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 Judith
Pishnery's fine-art images have been shown and collected internationally. She
is also a successful commercial photographer, working with corporate, editorial
and advertising clients.
To make engaging images, a photographer must go beyond the fascination with
cameras, lenses and accessories, to consider the order, construction and design
of a photograph; i.e. the composition. The subject of the photograph is a key
element, and how the subject, background and other elements are arranged adds
to the lasting impressions that the image will make. By making a conscious choice
about where to position your subject, you are working with composition.
Does the photo emphasize what interested you? Has the best viewpoint been chosen?
Would the image be better with more or less in the frame? Has the visual clutter
been eliminated? Does the image feel balanced? Is the composition alluring?
These are a few of the questions to think about to make captivating images.
Here are a few tips to get you started with great composition.
Tip 1: To Center Or Not To Center, That Is The Question
With camera in hand and the ever helpful focusing guide right in the middle
of the viewfinder, the natural instinct is to center the subject. DON'T! A centered
image leaves a viewer flat, nothing to do, nowhere to go. There are more dynamic
ways of composing an image; by placing the main subject off-center, composition
is generally improved. Think about the subject; is it moving? Put more space
in front of the subject so it has somewhere to go or, with a portrait, somewhere
to look.
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Photographs generally have more impact if you avoid placing your
main subject in the center of the frame. When photographing people,
strive for a composition in which the person is looking (or moving)
into the scene.
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What about a landscape? Is the land filled with beauty and natural wonders?
Take the horizon line and move it toward the top of the frame to emphasize the
land, drawing attention to what really caught your eye. Is the sky the most
interesting? Take the horizon line and move it toward the bottom of the frame
to emphasize the beauty of the sky, the clouds, or sunset and even to give the
photo a feeling of vast open space. Try it—stronger landscape images are
yours for the taking.
Tip 2: The Rule Of Thirds
This is the most basic of composition techniques, the most widely used and a
great technique to put into practice. Take your image space and divide it into
thirds—top to bottom and side to side. This creates a grid that is broken
up into nine spaces with four intersecting points: Each of these intersecting
points are a great place to position your subject.
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While rules are meant to be broken, the “rule of thirds”
is a basic compositional guideline that is very helpful in positioning
the key components of your scene. The technique is simple: divide
your frame into thirds (top to bottom and side to side) and position
key areas of interest at the resulting four points of intersection.
With a bit of practice, you’ll find that this approach results
in more dynamic compositions.
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The main interest of the image could also be placed in the upper third, lower
third, left third or right third of the frame; easily moving the subject out
of the center and creating a more active arrangement. Use this idea loosely
to create a more dynamic composition. When considering placement of the horizon
line, the rule of thirds can be used.
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