Photography Composition for Beginners

Photography Composition for Beginners

The composition is all about the creativity that goes into photography. This is where it matters most. You may understand everything about Exposure Triangle, Shooting RAW images in Manual Mode and all of that. But an important aspect of photography would still be missing. This is why some photos don’t look compelling like others. What is actually missing is light and composition. We had discussed the power of light in our last article. Now, let us discuss composition.

What is composition?

Composition of an image is the way the different subjects within a frame are combined to make the final image. Our composition can be altered by zoom in and out, by moving around, etc. When it comes to composition, the possibility is endless. Even the last tweak in a photo can make a major difference. Composition in simple terms is the creative side of photography. Here are the 5 tips about composition.

1.    Eye movement – The movement of the eye is the first thing a photographer should pay attention to before taking the shot. How will the viewer of the photograph react? This is a question the photographer should be able to answer. What is needed is for the eye to flow naturally with the photo. If the viewer’s eye is drawn outside of the frame, then, there is a problem with the photo. There are different techniques to employ to solve this. Look out for distractions that take away the attention from the main focus. Find a way to remove the distractions from the image.

2.    Rule of thirds – You can never take away the “rule of thirds” in photography. Photography is well-rooted in it. While you don’t have to abide by the rule 100%, substantial compliance will definitely improve your work. The rule is about divide frame into 9 equal. so that there would be an overlay on the grid. The most important part of the image would have to be placed at the gridlines ensuring any lines within the image follows the gridlines.

3.    Border patrol – This is about looking through and around the edges of the frame in all the photographs ensuring there are no unwanted subjects disrupting from the borders. This means tree branches, an arm showing up inappropriately and half of a dog’s body in the photo are all unwanted parts causing distractions and need to be removed. These distractions draw the eye of the viewer and leaving the frame. 

4.    Leading lines – This is an important rule just like rule No. 1. Looking out for lines in the photo that draws the eye of the viewer into the scene instead of drawing the eye of the viewer away from it. This could be physical lines such as fences, walls or shadows.

5.    Rule of odd numbers – Many people feel comfortable with odd numbers in a photo. They prefer a photo of three persons instead of four or five persons instead of six. But this rule cannot work in all cases. For example, you cannot apply this rule in a wedding photo.

Conclusion

Applying the photography composition would no doubt improve your ability to take great photographs. These are great “rules” that would take you to the next level if properly applied.