WEEK7 ( GOOD COMPOSITION GUIDELINES)

This week, I'm going to apply all of the good composition guidelines in photography that I had learn in my class. There are 6 types of good composition :

1. Simplicity

2. The rule of third

3. Lines

4. Balance

5. Framing

6. Symmetry (extra point .Got it from the internet)

1. Simplicity 

 Simplicity is the key to most good pictures. The simpler and more direct a picture is, the clearer and stronger is the resulting statement. There are several things to be considered when we discuss simplicity :

    1.Select a subject that lends itself to a simple arrangement; for example, instead of    

     photographing an entire area that would confuse the viewer, frame in on some  

     important  element within the area. 

            

     2.Select different viewpoints or camera angles. Move around the scene or object being 

     photographed. View the scene through the camera viewfinder. Look at the      

     foreground   and background. Try high and low angles as well as normal eye-level  

     viewpoints. 

    3.Evaluate each view and angle. Only after considering all possibilities should you take 

       the picture. 

    4.See beyond and in front of your subject. Be sure there is nothing in the background   

       to  distract the viewer's attention from the main point of the picture. Likewise, check 

       to see there  is nothing objectional in the foreground to block the entrance of the 

       human eye into  the picture.

Be sure that only the things you want the viewer to see appear in the picture. If there are numerous objects cluttering up the background, your message will be lost. If you can't find an angle or framing to isolate your subject, consider using depth of filed control to keep the background out of focus 

 

                                                      (Captured by myself )

                                                        (Captured by myself )

(This picture example from internet)

2.The rule of third

The rule of thirds as a guide in the off-center placement of our subjects.  Before we snap the picture, imagine our picture area divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The intersections of these imaginary lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest for good composition. The option we select depends upon the subject and how we would like that subject to be presented. Here's how it works.

  

Let looks the examples of pictures that using rules of third :

                                                         (Captured by myself )

                                                       (Captured by myself )

3.Lines 

The line that leads our eye in to the picture area easily like a road or fence, a shoreline or river, a row of trees or a pathway. A successful Leading Line will lead our eye in to the picture and take it right to the Main Subject or Center of Interest.  

Implied Lines

Implied lines are not actual lines that we are used to seeing. They are instead implied in the picture area. They are made by the way objects are placed within the 4 walls of our photograph. Very often an actual object will create a line such as s tree, a railroad track or telephone wires.

Understanding lines is important because it can create responses from our photograph viewers. Often this happens on a sub conscious level but it's still important to know how to manipulate a photograph to attain the desired response.

Vertical Lines

Vertical lines run up and down. They help stimulate feelings of dignity, height, grandeur and strength. We can find vertical lines in buildings, trees, fences, people standing up etc. Look at the following picture and dig into our minds interpretation of the vertical lines in the following forest picture

                                            (This picture example from internet)

 

Horizontal Lines

Denotes Repose, Calm, Tranquility and peacefulness, such as a person lying in the grass sleeping, flowers in a field, the flatness of a desert scene or lake. We can make our photograph illicit these feelings if we look for them in the picture area and use them in our photographs.

                                          (This picture example from internet)

 

Diagonal Lines

This like gives the sensation of Force, Energy and Motion as seen in trees bent by the wind, a runner at the starting line or the slope of a mountain as it climbs into the sky. By knowing this we can create Force, Energy and Motion with our camera easily by tilting the camera to make objects appear to be in a diagonal line. A dignified church steeple when photographed at a slant will change to a forceful arrow pointing towards the sky and show motion.

Curved Lines

Here is a line of great beauty and charm and nothing gives a better example than a beautiful female form with all its lines and curves. Of course there are other examples: The curve in a river or a pathway through a flower garden.

S Curves

This line goes further than just a plain curved line. It is called the Line of Beauty. It is Elastic, Variable and combines Charm and Strength. It has Perfect Grace and Perfect Balance. We have seen this S Curve hundreds of times in drawings and paintings and other works of art.

Examples: the double curve of a river makes an S curve. A path, row of trees or bushes that curve one way and then the other way create the S curve. Look for this type of design and use it in our photos to add interest and beauty.

Repetitive Lines

We can also use repetitive lines to draw viewers' attention to our center of interest.

 

                                                (This picture example from internet)

 

 Leading Lines

The line that leads our eye in to the picture area easily like a road or fence, a shoreline or river, a row of trees or a pathway. A successful Leading Line will lead our eye in to the picture and take it right to the Main Subject or Center of Interest

An UN-Successful Leading Line will take the eye in to the picture but will ZOOM the eye right OUT of the picture if there is no Stopper to hold the eye in the picture frame; such as a tree, house or other large object on the right hand side of the picture frame which will STOP the eye from going out of the picture. The Center of Interest or Main Subject will act as a Stopper and hold the eye in the picture frame.

The best Leading Lines will start at the Lower Left area of the picture frame but not in the exact corner. Again, the eye likes to enter a picture frame at this point and the Leading Line will help it get in to the picture easily and swiftly.

Let looks the picture that i had captured : 

                                                        (Captured by myself )

4.Balance

Balance in photographic composition is a matter of making pictures look harmonious. Each element in a picture has a certain amount of value in respect to all the other elements. Every tone, mass, shape, tree, rock figure, building, line, or shadow contributes a certain amount of weight that must be arranged correctly in the composition to give the impression of balance. The subject placement within the picture area is the factor that must be carefully considered.

                                                           (Captured by myself )

                                                        (Captured by myself )

5.Framing

Framing is a technique used to enhance the overall result of a photo and to draw attention to the subject. Framing does not refer to physical frames you put your photos into. Compositional framing consists of using natural or man-made objects within the photo itself. Framing is the technique of drawing attention to the subject of your image by blocking other parts of the image with something in the scene

The benefits of framing pictures include: 

 

1. giving the photo context (for example framing a scene with an archway can tell us something about the place we are by the architecture of the archway or including some foliage in the foreground of a shot can convey a sense of being out in nature). 

2. giving images a sense of depth and layers (in essence framing a shot generally puts something in the foreground which adds an extra dimension to the shot). 

3. leading the eye towards our main focal point (some ‘frames’ can draw our photo’s viewer into the picture just by their shape). Some also believe that a frame can not only draw the eye into a picture but that it keeps it there longer – giving a barrier between our subject and the outside of the shot. 

4. intriguing our viewer. Sometimes it’s what we can’t see in an image that draws us into it as much as (if not more than) what we can see in the picture. Clever framing that leaves those viewing our image wondering a little or imagining what is behind our frame can be quite effective (get it wrong and it can also be quite annoying!).

Several examples of framing pictures :

                                                        (Captured by myself )

                                                         (Captured by myself )

(Captured by myself )

   (Captured by myself )

6.Symmetry

Symmetry is one of photography’s most evocative tools of composition. We should be surprised just how much our eyes seek out the mirrored comforts of symmetry.A symmetrical shot with strong composition and a good point of interest can lead to a striking image – but without the strong point of interest it can be a little predictable. I prefer to experiment with both in the one shoot to see which works best.

                                                            (Captured by myself )