Photography composition tips

As promised a while ago, here are some rules on composition you need to know about. As usual, half the skill comes in knowing when to apply them and when to turn a blind eye.

The rule of thirds

..is a useful one. It says that you divide the image into a grid, jut like the one below. Then, when you're composing your shot, you place significant items along / up any of those lines. Horizons are easy, place on the lower line for an airy feel, on the upper line for a more closed-in feel.

Put your main subject somewhere where two lines cross and you'll boost its power, its dominance in the shot. Have a look at the following images.

In Firefox (others?), you can drag the grid and slide it on top of the images here (let go and it'll pop back). Look at what it tells you about where I've placed the various elements in these compositions. You'll notice things don't have to be exact—near the lines / crossing-points works too, I think you'll agree.

Lead-in lines

As it says on the tin... lines that lead the eye in and guide the viewer to your main subject. It can be a hit-you-in-the-face, straight shooting line like here (and in the piccies above) or it can be a meandering line that takes you to various points in the image, before continuing to the next.

Foreground interest

If you have a shot that takes in a lot of distance that also includes the foreground, then you need something to initially grab the viewer's interest and bring them into the rest of the shot. And that's what foreground interest is. Without that bundle of paper, or the post on the beach, those shots would lose a lot of power.

Distractions

Well, I haven't got any examples from my work for this heading! I'm always very careful with distractions (a bit of a pedant actually!). So what do I mean? Well there's a couple of things that fit here. (I'm assuming here you're past the point of shooting people with telegraph poles sticking out their heads!)

First Contrasting areas near the edge of the frame. For example, if you have mainly dark borders with a light blob next to the image edge, then the viewer's eyes will be pulled right to that blob and then likely right out the picture. Even if they're looking in the body of the image, as soon as their eyes get anywhere near that blob, bang, they'll be drawn right to it. Or maybe it's a tree branch sticking its nose in, or some other distraction intruding into the frame.

Second For example, one or two birds that are just dots in the sky (or maybe there's one or to spots of chewing gum on the pavement in a street scene). If the sky is uniform and those dots contrast against it, again the viewer's eyes will notice. But once their attention is drawn, there's nothing but dirty smudges to see. Sorry, they've got to go. A stray crisp bag, one corner poking into the scene from under a bush?—get rid of it.

Simplicity

If there's no good reason to include something in your shot, don't! Of course, when you're shooting from the hip because there's lots going on, well, the finer points go right out the window then anyway.

For other situations, those where you have more time and control, simplify, simplify and simplify again. Ok, again these are extreme examples, but they serve to illustrate.

Another example, say you're taking a macro (close-up) shot of some mushrooms under a tree. Remove any stray twigs, leaves or other detritus—it's mushrooms you're photographing after all!

Height

Don't always shoot standing up. Varying the height from which you shoot can have a huge impact on the final shot. Shooting kids / pets? Get down to their eye level, get below it if you can. Shoot a worm's eye view of a scene, getting as close to the ground as you can. Jump up on a wall to introduce foreshortening or just to get interesting lines.

In a nutshell

Place important elements along those powerful thirds' lines / intersections. Consider how to bring the viewer's eye into the picture, look for what can serve as lead in lines and / or foreground interest. Have a quick glance around for distractions and watch out for areas of high contrast along the frame edges.

Next steps

Use and abuse these rules the next time you get the chance. Try to get a feel for which compositional approach suits each scene you take a fancy to. Walk a few steps in each direction from the first viewpoint you naturally gravitate towards. See how any possible lead-in lines change their relationship with the scene as you move. Crouch down, step up high, look for foreground interest.

