose of the photograph.

It sounds simple enough, but it’s amazing big the person’s head should be in the frame, As a suggestion, follow this process how easy it is to get the framing messed or whether to shoot a full-length portrait? (when you have the time) to carefully up in the heat of the moment. When all the In landscape photography, there are compose your image. action is happening in front of the camera, often lots of different points of interest that 1. What is the purpose of taking the whether it’s the fleeting smile on a subejct’s make up a great scene, so it can be tempting photo? What is it designed to show? face or a burst of sunlight onto a spectacular to simply put on a wide-angle lens in order 2. What is surrounding the subject? landscape, we tend to forget about the to fit it all in. But will this framing make an Does it help the story or hinder it? Does camera and just look at the scene. interesting composition? including the surroundings make the story Click. Sometimes a wide-angle lens is the too complicated, or would excluding the The problems are only revealed when right decision, but don’t be scared to shoot surroundings mean your subject was out of we see our photographs afterwards – the landscapes with a telephoto where you pick context? horizon isn’t straight, there’s a rubbish bin in out a single element of interest and make 3. If your subject will work best with a the corner, and the subject that seemed so that your subject. minimum of surroundings, use a telephoto close to us looks like it’s a million kilometres When you come across a subject with lens or move in close with a wide-angle lens away in the photograph. lots of potential, shoot lots of different so the subject fills the frame. Thank heavens for digital cameras images – some with your wide-angle 4. If you subject needs to be seen within because we can view our framing on the and others with your telephoto. By its surroundings, how much do you need? LCD monitor immediately afterwards. While experimenting, you’ll soon discover what you Use a wider lens or step back to include the this isn’t always a good technique, it is like – and you’ll probably be surprised from surroundings. certainly very useful when you’re learning time to time what works the best. This is all a 5. Now, look around the edges of the how to frame your subject and practising. part of the learning process. viewfinder frame. Is your subject contained The size of your subject within the frame Zoom lenses are certainly helpful for within the frame, or if it is cropped off, is it is important. If it is too small, there will be too framing, but don’t just set the zoom at its done in a pleasing way? many other elements in the frame which are minimum or maximum focal length, use the 6. When you look at the subject’s distracting. If the subject is too large within mid-range settings to correctly frame your surroundings, are there bright distracting the frame, you mightn’t get a sense of place subject. areas or intrusive objects that could be or location. And if you don’t have a zoom lens, use cropped out, or perhaps hidden by moving With a portrait, you need to decide how your legs! the camera position?

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 11 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Most cameras record a 3:2 ratio rectangle use Photoshop or Lightroom etc. to create – the long side is 3 units to the short side’s a different frame, simply by cropping the 2 units. However, there are lots of other image afterwards. Be brave and try it! cameras with a 4:3 ratio, a 16:9 ratio and even You can also choose whether the Cropping 1:1 (square). image is to be vertical or horizontal. This is The point to notice is that choosing usually decided at the time of capture, but We are not restricted by the shape of the rectangle used by our the shape or ratio of your picture frame is there’s nothing stopping you from turning up to you, and if you don’t want to use the a horizontal photo into a vertical, assuming camera to record the image. one that comes with your camera, you can you have enough pixels to play with (most

12 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE modern cameras do). the frame. Would the photo look better if the on the left or on the right? The act of cropping an image means farmer were positioned to one side (previous Because the farmer is turned to you’re removing some of the image area. page)? For some people, having the subject camera left, more space on the left of the Where you crop is important. Just as you off-centre creates a more interesting frame (top right) seems to work better (is needed to make decisions when framing composition. better balanced), than when the farmer your subject in camera, so you should make It’s easy enough to turn this photograph is positioned on the left and the space is decisions when cropping your subject. into a vertical, and when we do, we can behind him. In comparision, the farmer sits For instance, in the photo above (this choose where to place the farmer within the quite nicely in the middle of a square, but page), the farmer is positioned centrally in frame. Does it work better with the farmer what do you think?

