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Guidelines to Composition

All images captured have in essence been composed by the photographer.. Just as a musical composer composes an orchestra, the photographer composes the image he presents for us to see.. but what makes a good image? Apart from being correctly exposed, we need for it to be correctly composed.

So how do we define composition?
The building-up of a picture using certain guidelines so that you are able to portray any subject in such a manner that it is pleasing to the viewer.

Your photographs must evoke feelings of enjoyment, emotion, shock or whatever you, the artist, wish to portray. You are in control! You decide the result you want and then proceed to achieve results by using proper composition. This is art. This is photography.

Good composition is an integral part of any successful or pleasing photograph. It is the dividing line between a snapshot and a photograph.

Every photograph must have a centre of interest. Without this, the viewers eyes will wander all over the photograph and, finding nothing, lose interest!

What is a centre of interest?
Can be anything you wish. In a landscape, it could be a house, a figure, a cloud formation, a mountain, a field of flowers, a single bloom, a boat.
In general photography it could be a colour, an object, a pattern,
In portraiture, it is the shape of the pose, the glint in the eye, the pout of the lips, the stance, the eye make-up, the jewels or clothes worn. The dirt on the child’s face
In action photography it could be the player at scoring the try, the car winning the race, the runner collapsing after the comrades.
Nature images could feature the might of the leader of the pack, the lion taking down its kill, the bird stretching its wing.

IT SHOULD BE THE REASON YOU ARE TAKING THE PICTURE

So how do we achieve this thing called Composition? Very simple, we follow a few basic rules and guidelines.

Guidelines? Rules? All sounds too complicated doesn't it. Well, it needn't be. All we need do is follow a few basic guidelines to achieve good composition.

1.Simplify
Avoid visual chaos
Get in close (macro lenses etc)
When in doubt, use a shallow DOF
Keep the background simple

2. Centre of interest
Usually the reason for taking the picture
Without a centre of interest, the picture is almost meaningless

3. The Golden Rule - the rule of thirds
Prevents us from cutting the picture in halves
Mentally divide your picture into thirds
Distribute the info onto 1/3 or 2/3 ratios

4. Leave space
Make space for the subject to move into
Stationary objects also need space
Allow space for subjects to look into
Allocate space according to subjects of importance

5. Left to right
A viewers eye enters the picture from left to right, allow your image to flow this way

6. Power Points
This is the point at which the thirds dissect
The top right point is the most powerful
Only one power point should be used at a time

7. Attracting the viewers eye
The sharpest area
The brightest area
Strong intense colours (reds, oranges)
Recognizeable shapes (human silhouette etc)
Symbols and numbers

8. Lead in lines
Used to guide the viewers eye into the picture
Lead in from left to right

9. Perceptual Depth
Create perceptual depth
Include foreground interest

10. Horizontal and vertical lines
If these are meant to be straight, don’t let them fall to one side nor lean over

11. Angle of sight
By merely changing the angle or the direction of the camera, a completely different image can be obtained. Look at your subject from different angles.

Follow these simple guidelines and create your composition..

Hi Guys and Girls, I’m also a keen photographer and would like to contribute as well…maybe you can learn from me too!!

I’m the owner of a SAMSUNG S1060 digital camera. It has a 6.3 – 31.5 zoom capability and a 5x optical zoom feature as well. Some positive aspects of this instrument are its compact size…it’s about the size of a packet of 20 cigarettes and you don’t have to carry bulky and expensive lenses around. It has video capabilities as well and therefore you have everything in one nice package!

It’s not your average “mik en druk” (point and shoot) camera…it has an auto or manual option…as I have mentioned a very nice package!

I want to get as much out of this camera as possible and I have tried out the aperture and shutter-speed options on the manual setting and I was rather pleased with the end results!

Herewith a few photos I have taken from my roof on inauguration day!

First up: A few prop aircrafts…I have almost accomplished the same results as Sprocky did…note the moving props but more importantly note the background…it’s in focus:



Next photo: A few choppers where I have used a high shutter speed. The end result was no moving props with the effect that the aircrafts look stationary up there. The result of the high shutter speed was also a focused background!



