The Art of Composition, Part 2

Continued from Part 1

Step 4
Use your feet

The late photojournalist Robert Capa used to say, "If a picture's not good enough, you weren't close enough". He was talking mainly about war and conflict, of course, but in landscape his words still ring true.

Many photographers seem to have a pathological fear of getting close to subject, regardless of what it is. They see something interesting, snap away without a care in the world, then wonder why the final picture has too much wasted space. So, the next time we're about to take a landscape photograph, stop for a second, have a last look at the composition an we ask ourselves if it could be improved by walking further into the scene, getting closer to foreground interest or finding something more suitable to fill the foreground. The difference this can make will amaze us.

While feeling energetic it's also worth having a general look around the subject. That landscape might look rather nice from the lay-by at the side road, but what about if we walked around a corner, or up the hill behind us? The fact is we'll rarely get the best picture from the first viewpoint found, but unless the effort to explore the subject from different angles is made, we'll never know the alternatives. Sometimes all it takes is a slight change of viewpoint to completely transform the composition. Walking a few metres in any direction could give a far clearer view, get rid of unwanted distractions or provide important foreground interest.

The height from which to shoot should also be considered. Most photographers take every picture with the camera at eye level, but by kneeling down or standing on a wall we'll get a totally different view of the same scene. Many professionals even carry a step ladder for this purpose so they can gain a slightly elevated position and see much more of the scene they're trying to capture. Using our feet is a vitally important part of composing a picture, so never be afraid to wear out a little shoe leather.

Step 5
Choose the right format
Although it's natural to shoot landscape with the camera held horizontally in the 'landscape' format, turning the camera on its side can totally transform the composition. Upright pictures are far more energetic because the eye has further to travel from bottom to top. Vertical lines and height can also be emphasized to add tension and excitement, or rapture rivers and roads snaking away into the distance. The horizontal format is much more restful to look at because it suggest repose, and echoes the horizon itself - that's why it tends to be preferred by landscape photographers.


Step 6
Make the most of frames
Using manmade or natural features to frame pictures is a great way to tighten up the overall composition, get rid of annoying details and direct attention toward the main subject. All sorts of things can be used as frames: archways, door and window openings, a hole in a wall, a gap in dense foliage between trees, the overhanging branches of a tree, bridges, even the play of shadow on a scene.

To make best use of frames, usually wide-angle lens works best, allowing to include the frame without obscuring the scene beyond. Setting the lens to a small aperture such as f/11 or f/16 will make the frame come out sharp. Alternatively, it can be blurred by setting a wide aperture and focusing carefully on the main subject. If the frame casts a shadow, step beyond it to take a meter reading, otherwise the main scene will be overexposed. In bright conditions the frame itself will record as a silhouette, which can look stunning.

Step 7 Break the rules
Throughout this feature we've looked at numerous guidelines that can be applied to improve the compositions of a picture. However, they're only there as a guide, and should be used as such. Actors are often told to learn their lines so they can forget them and improvise. It's exactly the same with composition. Once we know how these rules work, we can happily commit them to our subconscious and follow our instinct.

Often we'll get a far better picture by intentionally breaking the rules - placing the horizon across the middle of the picture, or the focal point in the centre. The thing to remember is that when doing something, make sure there is a reason for doing it. But most important of all, make it count.

Extracted from an article written by Lee Frost

The Art of Composition, Part 1

Think of a landscape photograph as a jigsaw puzzle, with dozens of different pieces demanding attention. If all those pieces are arranged in the right order then they'll be organized, structured image that makes sense and looks good. But if they are put in any odd way, the end result will be a muddled mess of shapes, colours, and details that's difficult to make sense of.

That, in a nutshell, is what composition's all about - arranging the elements of a scene in the camera's viewfinder so they form something visually interesting to look at; something that will hold the attention of the viewer and take their eye on a journey around the frame from immediate foreground to the distant background.

Every time you raise a camera to your eye you're composing a picture - the very act of deciding where to point it is based on a conscious or sub-conscious decision about what you want to include in the picture. The trouble is, many photographers don't spend enough time thinking about composition before firing away, and nine times out of ten the end result is unbalanced and unstimulating.