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 13 14 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Centre of Interest Most photographs have a centre of interest. A centre of interest is just that, a part of the photograph that is of particular interest.

Sometimes it is our subject and the reason photograph. This is where framing and we are taking the photo, but it could also just viewpoint are so important because they can be small part of a larger scene. help you isolate your subject and create a Compositionally, the centre of interest centre of interest. should be the most important element Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. If you position the centre of interest to within the frame. For instance, it could be For instance, because of the tree’s location or the side, it is more dynamic and can suggest a single tree in a forest of trees, a person possibly our viewpoint, we could be forced movement. running along a beach, or a ship in a harbour. to include other ‘compositional elements’ Think about where you usually place Generally centres of interest are only such as more trees, shrubs or rocks. These your centre of interest. Most photographers a small part of the frame and are used to other elements can fight for attention place it in the middle and this is quite logical balance the surrounding area. with the tree, so if we can’t eliminate them because generally we also focus on the And there can be more than one centre from the scene (or we don’t want to), centre of interest. of interest in a photograph. we might have to use other techniques Since autofocus cameras generally have So why are centres of interest important? such as lighting, focus or post-production the focusing points in the middle of the Compositionally, this is where our processing. viewfinder, guess where most photographers viewers’ eyes go. They look around a We can also use the position of our leave their centre of interest after focusing? photograph and generally settle on a centre subject within the frame. Sometimes, the middle of the frame is of interest. As photographers, it’s our job to Composition revolves around the centre exactly the right position, but not always. ensure our viewers look at what we consider of interest and where we place it within the If you’re putting your subject in the is the centre of interest. frame can influence what our viewers think middle of the frame simply because it’s easy For instance, there might be an about it. to do so, you’re putting it there for the wrong interesting tree in a landscape. One way When our subject is positioned in the reason. to ensure the viewers only look at this tree centre of the frame, it is considered to be Another position might make a much is to eliminate everything else from the very strong, but also static and a little boring. stronger, more interesting photograph.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 15 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Rule of Thirds Once you’ve determined your centre of interest, exactly where should you place it in the frame?

The centre of the photograph, as discussed enough is often good enough. already, is not usually the best position for You also don’t want to position your your subject; somewhere off to the side is subject on this grid if it means adversely generally better, but not too close to the changing your framing. edge of the frame. There’s no point including a rubbish bin Many photographers use the Rule of in the side of your image, just to get your Thirds to help with composition and as long centre of interest in the right place. Better as you remember that rules are meant to be to first omit the rubbish bin, then get the broken, it’s not a bad starting point. best compromise possible for your centre of The Rule of Thirds is loosely related to the interest. Golden Mean, a classical ratio used by the There are a lot of photographs where the Ancient Greeks and also found occurring in Rule of Thirds simply won’t work, because nature. of the size or shape of your main subject. However, the Rule of Thirds is a little However, there are other compositional simpler to calculate and suggests you devices, such as lines and shapes, which divide the frame into three sections, first can be directed along the Rule of Thirds to the mathematics and geometry behind often considered stronger when it’s opposite horizontally and again vertically. You position strengthen composition. composition and although helpful, for every to what we in Australia would consider best, your centre of interest roughly where the For most people, working out how to image that proves the rule, there seems to be because we read from left to right! So, what lines intersect, so this gives you four options. use composition requires experience. With at least another that breaks the same rule. works in one culture might be less effective Some cameras even overlay a grid in experience, you look at lots of different Composition is a difficult thing to teach in another. the viewfinder to help you compose better photographs and paintings, and you assess because it depends in part on aesthetics, on Nevertheless, although composition can photographs, but don’t be too precise in your them. Eventually you have a feeling for what culture and even fashion. be difficult to pin down, there’s no doubt an positioning. Your centre of interest needn’t works, and what doesn’t. For instance, in a country where the understanding and appreciation of the issues be exactly on the intersecting lines – near Some researchers have delved into script reads from right to left, composition is involved makes a big difference!