...and let me know how you get on, post a link in the comments. I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on.


comments / critique / feedback always welcome :)

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Trying to cut the apron strings

Another from my trip to the Miniature Pony Centre on Dartmoor

Pony petting

 

My god-daughter is eight and was really enjoying herself. She'd already been for a ride and was wearing her rosette with pride. We stopped for a while in the petting field, me waiting for an opportunity to arise and when I saw this scene unfolding, I could see some good possibilities. I think she was puzzled by me lying on my back for this shot, maybe thinking "why are you doing that? I've not seen photos taken that way, are you sure?" Well, something like that is written all over her face. (I must ask, next time I see her!)

Meanwhile mum was hovering close by, trying to not to hover; concerned but not worried; experimenting with loosening the apron strings a bit more.

I had a little cropping to do (ouch no pun intended!) when I got back to the digital darkroom and a little fiddling with curves. Overall, I'm pleased with the composition and the (emotional) undertones in the shot; the interplay between mum, daughter and the pony.

What do you think?


comments / critique / feedback always welcome :)

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Abstract interior architecture

Well, not quite abstract but with definite leanings...

What's in a name?

This work is an homage to Douglas Hofstadter and his seminal work, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid,a book that helped me on my journey to understand 'life, the universe and everything'.

Three Part Fugue With Inversion

A photographer friend, John Miles, had invited me to see his digital darkroom set-up in Royal William Yard. On leaving, I noticed the beginnings of this arrangement as I turned right (I came into the scene 'stage left'). I backed up as far as I could, even leaning backwards over the rail a little to fill the frame with the composition I was after and made the shot. As usual, I fired off two or three (especially when there's lowish light and it's hand-held), just to make sure!

The title is chosen for the composition. The various compositional structures rotate, reflect, invert and repeat each other, much like JS Bach did with the themes in his fugues. There's also hints of Escher, with the deep perspective and hints of a jumping of levels.

I didn't need to do a great deal to this shot, just a little bit straightening and some dodging and burning to enhance the lighting and some of the textures.


comments / critique / feedback always welcome :)

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Use your feet to find the shots

Sticking in the vein of abstract architecture and how there's more than one shot in a scene...

It's just a concrete hotel

I was staying in a hotel by Heathrow Airport when I was working up that way. In the day in, day out trudge of it all, my antennae must have been out and twitching because after a few weeks I felt the urge to wander around the uninspiring grounds with my camera.

My first point of call was up-close and personal with the architecture. Soaring architecture often has a profound effect on me and, when you're close, the steep perspective exaggerates it.

So here's the up-close shot of the end of the building.

Holiday Inn, M4/J4

...and then I looked at my feet (actually a few steps away against another wall)



Then, walking amongst the trees that separate the hotel from the motorway junction, I saw I could frame yet another aspect of the building. Actually, the tree branches were swaying gently in the soft breeze, so I framed and then waited until they blew into just the right position for making the shot.

If you follow that middle panel of the end wall down to ground level, it was just to the side of this, looking up, that I made the first shot.

comments / critique / feedback - all appreciated :)

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Altered viewpoint, different image

In my last post I talked about having to hunt around to find a viewpoint that worked. So in this post I thought I'd show how much the viewpoint can change the final image.

Rectilinear Mosaics

This photo from my monochrome gallery goes to show that there's often more than one shot to be had from the same scene, emphasising how important viewpoint can be.

Have a look at the following shot:

Rectilinear Mosaics, Arundel Street, London, 2007

and compare it to the one a couple of postings ago

On this one, I was right by the wall at the side of the building, whereas the earlier one was taken from across and down the street.

I think you'll agree that they are radically different, and both 'work' even though it's basically the same scene. This in turn demonstrates that their are lots of different shots avaiable, so searching and finding the right one is an essential part of getting across your artistic intent.

So don't just turn up, whip out your camera and click away, put your feet to good use and get the viewpooint that conveys the sense of what you're feeling about the subject.

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An abstract architecture shot

I thought I'd drag this one over from my main site as one to discuss briefly. It was another opportunistic shot as many of mine are. It was taken on the way back from a meeting (on my day job) in Bush House and heading to Temple tube station.

