Photography A, B, Composition
What is Composition in Photography?
The arrangement of elements within the photograph. Composition could be the factor that determines whether someone looks at your photo and engages with it, or quickly moves on. To craft an image worthy of notice, you should ensure your have creative composition.
1. Rule of Thirds
Have you ever seen the grid lines in the image below? Put simply, those are to allow you to use the Rule of Thirds. The subject of your photo should be placed at the point of the three-by-three grid where the lines intersect. This makes the whole image interesting, rather than the keeping the interesting element(s) in center. There is however, a time and place to keep the focus of the image in the center, such as headshot photos or images used for catalogues.
2. Leading Lines
One of the simplest ways to create depth in your images is by the use of lines than lead your eye to the main subject. Leading lines could be straight and solid such as train tracks, or they could be curved in the shape of a C or and S.
3. Balance
Create balance using visual weight, this is achieved when two element of your photograph i.e. the top half and bottom half, do not look heavier than each other. It is usually most apparent in images with reflections. However, you can also create visual balance by having one heavy object in one half of your image and a lot of small objects on the other half of the image.
4. Vantage Point
The angle at which you take your photo effects the way your viewers will read the photo. There are three different vantage points to take a photo:
- High Vantage Point (Bird’s eye view)
- Depending on your subject, this vantage point could be easy of extremely difficult to achieve. Foe example, photographing a bowl of fruit from above is simple, but photographing a skyscraper from above would be more challenging to go about, and would require more gear such as a drone.
- Photographing from above your subject could also create a sense of inferiority and smallness.
- This can be used to photograph cityscapes and landscapes, and it is very popular in food photography.
- Eye level
- Photographing at eye-level allows the viewer to connect with the subject/model as they see eye-to-eye, hence the name.
- This vantage point prevents the subject from distorting and allows the most authenticity in the image.
- This vantage point used mostly used when photographing people, and animals, products, automobiles, and so on.
- Low Vantage Point (Worms eye view)
- This vantage point allows your viewers to see your subject from an unusual angle, which makes your image unique. To achieve this vantage point, you must be prepared to get your clothes a little dirty, and as your lecturer used to say “use your knees”.
- Photographing from below could give your subject a place of dominion or power.
- This could be used to photograph architecture, people, or nature.
In Conclusion
Composition is one of the most important elements of photography, along with Lighting and Timing.