COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY

A few weeks ago I took part in a Composition Workshop put on by the Camera Guild I have belonged to for quite a few years.  I thought some of the pointers were made well and simply.  The workshop was aimed at judging photographs ( because when judges judge images 1/3 of the mark awarded is for composition) but I thought the comments are just as helpful to keep in mind when taking photos for ourselves.   Probably you know most of these points but its always interesting to refresh one's outlook like we have been doing in our weekly photo challenges.

A photographic composition is the arrangement of parts to make a whole.  In the image the question is "what catches the eye" first?  In order of most to least the eye goes to the following:
1. Areas of high contrast
2. Bright areas
3. Warm colours
4. Cool colours
5. Dark shadows
6. Black

Point of Interest:  Choose a point of interest ; i.e. flower, animal and then compose the photo around the point of interest, remembering where the eye goes first.

Contrast:  A light subject will have more impact against a dark background and visa-versa.  Move around until you find the perfect "background" for your subject.  I know we can take out the telephone lines and poles with photoshop but why not take the photo from an angle so you don't have to.  Your composition is created in your view finder before you snap the shutter.

Balance and Weight:
Asymmetrical balance is more interesting than symmetrical
Off-centered subject matter, when balanced with other smaller objects will be more effective than "centring" your centre of interest.
Objects in the upper part seem to have more weight than objects of the same size in the lower part of the image
Objects on the right side seem to have more weight than those objects of the same size on the left hand side of the image.

Framing and Leading Lines:
Landscapes look nice with objects that "frame" the picture
Have something in the foreground that leads you into the picture like branches, a fence, a road etc.
But it should not be too sharply focused as it then becomes a distraction.
When shooting landscapes that have a vast area, use a farmhouse, a building, a person to introduce scale -- creates a more exciting photo

Direction of Movement:
When photographing animals or people leave space so that the subject appears to be moving into rather than out of the photograph.

Viewpoint:  Find an unusual point of view of an object by moving around.  This will create a dramatic effect.

Diagonals:  Objects such as roads, fences, waterways are more dynamic when placed on a diagonal rather than horizontal line.  Use a perspective point of view when available.

Left to right:  We read left to right and our eye moves left to right in a photograph.  It is more pleasing to the eye for the leading line to travel from left to right in an image.

Rule of Thirds:  Divides the photo horizontally and vertically by thirds.  Centre of interest should be in a bisected area.

Rule of Quarters:  Divides the photo into four sections.  Centre of Interest appears in one quarter.

Note:  Rules are made to be broken!


Compositional Aids to Keep in Mind:
1. repeating patterns
2 "S" curves, triangles and "C" curves...leading lines of image
3. Balance
4. Silhouette images work well at sunset and sunrise
5. Contrast--colour and textures
6. Shoot people and animals at eye level
7. Leave room for animals and people to proceed into the image.
8. Don't leave items half in and half out of the frame.  When reviewing your photo inspect all the edges of the frame and crop for greater effect.
9 Best time for photography is dawn and dusk and hardly ever at noon!


Simplicity:  You may have a point of interest that is not immediately recognized because of too much clutter in the photo.  When there is too much clutter, the eye of the viewer tries to find the centre of interest.  Try to eliminate anything that causes a distraction.  KEEP IT SIMPLE.


Have a great summer and enjoy getting out and taking images of the world around you.

Doreen

SEASON II WEEK 4 THE BEST OF THE BEST

SEASON II WEEK 4 THE FINALE:  THE BEST OF THE BEST

After looking through all our photos of the past year we made some very difficult decisions and chose some photos to post for the finale.  So here are the photos chosen after much deliberation from our  photo albums during the past 12 months.  They are not necessarily our "best" but they are our favourites.

Dan in Vancouver, because he travels so much, really had a tough time choosing his photos.  He settled on one day, one place:  Cochin, India.  With the exception of his first photo all the rest were taken out of the moving window of a tuk-tuk.  Dan says he would have been a happy camper if the other 364 days of the year had been as productive photographically.  He also wonders why the dad in the last photo is wearing a helmet when his daughter is not.

Anne sent some of her favourites.  She loves the subject matter she says.

I really struggles to pick my favourites, not to mention remembering and then finding them!   The first three are from Venice from our cruise in the fall, the next four are from this winter in Arizona, including the descending raptor talons in Tucson and the final photo is of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver. 

Carol sent in some of her favourites from the year.

Richard sent in one picture he entitled "The Best", his Aunt Mary, his mom's youngest sister..a very hard but wonderful life.  Photo taken 6 October 2006.  Not quite from his album of the last year, but clearly a heart warming thought about someone important in Richard's life.

And Ruth sent in her favourite from the summer.

Gwen from Vancouver sent in some of her favourites from Hawaii and her cruise last summer.

And this is the last of Season II.  It has been a fun month.  I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to post their photos, to vote and to enjoy everyone's images.  I think for this collection of "The Best of the Best" we will just acknowledge we have a great collection of  favourites from the past year and enjoy them.  No voting,  just savour all the different subjects,  perspectives and colourful images.

Thanks for joining in.  Doreen

SEASON 2 WEEK 4: CLOSE-UP or MACRO

SEASON II WEEK 4  PHOTO CHALLENGE: CLOSE-UP or MACRO

The last weekly challenge of Season II was CLOSE-UP or MACRO.  This week we focussed on a detail of a larger item.  Or we looked for smaller items taken close-up that we might not have noticed before.

From Arizona I was lucky.  The sun shone and the cacti started to bloom. At sunset I took some back-lit photos of the geranium and our fan palm on our deck as well as a daffodil in a vase on the table on the deck, then yesterday I had a really good chip on the golf course!  Finally for fun I have included my selfie photo #8 which I called "Ring 49/Finger71, but whose counting?"

Anne  managed to be out and about in Vernon to take macros before the snow fell again.

Jean captured the one day bloom of her "Argentinean Giant" cactus

Gwen added some spring photos from Vancouver

Lois and Larry spent quite a bit of time with their glasses on their heads and their cameras stuck close in for these macros.  The first they label "that grain in the sand"; photos 2 and 3 are of cactus flowers; photo 4 is "Sometimes we look closely we see the animal kingdom has adapted to the colour scheme" and #6 they labelled "Waiting for a blossom to come free".

Sue titled her group of images "Spring is coming?!  She added that this week's challenge of MACRO or CLOSE-UP made her look carefully for details she might not have seen.

Gail sent along these images.  She says the challenge was a challenge since she wasn't used to taking close-ups.  Well done I would say.

Carol submitted these five images for the week.   Thank you Carol for going out to find macros this week..

And Richard from Vancouver had a very difficult time getting his macro images down to these 11 which he sent in.  I added on an earlier one of a magnolia blossom he had put up on Facebook.

These are the macro images submitted this week.  So give it one more go and send in your votes for your favourites.  Again we have a good selection of interesting images which will make the decision a challenge.  You can vote easily by emailing me at doreenmullins@telus.net by Monday March 31st.  I will be travelling by Tuesday so over and out.