photography+-+composition

Go deep by adding foreground to your photos
Using foreground to draw the viewer's eys to your subject can add depth to a photo. Sometimes this can be done with leading lines as in the photo below. It's also done with focus. Our eye is drawn to the sharp part of the photograph as it's framed by the out-of-focus area.

Sometimes we may want to surprise the viewer by reversing the process. In the photo below, the focused part of the image is the foreground but is that really where we want the viewer's attention?

This last photo uses focus and patterns to play with the viewer's eyes. I liked this image because it somehow brought order from chaos.

How to stop camera shake
Posted Tue, 2011-12-27 16:22 by pnelson There is nothing worse than a great photo ruined by camera shake.

The blurry image here didn't come poor focus. Looking at the Exif data, the photo was shot at 1/30 sec. That's too slow for action shots. The aperture was f/5.6 and the ISO was set to 1600.


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Putting it together
In the photo below from [|Pro-Zak's photostream], you'll see another silhouette, wide-angle shot with great lighting and a 30 second exposure. This photo breaks some rules about centering the subject but that's one of the things I like about it.

Profile in light
Look at this amazing photograph. How many light sources were used? What did the photographer use to get the soft fill lighting and the front profile highlighting? Can you reproduce this effect? What about the symmetry and composition of this image makes it appealing? Take a look at other [|face profile tagged photos on Flickr] for inspiration and then try some of your own. From [|deskounlmtd's photostream]

Vanishing point
I love the simpleness of this photo and yet, because it makes strong use of texture and composition, it is so powerful. The use of vanishing point and depth make the photo. Many of the [|vanishing point photos on Flickr] use wide angle lenses but not all. Enjoy some of these shots and then try your own!

The photos above are from [|Docman's] and [|Giant McDonald's] photo streams.

Look for color
Great photos are all about light, shape, form, contrast and... color. Color is powerful. It can create mood, passion and tell a story. This example from [|Naveen Jamal's Flickr Stream] is a good example. If you're trying to get a blue sky, don't be afraid to underexpose some to avoid losing the rich colors. You can also use a polarizing filter which will help bring out a deep blue color from the sky and control the way light is reflected off of flat surfaces in your image.

The walk by - Catch it!
One way to get a great photo is to scout out your location looking for a good background. Then setup and wait for people to walk by. It's the people in front, framed by the background that can give you a great photo.

Self-Portrait
Who are you? Can a photograph tell that story? For many years artists have created self-portraits. [|Vincent Van Gogh] painted this self-portrait in 1887. What would it take for a photograph to capture you as a person? There are several ways for you to create a self-portrait with your camera.

One way is to use a tripod or set the camera on a solid surface and use the self-timer shutter feature. Look for a button or menu option on your camera with this icon: This is the self-timer setting. When you depress the shutter, you camera will wait several seconds before taking the photograph. This gives you time to get into position. When creating your self-portrait, take into consideration the background. You may want to place yourself in an environment that says something about who you are. You many also want to use a blank wall or backdrop so that you are alone in the frame. Don't be afraid to do some serious cropping too. That's what Nameet Potnis did in this self-portrait posted to his [|Flickr stream]. His photograph was part of a [|theme competition for self-portraits] on Flickr. Follow that link to see some other interesting photographs. You should also examine the [|self-portrait tagged images on Flickr]. See how the use of lighting and cropping can create powerful images.