16 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 17 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Horizon Placement Most of us tend to think of the horizon as a line evenly positioned between the sky and the land.

However, when you look at a photo with the line in an image, its placement sets the scene horizon bang smack in the middle, it can be because it determines which part of the a little boring. In fact, when you’re starting image is more important. out, it’s a good idea to make sure your For instance, if the horizon is placed in horizon is not in the middle. (Just don’t forget the lower half of the image, there will be that you’re expected to break all these rules more sky than land and so the sky is said to from time to time!) be dominate. You would use this horizon Often it’s far better to place the horizon position if the main subject were a brilliant either towards the top of the frame or down sky or some thunderous clouds. the bottom, positioning it so there’s no If the horizon is in the upper part of doubt your placement was intentional. (In the image, then the landscape below is other words, don’t move the horizon line the dominant area. This horizon placement just a fraction off the centre because it will concentrates the viewer’s attention still look like you’ve put it in the middle, but accordingly. couldn’t get it quite right!) Were the horizon in the middle of There’s no need to look for a dictionary the image, neither landscape nor sky are definition of ‘horizon’, because no matter dominant and the message sent could be what or where it is, the horizon is really just that the photographer doesn’t know what’s a compositional ‘line’. Compositional lines more important. In fact, the photographer can be real or implied. For instance, a river could appear relatively disinterested. snaking through a valley creates a curved Of course, there are times when the compositional line. The sides of a building horizon can happily sit in the middle of are vertical lines, while the roof might have the image. You might have a reflection, for a number of diagonal lines. The horizon is instance, and want to create a symmetrical typically a horizontal line, but in the case image. of a mountain vista, it might be a jagged, More likely, however, your subject is irregular line consisting of a number of peaks dominant in the frame and the horizon and troughs. becomes a secondary element, possibly out If the horizon is the main compositional of focus. Again, an issue to be aware of.

18 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 19 Background

Middleground

Foreground

20 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Fore, Middle, Background Although not exactly a compositional rule, there’s one trick that many professionals use to compose a good image. Background

And while you don’t have to use it all the middleground, background technique is to time, if you’re struggling to find the perfect create a sense of depth (three dimensions) angle, it might help. and to give the viewer an entrance to your The trick is to include a foreground, a photograph. Middleground middleground and a background. Their eyes can begin in the foreground, This might sound pretty obvious move to the middleground (which could be because surely every photograph has a your main subject or centre of interest) and foreground, middleground and background? then into the background (which could also Foreground Not so. Imagine you’re on the edge of be the highlight of the composition). a cliff photographing a mountain range on In terms of portraiture, you may leave the other side. There is no middle-ground the foreground and background out of focus, between you and your subject, and unless while keeping just the middleground (with you point your camera downwards with your subject) in sharp focus. The result also Background a wide-angle lens, there won’t be any produces an interesting image, with different foreground either. levels of depth to work with. In this situation, one solution would When travelling and visiting landmarks be to step back from the edge of the cliff that have been photographed millions of to include some foreground – you might times before, using the foreground, middle- Middleground be able to frame the landscape with the ground, background approach from a branches of a nearby tree or shoot across the different viewpoint can create a new twist on top of some long grass. Admittedly you still a popular subject. don’t have a middleground, but you have And that’s what good composition is created a sense of depth in your image. all about – creating a twist that makes the Or perhaps you could move a long image even more interesting than it is. distance back from the edge of the cliff so Notice that selective focus on your Foreground the trees along the cliff edge become your subject with foreground and background out middleground? of focus is another version of this technique – The theory behind the foreground, see photo on the bottom right.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 21 22 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Lines and Leading Lines All photographs are made up of lines and shapes – the trick is to use them as compositional assistants.

