Composition in Photography
Using Composition to Your Advantage
Rule of thirds
I don’t like the word rule. So, let’s change that to guideline of thirds. The guideline of thirds is really a generic principal to make subjects look more interesting. When you are taking a photograph, envision your viewfinder split into horizontal and vertical thirds like this:
Line subjects up on the lines that divide the frame into thirds. The guideline of thirds will teach you to position your subject in more interesting positions within the frame rather than in the middle every single time. However, you don’t always have to follow the guideline of thirds. There are a lot of possible interesting photographs when positioning something right in the middle or all the way to one side. Like I said, it’s just a simple guideline to help you get started. Next time you’re watching an interview on the news, notice how they position the person within the frame. I can almost guarantee you they will be using the guideline of thirds.
Leading Lines
When you get serious about photography, you want to share a moment with someone. Using leading lines, especially in landscape photography, is a fantastic way to invite someone into a scene. Leading lines make the viewer’s eye follow the photograph into a scene. Eyes are naturally pulled by lines to explore where they lead whether we are aware or of it or not. Some great examples of leading lines are streams, waterfalls, trails, bridges, roads, sidewalks, tree branches, or anything else that incorporates lines into the design… (so, just to be clear, that’s pretty much everything there is.)
Fill the Frame
I can’t tell you how many Facebook photos I have seen that show a big scene with two tiny people in the center (to understand positioning subjects, refer back to the guideline of thirds). Fill the frame with your subject. If you subject is a friend’s face, don’t have ten feet of blank space above and below their head. If your subject is a waterfall, fill the whole photograph up with the waterfall. You have a whole image to fill! Use all the space you have!
Now, Forget Them
OK, now take the last three guidelines and throw them to a file way back in the back of your mind. No, seriously. The fourth guideline is called trial and error. When you are out in the field shooting, you need knowledge of the first three guidelines, but you also need to develop your own style. Next time you have your camera with you, practice composition and then find which one works best for you and how you enjoy taking photographs. If you like to frame a photo by leaving something in the middle, just do it! If you push the boundaries of standard photography rules you won’t be cuffed and thrown into photo jail! Be bold! Experiment, break the rules, and push the guidelines where they don’t want to go!
Take Photos from Different Perspectives
As photographers, it’s important that we don’t get caught in a rut or a slump. Taking photos that look the same makes us feel monotone in style and feels like we are running through quicksand in the race to photo mastery. But, fear not! There is a simple and easy solution to photo slumps.
Taking photos from different perspectives will give you the creative juices you need to take better photos. It will jolt your thinking and open a door to a whole new world of creative photos.
Photos that are taken at eye level are tiring because it’s exactly what people see when they are walking around. However, when you make the effort to get to different perspectives, you will start taking more interesting photographs. Let’s see what we can do to take photos from different perspectives.
Low Perspectives
Lower perspectives are great to use when you want to make the subject of your photo seem more grand than it is at eye level. When something is viewed from a low perspective, it makes it look larger and more important.
Using low perspectives is great for all fields of photography because of the effect it has on the subject itself. Remember, as the photographer, it is your job to create a sense of feeling about your photos. If you want to make the subject look grand, crouch or lay down to take the photo from a low perspective.
High Perspectives
Taking photos at higher perspectives is a great way to get a better angle on a subject. Higher perspectives produce my favorite portrait photos.
High perspectives in landscapes are not always noticeable at first glance, however, when someone goes to a location you have photographed, they might notice it’s not completely like your photo. That’s because higher elevations look different than what is seen at eye level. It’s the different perspective that makes the photo great.
Portraits
Portraits are a great example of why you should be taking photos from different perspectives. Anyone can take a photo from the standing position, snapping an image at eye level. They’re all over Facebook! What sets great photos apart from average photos is composition and perspective.
Knowing when to use perspective is very important too. The angle at which you take a photo has a direct impact with how the photo is viewed. For portraits of men or athletes, you probably want to use a lower perspective. For portraits of women, I prefer to use perspectives higher than eye level.
