Photo Composition

What to Expect from this Article

Explanation of Different Techniques with Examples

When we have something that we want to photo, that something becomes our subject. A subject can be anything from a landscape scenery to a moving vehicle in the street. To compose a picture we need to define its contexts, that is what do we want the finished product to look like in a frame. Seeing something in its simplest form is clarity and a refined simplicity is elegance. Although taking pictures does not have to be simplistic but clarity certainly helps in terms of getting out the details by paying attention to the little things. A seemingly trivial matter can lend a big hand in creating a nice picture.

FOREGROUND & BACKGROUND

- Background as Canvas

[Halifax, Canada]

When there is only a subject and a background, it make composition a bit easier. By excluding the sky, the ground, and other nearby objects, the green leaves of a tree become the "canvas". Because there is no other distraction within the frame, the statue stands out more prominently against the green backdrop. Choose a time when the sun is not strong and direct onto a subject that is much lighter in tone than the dark background that is in the shade because contrasting tones cause competing exposures. When there is a tonal competition, either the dark shade may be too dark to reflect its hue or the light shade will be to harsh to show any detail. An overcast day would be ideal.

- Foreground Silhouette

[Cape Split, Canada]

The subject is the milky blue water reflection from the overcast sunset in the background. However, it is the foreground silhouette that sets the stage for the drama.

- Featuring Foreground & Background

[Canyon de Chelly, U.S.A.]

Often we are at the mercy of nature. Taking outdoor pictures is very much intertwined with nature. For example, the sun, its direction and intensity, can determine what kind of pictures we take. Sometimes it works in our favor. When it does, we can make use of what nature provides by complimenting it. The contour that outlines the edge of the shaded cliff in the foreground is juxtaposed by the brightly blazed background in the opposite cliffs that are illuminated under the strong afternoon sun. An overcast day will not produce such a show because the entire landscape is of the same hue, therefore will blend into a monotone opaque under a muted sky. I exposed for the bright background while counting on the bright sky to provide enough light for my shaded subject. I could do this because of several factors, the bright tone and the shaded tone are of the same hue, unlike the white statue against a dark shaded tree, therefore competition for exposure is less intense, the sky was bright enough for my shaded subject to still show its detail, my camera was also in the same shade and in close proximity to my shaded subject. Normally, a flash would be used for a back-lit object like the foreground here, however, it is not used for this one because by using flash would defeat the purpose of having the contrast since it would "wash-out" the foreground as if it is lit (like the background), thus making them monotonous.

- Oops!

[Langkawi, Malaysia]

It is a useful technique to compose a picture by looking at its depth first, from background all the way to the foreground. Why background first? We have a tendency of looking at what we like to see, as a result other existence in the environment within the picture might be overlooked. These coconut leafs suspend nicely in the foreground of this tropical beach but there are two kayaks on shore, one is overlapping behind the leafs. My intention was to capture a nice clean minimalist landscape. I made this simple mistake by being too preoccupied in the overall setting from this spot and did not pay attention to a little thing that has obviously spoiled my otherwise clean shot. There is no excuse for such carelessness although my mind was partially thinking about food at that time; as you can see it is high noon, time for food, not "food-tography"!

PERSPECTIVE

- Angle View

[Santa Fe, U.S.A.]

The gentle flowing curves of this adobe facade is dramatically accentuated by a side angle perspective. This is because the facade looks shorter from an angle view than from a front view, which makes the curves to appear closer to each other; thus drawing the curves to change more rapidly (as oppose to the gentle flow if seen from the front). Imagine looking at this wall perpendicularly from the top or at a zero angle side view, the wall would look more like a thick straight line.

- Worm's Eye View

[Santa Fe, U.S.A.]

To look up at something from a ground or lower level is the worm's eye view. Such view is often used to romanticize the subject from a humble position, or simply to present a more curious take from the usual eye level view. An eye level view implies approachability, while looking up implies admiration or to make the subject look grand.

- Bird's Eye View

[Halifax, Canada]

A bird's eye view from above renders that the subject is humble or harmless. Although it also implies distance but the proximity from the subject can show its intimate relationship with the viewer. By tilting the camera can add an extra intriguing edge to its content.

LAYOUT ARRANGEMENT

- Rule of Thirds

[Halifax, Canada]

Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid in a picture frame. The rule of thirds in visual arts is a compositional arrangement where the important components are placed approximately along one of the lines or at an intersection of the grid. The tower in this picture is placed near an intersection and the horizon is aligning with the upper line.

- Formal

[Budapest, Hungary]

A formal shape often calls for symmetrical accommodation of equal dimensions... but if something looks good in its formality, there is nothing wrong in letting it have the central stage.

