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What does COMPOSITION Mean?
What does COMPOSITION Mean?
The term composition means 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought.
Putting Together = Arranging of Elements
Putting Together = Arranging of Elements
Throughout the term, you will do your best to capture these compositional methods:
- The Rule of Thirds
- The Rule of Odds
- Leading lines
- Pattern Interrupted
- Frames
- Foreground Anchor
1. RULE of THIRDS:
1. RULE of THIRDS:
This is what the rule of thirds looks like:
The term rule of thirds has been floating around our world since roughly the 1800′s when painting was a very popular form of art. The older term, called the golden mean, has been around for years, back when the greeks roamed the earth and built extraordanary temples dedicated to their gods!
Components of the Rule of Thirds:
Components of the Rule of Thirds:
- 9 Equal Boxes
- 4 Intersecting Points
- 2 Horizontal Lines
- 2 Vertical Lines
Things to notice:
- The scene is divided by thirds from top to bottom and left to right
- The Horizon line (horizontal line where the ground meets the sky) is positioned near the bottom third line and NOT in the center!
- The lighthouse (aka focal point) is along the right-most third line
- Focal Point should always* be positioned near where the intersecting lines meet
- * NOTE: All rules may be broken in the right conditions, as long as you have a creative defense and successful composition otherwise!
Notice how the logs on the beach help "point" the the focal point, which is the White House. These logs are "leading lines".
2. LEADING LINES
2. LEADING LINES
A leading line paves an easy path for the eye to follow through different elements of a photo. Usually they start at the bottom of the frame and guide the eye upwards and inwards, from the foreground of the image to the background, typically leading toward the main subject.
The easiest place to find a leading line is on a road. Roadways are inherently leading because they go somewhere, give us a feeling of motion, and the lines often point so far inwards that they reach a vanishing point – the place where two or more lines converge into theoretical infinity.
3. Rule of Odds
3. Rule of Odds
Follow my Pinterest board with examples of the rule of odds
Capture an ODD number of items in your scene (such a line of 3 apples)
It’s a little ‘odd’ – but ‘even’ is not as interesting!
The rule of odds relies on the human sense of pattern to capture the attention the viewer. Our brains work well with pattern. We see pattern in almost everything in the world. So it is natural to see it as a central part of composition. When there are small groups of objects or people the rule of odds becomes a valuable attraction for the eye.
Why does the rule of odds work so well?
There are several reasons. The eye is pleased by symmetry. Evenness represents symmetry. It represents balance… it’s about plainness and organization. On the other hand an odd number steps out of the realm of organization and plainness. When we see an odd number it is natural and compelling for our eye to seek the missing component to even it up again. We look into the picture to try and satisfy the pattern.
4.PATTERN INTERRUPTED
4.PATTERN INTERRUPTED
"As people, we love pattern. But interrupted pattern is more interesting."
Quote by: Photographer , Jay Maisel
Patterns can form an important part of the design of a photograph, and in some cases they can become the subject in their own right. There are patterns all around us in the world, both natural and man-made. These patterns could be in the form of lines, circles, textures, or anything else that has a repeating pattern.
The first thing a pattern can be used for is to make a textured photograph that can be used as a background for something else. This type of image is literally everywhere you look: brick walls, pipes, shells, seeds, pebbles, or even the pavement containing a repeating pattern. Repeat patterns can make a great backdrop for a portrait, allowing you to contrast your subject with the pattern so that they stand out. Something as simple as a brick wall or a leaf background is all you need.
Another way of utilizing a pattern is to break it in some way. For example, having a single square within lots of circles will draw the eye to the square and give it real impact. This type of pattern breaking could be through color contrast, as well as shape.
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5. FOREGROUND ANCHOR
5. FOREGROUND ANCHOR
In this photo (below) you will see the photographer used the boat as a foreground anchor:
Photo A: The boat gives your eye a place to begin or rest in a photo. It shows distance in a scene because you can see a foreground, middle ground and background , making it more interesting to look at. Many professional photographers use this technique!
Photo B:is a view of the same scene without the foreground anchor. Notice how the composition seems a little ordinary, maybe even boring.
6. FRAMING:
6. FRAMING:
Photo A: Castle: In this photo (below) notice the branches on the top edge of the photo & the shrubs at the bottom edge of the photo. This "frames" the photo. Think of placing a printed photo inside a frame in your home. The photo gets more attention and looks better when it is inside of the frame. You can create frames within the photo as you TAKE the photo with your camera by framing it with elements within the scene. Here, the castle is the focal point. It stands out because it contrasts everything else in the photo, then it is framed by the branches & the shrubs, making this a nice composition to look at!
Photo B: Horse: In the photo (above) the the focal point is the HORSE. Contrast is used to draw your eye to the horse. Contrast is created by with the black dark area next to the white trim. The horse is also "framed" in by the rectangular shape!
Photo C: Dog: In the photo (above) the the focal point is theDOG. Contrast is used to draw your eye to the dog. Contrast is created by with the black dark area.The dog is also "framed" in by the edges of the wooden doorway
Cloudy-Overcast Light
DIFFUSED LIGHT
DIFFUSED LIGHT
Overcast Diffused Light
You need soft diffused light for anything relating to trees. All those branches, leaves, trunks, flowers need to play along and create a harmonious shot.
Diffused light is non-directional light, where the intensity of light is even. For example, an overcast day provides diffused light. This light is fantastic for portrait photography, as it creates little or no shadow on a person’s face. This is quite flattering to most people. For the same reason, diffused light is also useful in macro or close-up photography. The evenness of light allows you to capture detail in your subject that might otherwise be lost to overblown highlights or deep shadows if taken in direct sunlight. There are some instances where this kind of lighting can be detrimental to a picture. For instance, landscape photography. Taking a picture of an expansive scene with a flat grey sky and dull colors through the landscape is just plain unappealing. For these instances, some sunlight is preferable to create some interest in the sky and contours of the land.
Full - Direct sunlight
SPECULAR LIGHT
SPECULAR LIGHT
Specular light is defined by the occurrence of strong highlights and shadows. Parts of the subject may be incredibly bright, while other details may taper off into darkness.
CRUSH THE COMPOSTION
CRUSH THE COMPOSTION
Now that you know about some of the rules of composition, it is important to "work the scene" find the best spot to take a photo. Not every photo will be successful, but if you keep searching for different points of view, you will come up with something to work with! Scott Kelby is my photography "idol" he gives great advice about composition in his CRUSHING THE COMPOSITION video- see below:
Here are great websites to Check out:
Here are great websites to Check out:
click to open
- Exposure Guide
- Digital-Photography-School
- National Geographic Photo of The Day
- MCP Actions Blog
- Digital Camera World
COMPOSITION CLASS ASSIGNMENT
COMPOSITION CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Your groups will be asked to find 5 photos that represent your assigned Photography Composition Rule:
Please use these websites to find your images:
Google Sites
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