Landscapes
Ansel Adams is one of my favorite photographers. There are videos of him standing on top of his car to get a higher perspective of landscapes. Have I thought about building a platform on top of my Jeep? Maybe. Have I stood on top of my Jeep to get a different perspective? Yes.
Higher perspectives are a great way to make an already vast landscape feel even more vast. They provide a view that is grander than if you were just standing on the ground, even if it is only four to five feet higher.
Lower perspectives are reserved for more intimate landscapes. If you’re shooting individual trees or waterfalls, low perspectives work great because they make the subject look larger. In landscape photography, you rarely want to make the subject look smaller.
Sports
Low perspectives were made for sports photography. We marvel at how amazing athletes are at what they do, so why would we take a high perspective of them to make them seem smaller. The photo should reflect the feeling of the environment, and most sports are all about being bigger.
Take football for example (American football). I would be crazy to try to get up higher to take a photo of a player diving into the end zone. I want to capture the impact of the situation by taking a lower perspective so the photo reflects the force of the environment!
I can understand some situations for higher elevations: a diver jumping off a high dive would look great from a higher perspective, a gymnast doing a dismount, or some sort of mind-bending flip on a motorcycle. But, the majority of sports go hand-in-hand with low perspectives.
Chapter 5: A Closer Look at Lens Selection
Why do lenses look different?
If you have spent any time at all taking photos, you know that different situations require different lenses. A sports photo that has to cross 75 yards requires a lens that is capable of crossing that distance and getting right into the action.
Likewise, different situations require different visual effects, or looks, that different lenses will create. For example, you cannot use a wide-angle lens to take a close portrait shot of a face. So, why are wide angle lenses specific, and why does a wide angle lens look different that telephoto or standard zoom lenses?
Distortion
Wide-angle lenses are designed and manufactured to look different than other lenses. When wide-angle lenses were first designed they were for large format or rangefinder cameras. However, because camera technology has taken leaps and bounds since the first large format cameras, wide-angle lenses have also changed.
Now that we have made the shift to DSLR cameras, wide-angle lenses are now designed as retrofocus wide-angle lenses. What that means is they use an asymmetrical design that is further from the film plane. The asymmetric design and distance from the film plane creates a unique distortion that has made wide-angle lenses so popular among photographers.
When I say distortion, I don’t mean it in a bad way. It means that the wide-angle design has a certain effect that actually pulls the corners and edges of the frame. That is why wide-angle photographs look almost like they are coming at you. The distortion also has other effects.
Field of View
The field of view for wide-angle lenses is very unique. Because the edges and corners are pulled, the overall field of view increases. The field of view would increase even more if you were using a full frame DSLR instead of a crop sensor DSLR.
The advantage of increasing your field of view is that you will be able to get more of your surroundings into the photograph. The field of view that can be seen when you use a telephoto or even a prime lens that isn’t a wide-angle lens is much smaller than a wide-angle lens.
Because wide-angles affect depth, they elongate distances
Depth
Wide-angle lenses also effect the depth within a photo. Now, you won’t be able to see further with a wide-angle lens by any means, but you will be able to create greater distances between objects using a wide-angle lens. Let me explain.
Because of the way wide-angle lenses are designed, the lens will create larger gaps between objects. It gets very technical when you talk about the asymmetrical shape of the lens, refraction differences, and longer distances from the film plane (or sensor).
Basically you need to know this: a wide-angle lens creates more space between objects, making them look like they are farther apart than they actually are. Telephoto lenses, like a 70-200mm lens, will make distances between objects look shorter than they actually are, which is why specific situations call for specific lenses.
Situations
Now that you have read what makes a wide-angle lens so different than other lenses, you can see that the situations for wide-angles are very specific because of the lens effects. The most obvious use of a wide-angle lens is for landscape photography. The increased field of view allows you to fit more into a frame and the depth makes landscapes feel grander and longer than they are. You MUST have a wide-angle lens in your bag if you are a landscape junkie.
Wide-angle lenses aren’t just for landscape photographers, though. You can use wide-angle lenses creatively in other fields. For example, wide-angles are very useful in sports photography for close range action shots.