Lines can be real, like a horizon, or imaginary, they link our centres of interest together in such as an implied line between two the composition. subjects or objects in a composition. Lines don’t have to be physically evident A line may be simply the edge of a in the photograph. Lines can be implied shape, the border between two areas, or a between two or more points of interest, so if real line like a telegraph wire. there are two people standing in a courtyard, Leading lines are lines that lead the eye then there is an implied line between them. around the photograph. So, a good example Nor do lines have to point directly at your of a leading line is the languid curve of a river subject or centres of interest. They merely snaking its way through a landscape. We start have to support a direction or an action. For at, say, the bottom of the image and our eyes instance, a car on a road, travelling from left trace the river through the image to the top. to right, is supported by the line of the road The line is ‘leading’ our eyes. itself, but it can also be supported by a line of When putting the camera’s viewfinder to trees running in the same direction. our eye, it can take a little practice to notice It can be difficult to islolate single exactly where the lines in a photograph are. compositional rules within a photograph and When we look through the viewfinder, we many of the photos in these articles could be see the subject as it is, rather than a series used as examples for several compositional of lines and shapes. However, pressing the tools. shutter and then reviewing the image on Everything links in with everything else the camera’s LCD screen can be a great way and a successful photograph may use several to better analyse your composition. Because compositional devices, each supporting the LCD shows a two dimensional image, our the other and building towards a more minds can more easily see the lines and how successful image.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 23 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Patterns & Repetition Repetition as a compositional tool seems to work for most viewers, probably because people like to see lucky coincidences.

Sometimes several centres of interest can larger scale. Patterns can be found in fields in produce an interesting image and if the a landscape, tree trunks in a forest, or ripples centres of interest are all the same or similar, on water. Some patterns can be found in so much the better. textures, such as bark on a tree or sand on a To see one object in a field can be great, beach. to see two, three or four in a row, all exactly Sometimes patterns work without a the same is a bonus. centre of interest, as long as the pattern Exactly why people like seeing multiples extends from one edge of the frame to the is something the psychologists can debate; other. but for photographers, repetition certainly Patterns lose their impact if there are works. other compositional elements intruding Some of the best repetitions are created into the frame. However, pattern photos are when your framing is tight, meaning the usually best presented with other images objects being repeated are quite large within taken of the same location to give them the frame. If the repeating objects are too some meaning or context. small within the frame, there often isn’t Both patterns and repetition can work sufficient impact or importance. A telephoto really well if there are some noticeable lens is often the best choice so you can ‘get differences in one or more of the subjects. in close’ and concentrate on the repetition, A row of people can look great, but if the excluding competing elements within the second one from the end is wearing different scene. clothes or has a hat on, it creates more Pattern is similar to repetition, but on a interest.

24 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 25 AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Balance Balance is a compositional tool which often works in tandem with the centre of interest.

When we talk about balance, we often think depends on the subject matter, lighting and of two objects the same size. For instance, a host of other issues. two people the same size and shape, To achieve balance may require you to sitting on either side of the frame, would be crop your image, to change the amount of considered balanced. Balanced and probably space or the position of elements within the a bit boring! frame. However, while a ton of metal will When shooting with your camera, balance a ton of feathers, in terms of size and consider taking some wider views of your area, the ton of feathers will be much larger. subject which will allow you to crop them In the same way, a small compositional later on. Most cameras have sufficient pixels element within a frame can balance a much to allow you to crop and still produce a high larger element elsewhere. A small wave can quality image. balance a large wave, a single red leaf in a Balance is a tricky concept to explain, but tree can balance one hundred surrounding with a basic understanding, you can start to green leaves. look at photographs in a new light. Compositional balance can also be One of the main reasons particular implied. A lone building in a large open photos work so well is that they are expanse or perhaps on a hill covered compositionally balanced. with trees, can appear balanced – the small structure balances the huge space (Top) Although the two waves are of surrounding it. It is considered balanced different sizes, the smaller wave in the because the importance of the building is so background ‘balances’ the larger wave much greater than the empty space or the in the foreground. Balance doesn’t mean surrounding forest. equal size, but position in the frame is The next question is not so easy to important. (Bottom) The small chapel answer: how much space or how much in a forest of trees is considered to be bigger can one compositional element balanced because the compositional be than another and still end up with a ‘strength’ of the little building is so much balanced composition? greater than all the surrounding trees. There are no hard and fast rules and it