Blind Fan

Blind Fan, Arundel Street, London, 2007

I was glancing around, looking for a shot based on the repeating patterns of the office blocks that had caught my eye on the way in.

As I checked around for a viewpoint that would take advantage of the way the bright sunlight was falling across it, I caught sight of the window with the damaged blind. It seemed almost to be winking at me, saying "Me! Me!".

I had to swap for my 70-300mm zoom lens to make the capture, being careful to position the blind at one of the rule-of-third's intersections. The face was in bright sunlight and the side in shadow and all I did in the digital darkroom was to accentuate the highlights and burn the shadows a little, to suit my artistic intent.

The result is beyond what I expected and I was—am—happy with the result.

comments / feedback / critique welcome as usual

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One from the beach

I made this capture a couple of summers back around this time of year. I thought it would be a good example of how there are shots everywhere—you just need the right frame of mind, to keep yourself open to suggestions coming from your environment ...and to have your camera with you :)

Footprints and a shed seagull feather

Temporary Canvas, Bantham, Devon, 2007

I was at Bantham beach (a gorgeous spot where the River Avon in Devon meets the sea) at the tail end of a fairly quiet mid-week day. Camera in hand I was just seeing what turned up.

It was heading towards the golden hour and the beach was getting deserted—one of the few folks I passed who wasn't either leaving or packing was another photographer, setting up his tripod amongst the receding waves. It had been a quiet enough day and that meant that the far and of the beach didn't really get much in the way of visitors, leaving the sand relatively undisturbed.

Concept

The sight of the ripples left by the retreating tide and the way they were overlaid by the footprints and other signs of passing, brought to my mind just how temporary human and even animal-kind are in relation to the enduring earth. No matter what 'footsteps' we imprint on this earth, the ebb and flow of mother nature will wipe the slate clean on the next cycle.

Composition

I searched for what I thought was the best composition to try to capture that concept and found the one you see, with the two footprints side-by-side and the happenstance of the feather.

Fairly common occurrences by themselves but the way they were all so neatly arranged on the temporary canvas, it resonated with the thoughts I'd just been experiencing and the shot was made.

As an aside, there is one of those compositional rules that says about using groupings in odd numbers. Someone might argue that its two things and one thing, well I say it's art and not science!

comments / feedback / critique always welcome :)

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Winter Seafront Stroll

Here's another from my Felixstowe trip that I wanted to share with you.

HDR enhances the sky

Once in the digital darkroom I could see that although the composition was exactly as I wanted, the sky left a bit to be desired. It was a bit washed out and not nearly carrying the drama that I saw in person — eyes are so much better than cameras!

Anyway, I put the shot through my trusty high contrast HDR workflow and it turned out quite peachy. I had to take steps to remove the noise that got introduced (I use noise ninja) and I also had to lighten the dark outline around the light coloured jacket that appeared as a result of the HDR. But no worries, I am very pleased with the end result.

Compositionally, I used and abused the rule of thirds, used lead-in lines and hopefully wrote a story with the way the elements interact. I'll let you be the judge :)

As always, comments, critque, feedback welcomed

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Some photo basics

I'm sure this doesn't apply to you! But on lots of blogs I follow I see photos that could be so much better if they followed the simplest of rules when shooting them.

Squint uprights and horizons

Make sure horizons are straight -- this is really, really important with shots over water. If you forget this, you end up with what I like to call "downhill water". It doesn't occur in nature, which is what makes it jump out at you. (It's a shame 'cuz water skiing would be so much easier on downhill water!)

The same sort of thing applies to uprights. If they're not -- and they should be, then it just jumps out at you as wrong.

So remember, when you're taking a shot, just before you press the button, check the horizon and uprights. It only takes a second and your shots will start to look better right away. So you will remember, won't you! NB That's me planting an instruction in your subconscious to help you along :)

Telegraph pole hats

By this I mean anything which intrudes onto or across your subject. Sure, we've all seen shots where a pole seems to be growing out of someone's head but there's also the ones where a stray branch or boat aerial sticks up, sort of cutting the shot in two.