You can even use wide-angle lenses in portrait photography! Now, I would only use them for including the surroundings. I would never take a close-up with a wide-angle. But, using a wide-angle to include surroundings makes a portrait feel more unique because you add interesting architectural lines or natural elements to the photo!
The next time you are out taking photos, stash your wide-angle lens in your bag and experiment different shots using a telephoto and then a wide-angle so you can see the difference yourself!
Fixed or zoom Lenses?
Photographers keep their lens selection close to their heart. Not just the lens, but the brand, aperture, and even whether the lens is a fixed or zoom lens. Each fixed or zoom lens lineup has a cult following behind it with some photographers sitting on a fence post, dabbling in both types of lenses. Is there anything wrong with that? No way! But, it’s also important to keep an open mind as to which type of lens (fixed or zoom) would be best for different situations.
So, I’ve divided the discussion into five different categories to look deeply at which lens is best for each category, and even some situations to use each type of lens… this is what I picture the fight between a fixed lens and a zoom lens would look like…
Gaps in Quality
For a very long time, there was a distinct gap in quality between fixed lenses and zoom lenses. The basic principle behind the gap was that the more material (or glass) you put between the subject and your camera’s sensor, the less quality there will be. Now, obviously with the extra glass there is in zoom lenses, there will be less quality.
However, the key word in that argument is “was.” In fact, lens manufacturers have really narrowed the gap that used to exist between fixed and zooms. The gap still remains, but if you want to make the argument, you’re splitting hairs because it’s such a small difference.
Conclusion: Slight edge goes to the fixed lens.
What do You Shoot?
The subjects you shoot most often have a lot to do with whether a fixed or zoom lens will work best for you. Recently, I published an article about setting up “planned shoots” and why you should use a fixed lens to shoot them. Even though some zoom lens users were less than thrilled with the idea, I stand by my opinion.
Basically, the argument breaks down to how much your subject is going to be moving without your control. If you shoot wildlife or sports, you probably have, or are interested in a telephoto lens. Since wildlife is extremely unpredictable, I’d definitely buy a zoom lens. You never know where your subject will move, so you always want the ability to zoom in, or zoom out and reframe the shot. I mean, take a look at this chase. They’re fast! I’d definitely want a zoom for that!
Or what about if you’re shooting surfing, and the surfer is coming towards you through a tight barrel. You’d probably want a zoom.
Alright, so what about shoots you have control over, and you can plan? For those, I’d say fixed lenses are best. If you’re shooting editorial, portrait, or even sports photography that you plan ahead of time with your subject, a fixed lens might be best. That way you get a slightly higher quality of lens for less.
Conclusion: Decide what you will use the lens for most, then determine whether or not you’ll need to zoom all the time.
Preference
Individual preference has the most to do when you are looking at a fixed or zoom lens. Like I said before, photographers are very loyal to their lens selection, so opinions can be strong! Basically, your lens preference comes from where you started.
Conclusion: It’s your preference. Nobody is right or wrong.
Versatility
Versatility isn’t even a contest. Zoom lenses win. Being able to zoom in more, or zoom out is such a great asset to have in a lens, especially the ones that cover long distances.
Say we are shooting landscapes and we come across a cabin in the mountains. You’re using a zoom lens and I’m using a fixed lens. We set up our tripods next to each other and start shooting. We both agree that we are too far away. You can easily zoom in and get your winning shot. I will have to walk up, set up, shoot, walk some more, set up, shoot, etc until I get the shot I want.
Conclusion: Winner, zoom.
Functionality
To determine the differences between versatility and functionality, I actually looked up functionality in the dictionary. To my delight, the example sentence relates to this topic! Example of functionality, “The cameras are comparable in price and functionality.” Now, if we are talking about the particular use for which something was designed, I think zoom wins again. Do zooms cost more? Usually. But the functionality of the lens is equivalent to the price of the lens.
Conclusion: Winner, zoom.
After all of the discussion, using a fixed or zoom lens depends on a wide range of determining factors. You need to decide how much you want to pay, what you’ll be shooting most, your personal preference, if you want versatility, and if the functionality of the lens matches the price. After you consider all of that, whatever lens you choose will be the right choice.