26 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 27 28 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION Colour & Tonal Contrast Using colour and tonal contrast might seem obvious compositional tools because these attributes allow photography to depict in two dimensions what we see in three dimensions.

And good colour and tonal contrast is often subject can allow us to control to some determined by the quality of light we use as extent how much colour there is in a it is light that creates the colour and tonality photograph. We are used to seeing lots of in our images. colour everywhere, so one way to strengthen So, can we control colour and tonality? a composition is to concentrate on just a Obviously we don’t always have full control, small number of colours. This can also be but we can choose the time of day or the achieved in post-production, by changing location where we take our photographs to colours that don’t fit in. create a particular type of tonality or colour. Some strong compositions are created For instance, shooting a landscape late in by having an image with predominantly the day often provides long shadows which a single colour, but a small section creates give shape to a landscape, and the colour a compositional contrast with a different of the light is warmer and sometimes more colour. appealing. Tonality can be used in a similar way. You In terms of portraiture, we can choose can use tonality to darkend down most of to shoot in bright, midday sunshine for a the image, and just lighten up the subject. harsh rendition of our subject, or move into a Similarly, you can soften the contrast of most shadowed area and control the way the light of the image, but give the subject extra falls on the face. contrast. These decisions that we make all affect When looking at the image in terms of the colour and tonality of our photographs colour and tone, associating your subject and have a big impact on the resulting with a colour or tonal difference attracts your composition. viewer’s attention. Emphasising your subject However, we have even more control this way is what subtle compositional control than this. Our choice of camera angle and is all about.

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30 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE Why I love magazines... by Peter Eastway

When you get into photography, everyone written very much like a magazine, showing had taken Eddie’s initial inspiration as far as I And I put all this down to my involvement says you need a good camera. And a good Eddie’s remarkable photography in a way I could and I was looking for something new. with magazines, not because I was writing lens, a good monitor and good software. hadn’t seen before. On the first page of each Around this time, I interviewed legendary them, but because of the ideas and But how many people suggest that what you chapter, he showed the original photo and advertising photographer Nadav Kander and inspiration I was exposed to. The same ideas really need are good ideas? then opposite was his final interpretation. afterwards we had an informal chat over a and inspiration that every subscriber got to Don’t get me wrong! I love buying The differences were magical, inspirational - drink. I explained the creative block I was read as well. new equipment - it’s part of the thrill of and achievable. On the following pages, he experiencing and asked him if he had any And that’s why I’m passionate about photography. However, I’ve never taken a explained how he captured the photos and advice. He asked me how I had got to where photography magazines. They are written by great photograph without first having a great the steps he took in the darkroom to create I was. It was an interesting question and I professional and enthusiast photographers idea. It’s ideas and inspiration that will set our the final result. answered that I was just living my life, but who are willing to share their ideas and photography apart, not equipment which Yes, in the darkroom! I said this was quite always on the look out for new ideas and inspiration which in turn provide the everyone else can buy too! a few years ago! opportunities. He replied, “So relax, sit back catalyst for readers to transform their own My ideas have come from reading and Around 12 months after reading Eddie’s and wait for the next opportunity. It will photography. writing articles. Sometimes I’m reading book, I was standing on a stage receiving arrive.” Most of us love the idea of buying a new someone else’s ideas, sometimes I’m writing the 1995 AIPP Australian Professional And so it did. A year or so later, I moved camera, but once purchased, what are we down the ideas of an amazing photographer I Landscape Photographer of the Year Award. more seriously into digital (I think I bought a going to photograph with it? How are we interviewed. And these ideas are ones I would I’d submitted four prints that were heavily 3-megapixel DSLR from Canon) and suddenly going to use it? And how will it help us make never have thought about on my own. I’d inspired by Eddie’s approach. the world of photography opened up yet better photographs without better ideas? never type these ideas into Google because Interestingly, Tim Griffith who had won again. I could now take Eddie’s original This is the concept behind every issue of they’re simply not on my radar - and that for the overall 1995 AIPP Australian Professional inspiration in directions I’d never previously Better Photography magazine. We’ve never me is the brilliance of magazines. Photographer of the Year had also read thought of. had an equipment focus, rather we follow a It only takes one idea or one image on Eddie’s book. It was just one idea that took As my photography developed, I found strategy about sharing ideas and techniques. one page to give you a great idea - a new us to places we’d never been before. And Tim myself working with leading camera and What ideas and technique could you direction, a special technique, a different had read about Eddie’s book in a magazine as software manufacturers from around the learn? Subscribe now and find out! concept. well. world - Canon, Adobe, Phase One, Capture Years ago I wrote a book review on I won the AIPP Professional Photographer One. They found the way I and a handful of Creative Elements: Landscape Photography of the Year another 12 months later and other leading photographers approached our written by Eddie Ephraums. This book was again in 1998, but I was feeling stuck. I felt I work new and inspiring.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 31 SPEIA OR BP READERS S BPMAG

