What is composition? In the frame of a photograph, visual elements are arrange in a pacific way in a photograph, this is composition.
In a photograph the most important visual elements are line,shape,light,texture,motion and perspective. In a photograph you may have all or several of these elements to create a compelling composition. To create a memorable photograph you need to use just the right amount of elements to create the best composition in each photograph you take. This can be just a matter of trial and error in the beginning photographer.
To make a whole composition of a photograph, you need structure,balance, and dynamics. If your photographs doesn’t have structure,balance, and dynamics your photograph would just be random objects that lacks or makes no sense.
Lets take a look at structure in a photograph the basic structural elements are line,shape, and position ( the objects placements in a composition ) These elements hold the photograph together. Just like post and beams of a building holds the building together. Buildings also has walls,doors, and windows that help determine how the building will look and they are non structural elements.
In a photograph light, texture, motion and perspective are all non structural elements. Using these non structural elements will complete an image just like in a building. Also like in a building a wall could become a load bering wall that holds up the floor above it. This is the same for a photograph. Texture or light that is considered non structure can become so important without it your composition will collapse. This is just not for buildings or photographs This also works for paintings.
Lets look at balance. Balance is an equal relationship between two or more objects being balanced. Using various elements in a photograph trying to balance the elements equally. They do not have to be the same size and they don’t have to take up the same amount of space within the frame.
Lets take a look at each of the diagram and break it down. Lets look at 1.A first. This has one subject the tree. The sky is just grey and boring. The foreground is just grass nothing interesting to add the image. Fill the frame with the only subject worth using is the tree.
Looking at 1.B Now you have two subjects. The tree and a girl is the most important part of your composition. There may be many different ways to balance the composition depending on what is outside of the frame that you don’t want in the composition. What I mean is you can weight the tree to the lower left just like 1.B
Now lets move onto 1.C In this diagram the sky is very intersection because of the clouds. So you would want to weight the tree in the lower frame to show more of the sky. More sky less grass makes a better composition.
Last but not least lets look at diagram 1.D the foreground is way more interesting then the sky. So you would show as much of the foreground that will give you the best composition by weighting the tree in towards the top of the frame.
Weighting a photograph is when you position the dominant subject in different areas of the frame. There are 9 areas or zones in a frame. Thats why rules of third are used by photographers most of the time. ( 3 x 3 = 9 ) We will take a look at rules of thirds little later. Any photograph can be weighted towards the top,bottom, center or to either side. It may also be weighted toward any combination of these directions.
Using any of the top 3 areas to put your main or dominant subject could make your image appear top heavy. Also your subject will feel far away.
Take a look at the center area or zone. Putting your main subject there will make it anchored down, stagnate,static,motionless and frozen. This area is used very rarely because if you looking at a photograph your eyes will look at the main subject and your eyes will be lost or will not see the rest of the photograph. Using the right subject in the center can make for strong image. You are also breaking the rules of composition using this area of the frame.
On the other hand putting your subject in the bottom areas of the frame will give you the feel of being firmly grounded also. Your subject will feel close. Not far away like using any of the three top zones.
Lastly weighting a photograph to either side will seem to suggest movement. A persons face or a car could look like its moving into frame or its leaving the frame. A quick note about faces. We as humans will follow where someones eye are in a photograph. So if you want someone to look off the image have him looking out of the frame with there eyes and so will you. Example: weighting your image to the right side of your frame with a persons face looking to the right.
How do you want a viewers eye to move around your photograph? This is dynamics of composition. You want the viewers eyes to start with the most important subject or objects to the least important ones,and ideally to come back to the main subject for full circle. If you are able to do this. You will have a strong composition that will keep you viewer eyes longer on your photograph.
You want to keep your viewers eyes moving around your whole photograph not to get stuck on a secondary subject or even worse let the viewer leave the photograph completely and move onto another photograph. Thats a poor composition.
Ok lets take a look at rules of third on a very simplest form because with understanding weighting you should be able to understand that the best placement of a subject is to try to get the subject close to one of the 4 intersecting lines on the 9 zone or area. Until you know the rules. You cannot break the rules. Most photographer will say this will give you the strongest composition possible by using rules of third and putting your subject as near or on the intersecting lines. Check out the diagram 2.A and 2.B. This works for either holding your camera in horizontal ( Landscape 2.A ) or vertical ( Portrait 2.B ).
I am not going to discuss the golden ratio of photography. If you want to learn about the golden ratio or the golden rule. Look it up online just like I would have to do because I don’t remember it enough to write about it. I don’t think many photographers use the Golden Ratio/ Golden Rule.
Next time we need to dive into shapes,lines, and positive space. We also needs to talk about negative space of a photograph to conclude composition. You will not learn as in-depth as I went into composition from a photography magazine. I hope this is not to boring for you.
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