- Casual

[Peggys Cove, Canada]

Some pictures call for loose, relax, balanced placement of the main characters. The lobster cages in the foreground set the casual tone for this fishing community, with a stilted house on water, and a couple of small boats docking in this quiet inlet.

FRAME WITHIN PICTURE

- Suggestive Framing

[San Fransisco, U.S.A.]

The tree branches hanging down from the top right corner and the shrubs in the foreground, suggestively frame these Corinthian columns and their reflection on the water.

- Window Framing

[Simatai, China]

The frame of this archer's window from one of the watch towers enhances the sense of depth into the picture while showcasing the long wall snakes away along the undulating mountain ridge.

- Door Framing

[Suzhou, China]

This gate entrance sits in the middle ground, and defines a clear distinction between its foreground and background. I think the frame itself is the star here, what do you think?

- Ambiguity in Framing

[Halifax, Canada]

The blue water is undeniable yet the wooden pier and its reflection is the focal point. This approach in which the proportion of the subject and its placement on the edge creates some ambiguity in terms of framing the subject versus the background.

- 'Udder Kind' of Framing

[Dalian, China]

A perspective control lens is a special lens that is often used in architectural photography. Without this lens when we tilt our camera up to shoot something tall like a high rise building we are likely to get a picture where all the vertical lines are converging toward the top, as if the buildings are leaning back. Although such optical distortion is common and can be corrected using a photo editing software, but why not create something interesting out of it.

INDUCING DEPTH

- Pattern

[Halifax, Canada]

Patterns can be many things from train tracks to classroom chairs to tree trunks along a path. An effective use of pattern is to have the pattern run from the foreground with reducing scale into the background.

- Line

[Monument Valley, U.S.A.]

Diminishing line is a powerful tool for inducing the sense of depth such as this stark and straight desert highway that sits in contrast to its desert vast surrounding, it leads only in one direction, deep into the horizon. (On a different note, ideally, I would prefer a crisper air and softer lighting condition such as sunrise where the surface moisture has not begun to evaporate into the air that makes the sky to look hazy, and the sun ray is rich in red-orange.)

WHAT TO INCLUDE/EXCLUDE

- Isolating the Essence

[Halifax, Canada]

By excluding the nearby objects (lamp post, stairs, doorway) from the frame, this picture attempts to create visual movement that flows from one plane to another; the red shingle wall, the alley, and the stone wall.

- When Sky is Important

[Inner Mongolia, China]

The sky gives a landscape photo a setting, however, not all landscape photos require the sky. For example, with a generous portion of the sky in the picture, it complements the grassland's vast open space.

[Grand Canyon, U.S.A.]

On the other hand, without the sky, the entire canyon gives a setting for this rock formation that hangs at the edge of a cliff.

CREATE YOUR OWN IMPRESSIONS

- Change the Scale

[London, England]

I have two subjects of different scales here but I wanted to see if I could make them to look as if they are of the same scale in photo.

- In Your Face

[Halifax, Canada]

In one late afternoon when I was on the way out to take some close up pictures of plants but it rained. So I waited until the rain stopped before venturing out again. A hosta leaf caught my attention because there were rain drops on the leaf that look like jewels. By using macro I was able to take a close-up shot of the entire face of that one leaf showing its grain and texture peppered by dots of sparkling rain drops.

- Defy Reality

[San Francisco, U.S.A.]

In arts, one can be real or fictitious. We can show that the Golden Gate Bridge spans over San Francisco Bay or ...

- 'Motion' Picture

[Hangzhou, China]

It is easier to capture something that is static, like a statue, than to capture something that is moving, like a speedy bike. If you use a fully automatic camera you can still do it but if you have control on your camera, choose low ISO or landscape feature or small aperture or slow shutter speed to prolong the shutter opening time in order to blur, in this case we want to capture a motion blur of the background to create the sense of speed. Before the bike rider appeared, I anticipated a spot---in this case right in front of me---where I would release the button to take the picture and set my focus on the ground of that spot, then I locked that focus (either by pressing and holding the shutter button half way down for point and shoot cameras or by adjusting the lens focus for SLR cameras). While keeping that focus, I waited for my subject to approach and then aimed and followed it in my camera view until the subject reached the spot where I focused earlier and clicked to capture that instant. It may take a few trials, the tighter we follow the subject the sharper it is. The faster is the subject the more dramatic is the result, but more difficult to capture.

- Abstract

[Prague, Czech Republic]

Or create your own abstract impression.

[A wide angle lens (a.k.a. fish eye) was used for this shot, as you can see the compromised optical distortion in favour of the tight-quarter panorama, in order to capture large object within small space; in this case, tall buildings on narrow streets.]

CONCLUSION

P.S.