Peter Eastway’s Lightroom Atelier – Easy Online Learning

The Lightroom Atelier will quickly turbo-charge your creativity! Don’t waste need if you’re happy with the average results that come out of your camera. your time using Lightroom the wrong way, subscribe to the LIghtroom However, as all creative photographers discover, using Lightroom isn’t just a Atelier now to learn how you can transform your photographs into incredible matter of sliding controls left or right, it’s also an amazing tool with unlimited works of ﬁ ne art! We know there are lots of free tutorials around that show creativity – if you know how to use it properly. The reason you’ll be interested you how to use Lightroom, so why would you be interested in the Lightroom in Peter Eastway’s Lightroom Atelier is because you like what you see on the Atelier by Peter Eastway? Well, if you’re really new to Lightroom, you should these pages and you’d like to achieve something similar with your own work. take advantage of all those free tutorials ﬁ rst - even if they are produced by If that’s you, check out the free lesson on our website and follow the links ... people with limited photography experience. And maybe that’s all you’ll

32 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE Lightroom Atelier – s ome of the techniques you will learn SPEIA OR BP READERS S BPMAG

Peter Eastway’s Lightroom Atelier – Easy Online Learning

Lightroom Atelier – s ome of the techniques you will learn

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 33 SPEIA OR BP READERS S BPMAG

Peter Eastway’s Online Landscape Photography MasterClass Learn the art, craft and business of landscape photography with a member-only subscription to Peter Eastway’s Landscape Photography Masterclass. The online delivery includes 18 classes (each comprising 3 movies and 3 articles), featuring equipment, techniques, inspiration and Photoshop post-production. Start at any time. Learn at your own pace. Download movies for oﬀ -line viewing. There are no exams! Replay and re-read as often as you like. And there’s a money-back guarantee if it doesn’t improve your photography! To view, read and experience a free sample Landscape Photography MasterClass, please visit our website and follow the links ...