Next up: A close-up of a jet. I think I overdid the zooming capability of my camera here with the result that this photo is a little bit out of focus and I have cut off the wings a bit…But still a great pic all in all!



What do you think about my photography…I don’t mind straight answers? Should I use this camera on auto and forget about the manual setting or should I experiment even more with the manual setting? Do you think I should upgrade my camera or do you think I should buy a PhotoShop software package to enhance my pics? Have you learned anything from me and should I contribute more on this thread ?

Nope, there are enough free programs around which do the same for free.
Have a look at Paint.net for instance.

And no, not really. The first two photos are a little dark, so they could be brightened a bit, and the last one is a bit too bright. In both cases your camera was fooled.
It exposed for the white cloud, and tried to make that 18% grey, in which it succeeded. In the third photo the darker underside of the plane may have thrown it off kilter.

As for the composition of the photos themselves, in the two first photos there is no real subject, just a clutter. And the plane lacks part of two wings.
Not easy to get right with a mik 'n druk with shutterlag (click, wait for the camera to realise it has to do something, photo made). But you could have zoomed out a bit, getting everything in view. Then on the pc crop it to what you wanted to show.

Hey Theuns, have you ever considered using that camera in more of an aviation role, I was thinking about a wheel chock for one of those a/c.

Just joking, aviation photography is not that easy, a bit more practice and you will be there. Keep at it and don't let the "pro's" put you off.

Yes DQ, it looks like a few brommers (flies) circling around!

Thanks for your advice though!



Yeah Sprocky, or I can use it as a chock for my trailer at Tsendze!!



I will be at it this weekend...sitting on the roof waiting for the Galaxy on its glide towards Waterkloof AFB and then snapping away in manual mode!

Hi TheunsH;

Happy snapping

For shots with a lot of bright sky, if you're going to shoot in manual mode; try adding 2/3 to 1-stop of positive exposure compensation.

As DuQues says, cameras are easily fooled by whites (or brights) into under-exposing. (The reverse is also true of very dark images where they're fooled into over-exposing!)

By adding a touch of positive EC, you'll see the C-5 Galaxy move from a dark grey to a more natural light-grey...

Cheers...

It's a real pleasure.. glad you all appreciate my contributions..

We/they got sidelined Rob.

Can you explain why you prefer the "Aim - Tilt your digital camera at a slight downward perspective rather than head on at the subjects face when taking people shots."?
It has me puzzled, as you could see from my reaction.

It's pretty simple. If you shoot head on like you suggest, you tend to get flat and perpectiveless portraits. The idea is to be slightly (not very) higher than your subjects face so as to create some depth and perspective. This gives more of a 3D effect on a 2D image. The idea is also to have the eyes look at the photographer but not in such a matter that the white of the eyes are unbalanced. Rather cock the head slightly upwards.

You defnitely do not shoot down like at garbage.. different concept..

Hi TheunsH. Do you know what day and what time the Galaxy is coming in? Please post your pics on www.Avcom.co.za
My apologies for being off topic.

Thank you for the advice EOS_User!

Steamtrainfan, my photos are not up to standard to post on www.Avcom.co.za!

I see the Galaxy almost every week and sometimes 3 times a week slowly gliding towards Waterkloof AFB from North to South late in the afternoons (after 17:00). I will let you know by PM when I see it and maybe we can work out a rough schedule of it to enable you to take a few photos!

I'm rather sure it is a Galaxy...huge grey plane, high tail wing, etc, etc.

Thanks Robbie! This is really turning out to be such a helpful thread... Please keep it coming it is much appreciated!

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Hi TheunsH;

If you're not 100% sure, your plane could also be a Boeing C-17 Globemaster. Looks like the SAAF has both types in service. The C-5 Galaxy is the biggest by a mile though. Easiest way to tell is wingtips! If it has 'em it's a Globemaster!

Cheers...

EOS_User, it may be a C-17 Globemaster. I will look at the wingtips when it comes over again...thanks!

Yeah. Please do and when you "shoot" it again please don't "cut off" the wing-tips again.