Composition And Impact - It's A Beautiful Photograph, But Do You Know WHY It's Beautiful?

Composition And Impact - It's A Beautiful Photograph, But Do You Know WHY It's Beautiful?

A great picture “communicates.” But what makes a photograph successful? The answer is a fairly simple

one, and you can improve your photography “today” by learning a few

very basic rules.

Number one: Get in close.

Number one: Get in close. The first, and most important rule: Simplify.

The more you simplify a photo, the more attention you draw to your subject. The more attention you draw to your subject, the more

successful you are in communicating your message to the viewer.

Number one: Get in close. The first, and most important rule: Simplify. Flowers are inherently beautiful, readily available, and seem to

just scream out to have their pictures taken. Before you snap your nextflower photo, though, look up close at the flower.

Number one: Get in close. Ask yourself: What it is about this specific

flower that is crying out to have its picture taken?

Number one: Get in close. The best way to eliminate distractions is to get closer and closer

until there's nothing else in the viewfinder. This is referred to as "filling the frame."

Number one: Get in close. The petals are so

soft, it seems that if you touch them, they'd melt like butter. Focusing so closely on the rose really communicates that message to the viewer in this image.

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Number one: Get in close. There's no

question that this photograph is about laughter. No distracting elements, not even the rest of a face to give a personality to the image - just a mouth, laughing.

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Number two: Composition

Number two: Composition There are several "classic"

ways to compose a photograph. To use these methods, you need to train yourself to see your subjects in terms of lines and shapes.

Number two: Composition

Number two: Composition

Number two: Composition S-curved lines are a great

way to draw the viewer into the photo.

Number two: Composition

Number two: The Rule Of

Thirds And The Golden Mean One of the most

commonly talked-about rules in photography is the rule of thirds. You take your canvas and divide it up into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, so that you wind up with a tic-tac-toe board.

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Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean The rule of thirds

should be used when you have vertical or horizontal lines in your image. It is based on the "Golden Mean," which says that the main subjects of an image should be placed at the intersecting points created by the line, thusly:

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean The rule of thirds

should be used when you have vertical or horizontal lines in your image. It is based on the "Golden Mean," which says that the main subjects of an image should be placed at the intersecting points created by the line, thusly:

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Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean The Golden Mean is a number sort of like Pi.

Whereas Pi is equal to 3.14 and is handy for all sorts of geometrical things, the Golden Mean is equal to 1.618. Mathematicians use the Greek letter Phi when they're talking about the Golden Mean. This is derived from the Fibonacci Series.

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician born around 1170 A.D.

who decided one day to start with the numbers zero and one and add them together. Okay, that just gave him the number one again. Then he added the last number he used (one) to his new resulting number (one) and got two. He did it again by adding one and two and got three. Then next time:

0+1 = 1 1+1 = 2 1+2 = 3 2+3 = 5 3+5 = 8 5+8 = 13 8+13 = 21

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean 0+1 = 1 1+1 = 2 1+2 = 3 2+3 = 5 3+5 = 8 5+8 = 13 8+13 = 21 13 + 21 = 34 21 + 34 = 55

And you can keep going like that forever. If you take the ratios created by these numbers, an interesting pattern appears.

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds

And The Golden Mean Getting to the Golden Mean

Ratio of 1 to 0 = 0 Ratio of 1 to 1 = 1 Ratio of 2 to 1 = 2 Ratio of 3 to 2 = 1.5 Ratio of 5 to 3 = 1.6666 Ratio of 8 to 5 = 1.6 Ratio of 13 to 8 = 1.625 Ratio of 21 to13 = 1.61538 Ratio of 34 to 21 = 1.61538 Ratio of 55 to 34 = 1.61764 Ratio of 89 to 55 = 1.6181 Ratio of 144 to 89 = 1.6179 Ratio of 233 to 144 = 1.6180 Ratio of 377 to 233 = 1.6180 0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

If you look at the gray lines in the image, they make up squares. When all of these squares are put together in the way they make up this picture, they form a rectangle. The ratio of the squares in this rectangle is composed of our magic number, 1.618!