34 BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE Landscape Photography MasterClass - Contents

FINE ART MOVIES KNOWLEDGE JOURNEY ACUMEN POST-PRODUCTION 1. Monte Fitz Roy, Pa- 1. Which Cameras Are Best 1. Patagonia, South 1. Potential Markets for 1. RAW Conversion tagonia for Landscapes? America Landscape Photos Technique 2. Mount Nemrut, 2. The Best Lenses For 2. Favourite Places In 2. How To Price Your 2. Darkening & Lightening Central Turkey Landscapes Turkey Landscape Prints With Soft Light 3. Cape Palliser, 3. What Is The Best Aper- 3. Favourite Places in 3. Creating Landscape 3. Multiple RAW Conver- New Zealand ture To Use? South West USA Prints For Sale sion Technique 4. Cappella di Vitaleta, 4. Camera Support For 4. Favourite Places 4. Publishing A Book of 4. Luminosity Masking Tuscany, Italy Maximum Clarity In Italy Landscapes Technique 5. Elephant Island 5. Camera Bags - Sensible 5. Central Spain 5. Publishing A Book - 5. Colour Balance – Get- (Iceberg At Sea) Approaches for Castles How Finances Work ting It Right 6. Pilbara Storm, 6. Landscape Photography 6. The Pilbara, Western 6. Presentation: Why It’s So 6. Local Contrast – Two Western Australia Accessories Australia Important options in Photoshop 7. Steeple Jason, 7. Colour Temperature & 7. Easter Island, Paciﬁ c 7. Setting Up Your Own 7. Vignetting – How It Can Falkland Islands How It Works Ocean Website Improve Images 8. Nevis Tree, South Island, 8. Correct Exposure And 8. Niseko, Hokkaido, 8. Setting Up An 8. Lab Color - Full Control New Zealand The Histogram Japan Exhibition in Photoshop 9. Zabriskie Point, 9. Using The Light For 9. Shooting The 9. Shooting For Books & 9. Nik Software - Using Death Valley, USA Landscapes Pyramids, Egypt Magazines Viveza Plug-in 10. Oxer Lookout, Karijini, 10. How To Stitch 10. Hamilton Island, 10. Limited Edition Print 10. Photomerge For Western Australia Panoramas Australia. Sales Stitching 11. Segovia Castle, 11. Archival Landscape 11. Queenstown, New 11. Computer Power - Do 11. Channels for Hue/Satu- Central Spain Prints Zealand You Need More? ration Adjustments 12. Great Barrier Reef, 12. How To Shoot Aerial 12. Ancient Ani, Eastern 12. Landscape Print Sales 12. Making Selections In Australia Landscapes Turkey Paperwork Photoshop 13. Western Macdonnells, 13. Composition Part 1: 13. Amazing Papua New 13. Print Sizes And Paper 13. Sharpening In Photo- Central Australia Subject Matter Guinea Surfaces shop 14. St Gregory’s, Ani, Eastern 14. Composition Part 2: 14. Karijini National Park, 14. Shooting Landscapes 14. Black & White Conver- Turkey Framing & Cropping Western Australia That Sell sions 15. Weano Gorge, Karijini 15. Composition Park 3: 15. Cruising For Landscape 15. Getting Photos Pub- 15. Focus Stacking (Helicon National Park Viewpoint Photographs lished With Words Focus) 16. Clinging Tree, Dales 16. Composition Part 4: 16. Reaching Your Destina- 16. Do You Need A Business 16. Lightroom Catalogs for Gorge, Karijini Placing The Horizon tion Plan? Landscapes 17. Ishak Pasha – The 17. Composition Part 5: 17. Scotland & The Isle Of 17. Which Photo Editing 17. Big Black & White - Mosque Behind Centre of Interest Skye Software? Punchy Landscapes 18. Stirling Ranges, South 18. Composition Part 6: Rule 18. Antarctica & The South- 18. Where To Now That 18. High Pass Filter For Western Australia of Thirds ern Islands You’ve Finished? Landscapes With Pop! SPEIA OR BP READERS S BPMAG

Landscape Photography MasterClass - Contents

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 35 PETER EASTWAY AND BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE’S CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS COMPOSITION www.betterphotographyeducation.com