Easy enough to sort out with a step or two this way or that.

Shoot from eye-level

Theirs, not yours!

I mentioned this in a recent posting and it fits in nicely here, too. Whenever we're connecting with someone we don't feel natural about it unless we're at their eye-level.

Think about it... If you see someone stopping for more than lust a quick hello when they spot a friend at a table, what's the chances they'll hunker down as they speak? If someone's talking baby-talk (to a baby!), they'll get down to their eye level.

And so photos should be taken from the eye level of your subject. Kiddies playing on the floor, get down on one knee, babies crawling? Then get down on your tummy. You get the added bonus that, as you come into their field of view, they start connecting with you and you'll find your photos will take on that added atmosphere.

The same of course goes for pets, too, whether action or portrait.

Subject in the centre

Just don't! Unless it's a group photo, you know, friends, wedding....

Your subject is always doing something, within their immediate surrounds, even if it's only daydreaming and looking off into the middle distance. To convey that feeling place your subject off to one side (away from where they're looking, if that applies) or up, or down but not centre, please!

Imagine a game of oxo, or maybe a dolls house with 9 equal-sized rooms. Wherever the lines are, wherever the interior walls are, place your subject, the horizon, that nice tree, their eyes, whatever.

For even more impact in your shot place it on one of the points where two lines (walls) cross. PS This is known as the "rule of thirds".

Finally, short and sweet...

Rules are there to be broken. The only reason for having them is so that you think about it before you break them. Get used to them and then happy breaking!

As always, comments, additions, thoughts, denials -- all welcome :)

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Why is it important for serious photographers to master b/w?

There are certain shots in b/w that really concentrate your mind on the bare essentials. A good example is this great shot from Skyhunter.

I think that to be a great colour photographer (which I'm not - yet), you've got to master b/w first. Without colour to flood your senses, you have to concentrate on what's left - the bare essentials of light and line, texture and tone, pattern and form and, finaly, composition - they way they all interact with each other in the frame.

Look at the photo linked above (opens in a separate tab) - with no colour, what have you got?

Well, to me, there's some uniform texture (not much to concentrate on there, then) the lines of the landscape and they way they flow (lovely interacting / balancing curves); then there's the interesting way the light falls across the scene, giving contour to the land with tonal changes across the full range, from deep black to some highlights of pure white.

Not really a whole lot to concentrate on in making the shot, so with better focus of the mind, how can you not produce well-composed shots with no unintended distractions? It's so in-yer-face with b/w, you quickly learn how to crack the whip and get these elements performing as you want.

I think in mastering b/w, you can then bring all those learnings to colour. A masterful colour shot not only has to have all the colour relationships right but also all those non-colour attributes as well.

I'm in danger of rambling now, but you know what I mean :)

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Outcome of the platter and light experiment

Well, as experiments go, it wasn't bad. I learned a fair bit and learned a bit more about what I need to learn.

Ok, sub-successes:

• The flashgun still worked
• ..therefore the rechargeable batteries worked
• ..therefore the recharger worked
  

reinforced learnings:

• A still-life is all about composition
  - spatial relationships between elements
  - their visual weight and balance
  - connectedness between elements
  - relationship with the frame
  - implied spatial relationship with the viewer
  
• Only then does light interplay come into its own, revealing
  - contour and form
  - texture and pattern
  - implied "feel" of the elements i.e. response to touch
• It's difficult to hand-hold both the camera and the flash (for the fill-in light), for this sort of shot - at least not with repeatable results. A tripod for one or both is essential.
  

So the experiment worked in those respects.

What about the shots themselves? Well, nothing worth shouting about. Although I did learn that a mono conversion on rich tomato-reds can make them look like plump jewels, glowing with their own silver light. (info slotted away for later use.)

I was quite surprised at how the reds responded during the mono conversion... what do you think?

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