Photography

Photo Tips - Composition - Sweat the Small Stuff

Many travel photos could be improved by moving or zooming in closer.  We are often so excited about being somewhere special that we want to include everything.  That's fine if your only purpose is to document where you were and what you saw.  But if you want a photograph to stand on its own artistically then it helps to exclude whatever is extraneous.  Extraneous to what you may ask?   Once you decide what the main idea is in your photograph then everything that distracts from that idea is extraneous.  

This principle applies double to anything that pokes in from the edges or bright and contrasty areas on the periphery which automatically attract the viewer's attention away from the main subject.  Most photographs must instantly appeal to the viewer by pulling them visually into and around the subject area.  And if that contains a simple story, or theme, or pattern, or sense of place, or object then you are more likely to get a positive response.

Keep in mind, there is a difference between extraneous objects that do not support your subject and objects that do support your subject. Ex. When photographing a seal, by adding in the beach or ice floe it's lying on, the viewer can get a better sense of the location, provided it's clear the seal is the main subject. To do this, you must get close and make the seal large and clearly the subject of the image. If the ice floe is distracting from your subject, re-compose your image to eliminate it. If it adds to the image, place it so that it supports the subject. 

Once you learn to consider these issues before you shoot, you will find your images improving dramatically.

- David Chesluk  "f8 and be there" 

Photo Tips - Composition - Part 2

Remember, any camera can be turned sideways.  This results in an often neglected composition possibility.  Instead of the usual horizontal view the shot becomes vertically framed.  The vertical framing is sometimes referred to photographically as "portrait".  And it certainly harmonizes with the verticality of the human face.  But it can also make landscapes more dramatic by including more foreground- the stuff down on the ground.  Foreground elements can serve to give a landscape more context and lead the viewer's eye into the composition.  Or more sky if the clouds are dramatic.  Or excluding confusing and distracting elements to the side of the main subject.

Besides giraffes, many things lend themselves to a vertical frame.  Trees, the human figure, a flower on a stem, a mushroom, a road curving into the distance, a stream bed etc.  

And when you are showing your photographs, an occasional vertical breaks up the monotony of all those horizontals.  Even when a shot seems to obviously call for a horizontal frame, try it both ways and you might be surprised.

- David Chesluk  "f8 and be there"

Photo Tips - Composition

One of the most common compositional mistakes is to locate your subject right dead center in your image. This is sometimes called the “Bullseye” effect and is common when using point and shoot cameras or when shooting on Automatic.

Most modern cameras employ multiple focus points and when set on “Automatic” the camera determines which one to use. Usually this is the center point, but can also be several points depending on what the camera determines is the subject of the image.

When setting up your shot, it’s tempting to place your subject right in the middle of the image. This can often result in a great shot, especially if you are shooting close ups or portraits. Take this shot, and then consider what the image would look like if the subject were located off to one side. What if the subject was closer to the top or bottom? This could still highlight your subject, and include other elements in the photo and ‘place’ your subject in its environment.

Ask yourself these questions before composing your shot:
  1. What is the main subject of the image?
  2. Is it beneficial to include other elements in the image?
  3. How will the viewers eye move through the image?


Example 1: Imagine a close up shot of a football player catching a pass. It could be a great shot, but if the photographer had pulled back a bit and shown how there were two defenders trying to stop him, it could be an even better shot. The close-up shows the catch, but the wider view shows a great catch.

Example 2: Everyone wants a full face close up of wild animals. Imagine a bear fishing in a river. The full-face image of the bear could be beautiful, but doesn’t show where the bear is or where the image was taken. The picture could be taken anywhere. If you were to back up and show the bear, the river and maybe a fish jumping into the bears mouth, it becomes a much more compelling image.

Colin McNulty - Rosmaru Expeditions