Often the main subject is too far away and marooned in a sea of empty space, or there are annoying distractions in the frame. Many pictures have no obvious entry point, so the viewer's wanders around aimlessly, and lack any sense of depth or scale so they look flat.

Painters are one up on photographers when it comes to composing a picture, because if the scene before them isn't ideal they can move elements around the canvas until it is. We just have to accept what's there and make the best of it. Fortunately, this isn't as difficult as it sounds because by using different lenses, choosing your viewpoint carefully and thinking about which part of the scene you want to capture, it's possible to create successful compositions every time. There are also many compositional 'rules' and devices that can be used to help you take more interesting pictures, and the more picture you take, the better your natural sense of composition will become - until it becomes an intuitive act.

Step 1
Include foreground interest
Scenic pictures can often be improved dramatically simply by including something in the immediate foreground. Not only does foreground interest help to create a strong feeling of depth and scale, which is vitally important, but it also tightens-up the whole composition by pulling together the different elements in the scene, and provide an obvious entry point into the shot - the bottom is a natural place for the eye to start with conventional picture format. All kinds of things can be used as foreground interest - walls, rivers, rocks, hedges and trees, fences, roads, paths, flower beds and so on.

Wide-angle lenses are invaluable for emphasising foreground interest. By moving in close with a 24mm and 28mm lens even small features can dominate the whole shot, and exaggerate perspective to create powerful composition with the foreground looming large and the rest of the scene stretching off into the distance. Wide-angle lenses also offer the added benefit of extensive depth of field. By stopping down to f/16 or f/22, everything will come out sharp from less than a meter in front of the camera to infinity.

Step 2
Use the rule of thirds
This is the oldest compositional trick in the book, and one that is used by both painters and photographers to create a visually balanced picture. Imagine shooting a landscape and there's an isolated farmhouse in the distance or a single tree in the middle of a field, acting as the main focal point. Most photographers would stick this subject in the centre of the frame - which can work in some situations. However, a more pleasing sense of balance can be get if it is positioned using the rule of thirds.

This can be done by dividing up camera's viewfinder into an imaginary grid using two horizontal and two vertical lines. The focal point is then placed on or near any of the four intersection points created by those lines. The rule of thirds can also be used to position the horizon. It's tempting to stick it across the centre of the frame, but unless when shooting a symmetrical scene, such as reflections in a lake, the result tends to look very static and lifeless.

A much better approach is to place the horizon one third from the top or the bottom of the frame, to emphasis either the sky or ground. To achieve this, divide the viewfinder into thirds using two imaginary horizontal lines, then compose the scene so the horizon falls on them.

Step 3
Make the most of lines
Lines just can't be beaten when it comes to adding depth and dynamism to a picture. As well as creating a strong sense of direction, they also carry the eye through the scene so it takes in everything along the way. If we keep our eyes peeled when shooting landscapes we'll see lines appearing everywhere: roads, rivers, railings, avenues of trees, road markings, telegraph poles, and railway tracks slicing through countryside, raking shadows cast by the evening sun and so on. All these and many more can be used to improve the composition of a picture.

Horizontal lines divide the scene in layers and produce a restful effect by echoing the horizon. The eye normally travels from left to right, and steadily upwards through the scene. Vertical lines are far more active so they give a picture tension and a strong sense of vertical direction - think of the towering trunks of coniferous trees reaching for the sky.

Diagonal lines are more energetic because they contrast strongly with horizontal and vertical elements and carry the eye through the whole scene. By suggesting perspective they also add depth. Lines moving from bottom left to top right work best because that's natural way for the eye to travel.

Converging lines created by roads, crop rows, avenues of trees and railway lines are ideal for adding a strong sense of depth, scale and perspective due to the way they rush away to the horizon and seem to move closer together with distance. To make the most of this effect, look straight down the lines and use a wide angle lens to exaggerate perspective. Include the point where the lines meet - the 'vanishing point' - is also a good idea as it brings the composition to a satisfying conclusion.

Finally, lines don't actually have to be straight to work in a composition. The graceful curves of meandering river will carry the eye through a scene just as effectively as an arrow-straight canal.

To be continued to part 2

Extracted from an article written by Lee Frost