Distraction

The Second Key to Good Composition

What Are All These Things Blocking The Building And Ruining The Shot!

Unfortunately your subject building shares the same space with other buildings: power lines, signs, people, cars, trees, you name it. Some of these will get in the way of your perfect shot.

Sometimes the people and cars will move out of the way, but someone might get upset if you cut down the trees and power poles. You certainly can't move the ugly building or billboard from the background except with a sophisticated computer program.

No worries, the building is big and there are always alternate viewpoints.

You Can:

Approach from the opposite corner
Get in real close (the entire subject may not get into the shot but you may capture a great photo)
Get lower; background clutter may disappear from view
Use foreground items like trees to block a distraction
Look up at the subject to shoot over the heads of a crowd or cluttered area
Turn the camera 90 degrees on its side and take a vertical shot
If the photo is to be used as reference to make a drawing, omit the distracting elements--you have the power

This beautiful building is surrounded by stuff.

Approaching from the other side is much better. It still has a building in the background, but it's not so dominant.

Approaching from the front minimizes the building on the left and moves the trees away from the bell tower, which is now framed to make it the center of attention. Also, the sidewalk barricade was hidden from view. This shot and the one above will work.

Let's go in real close. The results are very dramatic, bringing focus on entrance features.

I like this building, but it's still under construction. I can use it for reference and complete the lower floor in a perspective drawing or...

Move in closer and shoot up over the construction area, it becomes very dramatic and artsy.

Link to Distortion

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Produced by Jim Stilwell, all artwork copyrighted 2020

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