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Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

This ratio is found all over in the natural world. Have you ever seen a nautilus seashell that's been

sawed open? Its growth rate follows the curve in this image, 1.618 - exactly.

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

This ratio is found all over in the natural world. Same with the little spirals that compose the interior

pattern of a sunflower, where the seeds are.

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

This ratio is found all over in the natural world. The vast majority of flowers have petals that number 3, 5,

8, 13, 21, 34, 55 or even 89.

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

Technically, if you draw grid marks on your frame and break it up into eighths, then draw your dividing lines down at the mark of three eighths on each side, you've got the spots where the Golden Mean hits.

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Number two: The Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Mean

You can see that the rule of thirds gives you approximately the same points as the Golden Mean.

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Number two: Move subject off center

A corollary to the rule of thirds is that the main subject should be off center.

Number two: Move subject off center

Number two: Leave space in front of moving subject

Number two: BUT, balance and symmetry can be very effective

Number two: balance and symmetry

Number two: BUT, balance and symmetry can be very effective

Number two: Faces are not symmetrical

Number two: Faces are not symmetrical

Number two: Faces are not symmetrical

Number two: Composition There are other ways besides the rule

of thirds and the Golden Mean to use lines and shapes to strengthen an image. Here's a quick overview of six additional methods of composition that can strengthen your images.

Number two: Composition The Triangle When you take a

photograph in a rectangular frame, basing the composition on a triangle that goes from any one corner to the two opposite sides, like this diagram, is always a good way to create a strong image.

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Number two: Composition The Triangle Some triangles are

pretty obvious.

Number two: Composition The Triangle Some triangles are

pretty obvious.

Number two: Composition The Triangle Some triangles are

pretty obvious. Note the rectangles,

and rough use of the rule of thirds.

Number two: Composition The Triangle

The shapes in photographs are often implied shapes.

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Where is the triangle here?

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By placing objects in your composition along strong diagonal lines that create a triangle, you'll add strength to your image.

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Where are the triangles here?

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Number two: Composition The Frame Within A Frame

You can use materials in your foreground around two or more of the edges to create a sort of "frame". This is most often done with trees or branches on two or three sides of the image.

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Number two: Composition The Frame Within A Frame

You can use materials in your foreground around two or more of the edges to create a sort of "frame". This is most often done with trees or branches on two or three sides of the image.

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Another way is to take a photo through a window of an outdoor scene.

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Number two: Composition Leading Lines

The path really stands out because of the contrasting colors. The line created by the path then leads the viewer into the photo, as if they were standing on the trail, ready to walk right into the image.

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Number two: Composition Leading Lines

Number two: Composition The Circle

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Number two: Composition The Circle

Number two: Composition Rhythm

Number two: Composition Rhythm

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Number two: Composition Rhythm

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Number two: Composition Negative Space

Number two: Composition Negative Space

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Number two: Composition Lightning Bolt

Number two: Composition Lightning Bolt

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Number two: Composition Lightning Bolt

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Number two: Composition Abstract Photography

Number two: Composition Abstract Photography

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Number two: Composition Pattern and Texture

Number two: Composition Pattern and Texture

Number Three: Point of View

Walk around

Walk around the subject. All the way around it. See how the background changes as you move 360 degrees around your subject.

Number Three: Point of View

Up or down

Number Three: Point of View

Up or down

Number Three: Point of View

Up or down

Number Three: Point of View

Change angles

Number Three: Point of View

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Watch the background!

Watch the background!

Now for the assignments. Your chance to apply all of this stuff to your personal

photographs and see what you think!

Now for the assignments. Your chance to apply all of this stuff to your personal photographs and see what you think! Assignment 1: Take at least one abstract

photo based entirely on some of the compositional rules we talked about. Subjects should not be recognizable. Explain why you think the composition makes a visually interesting image.

Now for the assignments. Your chance to apply all of this stuff to your personal photographs and see what you think! Assignment 1: Take at least one abstract

photo based entirely on some of the compositional rules we talked about. Subjects should not be recognizable. Explain why you think the composition makes a visually interesting image.

Assignment 2: Take pictures of a subject from various viewpoints (near, far, from above, below, behind). Creativity is encouraged. Explain which you think is most visually appealing and why.