Notes on Basic Composition

Photography Foundations: Composition by Ben Long

Ideas to get warmed up:

1. Take a picture of anything to get into the photography frame of mind.

Looking VS. Seeing:

Adults have an inability to see things how they really are. We see symbols of things. 

Tune into your fill field of view as an excersize. Try to see your perifrial. 

Your camera can not see the light and detail that your eyes can. Eye has twice dynamic range of camera. 

Seeing excersizes:

1. When walking, fix eyes forward and choose something of to the side and try to see as much deal as you can. When you reach the object look at it and notice the detail. 

2. Look around the room and name things by the wrong name.

3. Spend 10 minutes drawing. 

Compositional Concepts:

1. Clearly defined subject and background

2. Sense of balance

3. Point of view

4. Degree of simplicity

Everything is about getting the viewer's eye to know what the subject is. The most important aspect is the clearly defined subject and backround.

Balance:

Balance across a chosen axis, horizontal or vertical, in scene. 

Certain images have more weight based on the tones around them. Also based on the context of the image. For example a person or the Moon will have more weight then a tree or a ball.

You can balance using empty space. 

Stay simple. Center balancing can work a lot of the time. 

Point of View:

Move higher or lower than the subject. 

If you have to shoot without looking through view finder, do it. 

Simplicity:

Move around to find the simplest image. 

Frame shot and trace eye around frame. 

Can use production effects to blur and otherwise simplify. 

Work the shot:

Move your feet and take many shots to find a better more simple composition to highlight the subject. 

You would have a whole bunch of pictures that are technically no good but it will get you to the right shot.

Think of it as sketching.

(Tip: When sun is going down hold hand at arms length. Each finger that can fit between the sun and horizon gives you seven min.)

Exercise for working the shot:

Stop using your resume and start moving in to the object instead.

Tips on practicing:

You need to practice but only when you feel inspired or you want to. Otherwise it will be unproductive.

Decision-making process leads to a style. Study other photographers to build your own style.

Shoot in black and white to simplify and make learning composition a more simple process. It is also easier to adjust composition by adjusting tone in your post process.

Have assignments for yourself for when you feel stuck.  Assignment ideas.

Lines and Shapes (Geometry):

Think of subjects as shapes. Build your composition around that.

Repatiton:

Could be intrinsic to the subject or you could frame your shot in a way that creates repetition. 

Rule of threes. 

Two is a coincidence and can be interesting but 3 is a pattern and a very powerful number. 

Perspective:

When you zoom in, or go to a longer focal length, the sense of space will be compressed. 

Zoom out=Shortest focal length=widest angle=spread out

Symmetry:

If something is symmetrical it should be centered precisely. If it is off just a little it will throw off the whole image. If you move an image over that is symmetrical it should be placed on a line of the thirds.

Focal length, camera position, depth:

You use your Zoom to change the shape all the object and affect your composition. You don't use your resume to zoom into things to get closer.

Intersections:

Before you take a picture get into the habit of scanning your eyes around the edge of the picture. It will help you identify intersections and make you look at what all is actually in the frame.

Balance:

You can balance a composition with Shadows and Light period of the Shadows and Light can act as shapes.

People hold a heavier compositional value. You can balance out a large area or heavy object with a person.

Squares - weighting the corners:

You can balance a square composition by putting weight in the corners or on the sides.

Also having things in the dead center.

Composing People:

Make sure you don't leave too much headroom. You lose focus of the subject. It's just bad composition.

When someone's looking out of the frame leave space in front of them. It's called leading your subject.

Don't crop at the joints crop between the joints.

You can crop off parts of a face.

Cropping off heads or parts of faces creates very intimate feeling.

Use a slightly telephoto lens to prevent any facial Distortion and make photos look better in general.

Composing Landscapes:

Think of the four elements, subject background, point of view, a good sense of balance, and work to simplify.

Work with details to revoke the landscape rather than trying to fit it all in with a wide-angle lens.

Shoot landscapes in good light, when the sun is casting Shadows it gives the landscape a sense of depth and detail. Shooting Landscapes and flat light is almost always a pointless activity.

Use a smaller aperture to create more depth of field. 

Finding a good angle and working horizon line is your main job when shooting a landscape.

Sometimes you just can't get the shot. And you're not doing anything wrong, it's just that sometimes an extremely photograph scene has very little photographic opportunity.

Light:

Light is what makes a good photo. When you're walking around looking for a picture you need to look for the light. Contrasts and dark and Light. All photos start with the light.

Entry and exit:

Use lines to guide viewer's eye through the composition. 

Framing:

Framing your subject within a compositional element of some kind. Framing is another element you have to control the viewer's eyes. With a strong frame attention that is brought to the subject and the viewer's eye is prevented from wandering off the frame. When framing is done well you won't even know it's happening. Be careful of depth of field. Be cognizant of what you have in focus and if it works. If you want a frame that is in front of the subject in Focus you need a deeper depth of field which means a smaller aperture bigger F number and paying attention to where you're focusing. You don't always want your Frame in focus.