In this article we’ll talk about
some rules about composition. Actually there is no such thing as a
"Rule" in photography. You can find many photographs for every rule
but also, you can find many pictures which break these rules and still succeed
as the greatest photographs ever taken.
These rules are nothing but certain
guidelines and they are really useful. You can always break these rules. But,
if you follow them, majority of your pictures will come out much better. So
break them for a good reason. And do practice a lot before you can confidently
say that you no longer need these 'rules'.
There will be only four rules in
this blog. Let’s talk about them in detail,
1) WAIT & WATCH - This one is quite
simple. It means, just don't click anything. Don't raise your camera and start
clicking just because you like what you see.
This rule is so simple that it's impossible not to do it.
Wait means; wait until it is exactly what you are looking for. Are you looking
for a person to come in your picture? Or you are looking for the sun to come
out from clouds. Wait and it will happen.
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Photo 2.1: Patience
is the key. It’s not easy as it seems but it pays off. I needed the bike
exactly below the sun. So, I waited and clicked when the right time came. Just
imagine this picture placing the motorcycle somewhere else in the frame.
Watch means a number of things.
Watch through your viewfinder. Watch what is going on. It also means that
watching the shapes in the
viewfinder. Try to imagine what you are seeing through the viewfinder is the picture. Do not pay attention to
any sounds, people who are watching you. Just pay attention to the 'picture'
you are seeing in the viewfinder. This is not easy as it might seem but
this works just as well with a point-and-shoot camera as a DSLR.
2) CHOOSE A CLEAR SUBJECT: This one is
the half portion of the first rule. WATCH. It means, know your subject. If you
see a nice car in a parking lot, just focus on the car. Fill the frame with it.
Don't end up including half of the parking lot in your frame.
You’ll say, man, this is obvious. We
know what we are photographing. But again, it’s not what it seems. Most common
fault in photographs is it is not clear what they are about. The subject got
lost because there are many other things in the picture. The simple way to
achieve this is to get closer to your subject.
3) PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS: This is
something which differentiates a 'snap' from a successful photograph.
I am sure, all of you guys have seen
pictures where an electric pole has grown out of somebody's head or a beautiful
landscape is ruined by unintended tree tops at the bottom of your frame. Just
step aside a little or tell the subject to move. If you see a beggar in the
background of your subject, wait till he goes away. Change your angle and you
will no longer have tree tops ruining your picture. If you are not certain of
the very best angle, take more pictures with different angles.
Most amateurs think that
professional photographers take many pictures of a single subject and get a
couple of great pictures out of it and anybody could get great pictures if they
shot that many snaps. It is true, professional photographers do take extra
pictures in order to rule out disasters like above mentioned electric poles or
beggars. Many times we miss such details and extra pictures really save our
lives.
And finally,
4) COMPOSITION: There are some
useful guidelines about composition.
A) Rule of Thirds: Divide your
picture into 9 equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Place your
subject at the point of the intersection and it will attract more attention. According to a research in Usability these
four points attract more attention to your subject than a dead centered subject.
Many cameras have a feature that shows these lines on the LCD.
B) S-Curve: It is a technique of
using a gentle S curve in your picture. It doesn’t have to be particularly S
shaped. For example, a path or river. Viewer’s eye should follow this curve and
should take him into the picture. This technique works surprisingly well.
C) Positioning the horizon: It is an
important part. If the horizon is exactly at the middle, it will cut your
picture in a half. It’s much better if it’s distinctly above the horizontal
center or distinctly below the horizontal center. See Photo 2.1.
D) Balance: It is one of the harder
things to explain, but, if you have all the important things in a picture at
one side, it will look uneven.
E) Stability: This one is a little
weird. It is concerned with the grouping of shapes in your picture. If the main
elements in your picture form a triangular shape and if this triangle is
resting on its base, it conveys stability. If this triangle is resting on its
top, it conveys instability.
F) Dominant lines: These are the
important lines that differentiate shapes in your pictures. Vertical lines
convey durability, massiveness and strength. Horizontal lines convey calmness, stability
and diagonal lines are dynamic
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That’s all folks. This article was
about imaginative side of photography. Next week we’ll talk about some
techniques.
Thanks for reading,
Anniiket Pandit
Very nice article !
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Pushkar