RULES FOR COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY. Composition Techniques:

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1 RULES FOR COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY Composition Techniques: 1. Rule of Thirds Is a grid system that helps photographers figure out where to place their subject in their photo. The picture should be separated by two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, which are evenly spaced. The point of this is to not place the subject of interest, or line up your picture perfectly, but to instead to place you subject on one of the lines. Where the lines intersect is where the subject s most interesting feature is preferred to be, because there the eye automatically is more directed to. Example: the bee is placed on one of the vertical lines and it s eye is on one of the intersecting lines. Uses vertical line Uses horizontal line Uses both equally

2 2. Rhythm is when there is a pattern or repetition of the subject in a photo. The subject(s) will take up the entire screen, not focussing on anything other than the subjects that are the same. 3. Symmetrical Balance when in the photo, if there was a line cut down through the middle (either vertically or horizontally) both sides of the picture would be the same. An example of this could be when the subject reflects on the water, such as The picture does not have to be exactly the same however, as long as there is a balance. Meaning you could have two different people and still have a symmetrical balance, such as:

3 4. Lines (diagonal) - Diagonal lines help draw the eye of the photo s viewer to a certain point of interest. They also add a sense of action to a photograph, helping you display the movement of the subject. Draws viewer to the point of interest Gives the impression of movement 5. Foreground Framing Add a frame around the subject/point of interest using an object in the foreground. This helps draw attention to it. For example, to frame a person s face in your picture you can have their hand reaching out close to the camera, so that their hand almost curves around their face; or you could also use leaves to draw in attention to a faraway subject. 6. Point of View There are two common points of view; bird s eye and worm s eye. A bird s eye view is when you are higher than your subject and are looking down on it. This view can be achieved easily by standing on a chair. A worm s eye view is when you see the image from below; you are looking up at the subject. To achieve this look straight up at something (i.e. a tree) or crouch down and then look up. Birds Eye View Worms Eye View

4 7. Texture using the natural surface of the object which gives you a visual impression of what it would feel like to touch. Often achieved with macro photography. 8. Shape and Form-A center of interest that is interesting because of its shape or the form that it takes. This can be accentuated in the photo with placement or point of view. 9. Backgrounds Consider how the different elements in the shot relate to each other and choose what is important to include and exclude the rest. If there are a lot of things that might be a good center of interest then take more photos of each separately, don t try to get everything in one shot. It is tempting to include a lot of different things from the scene but it is usually best to keep only one main point of interest and avoid other things in the background to distract or intrude or worse yet merge with the main subject. Generally there are three main ways to handle the background in a photograph; you can simplify it, eliminate it or you can include it. Simplify: Change your camera angle to a position where the least number of distractions are in the background. Make sure you have only one center of interest and use camera techniques such as depth of field or motion blur to throw the background out of focus.

5 Eliminate: Use the sky, water, a wall or a backdrop (in the studio) to eliminate the background completely. You may even control the lighting in some situations. You may have to change your point of view. Include: Change your position so that the foreground, middle ground and background all work together. Simplify the background using depth of field Photo Types Eliminate the background by using the sky to fill the frame All layers of the photo are in focus 10. Still Life- depicting inanimate center of interest, typically common objects which can be natural or man-made. The photographer is able to manipulate the position and angle of the objects as how the lighting (either ambient or studio) affects the subject. 11. Portrait A picture taken to show the features of a person; focuses on their face. In this photo type the facial expressions are dominant, and are very important to the pictures depth. Most times the subject is looking into the camera.

6 12. Landscape- a photo of the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, lakes, rivers and trees. The horizon line is usually visible. 13. Candid An un-posed photo, where the subject is caught in a moment of real life. The photo is taken while the subject is in action and not posed and looking into the camera.