I'm Evan, a web designer and developer from Richmond Indiana. Learn more about me by visiting the "
Interesting Stuff
Taking Better Photos
A guide to getting the most out of your digital shots
- Light: Exposure, shutter speed and aperture
- Composition: What to include in your shots
- More coming soon ...
Composition: What to include in your shots
I think that framing is where the technical part of photography ends and the creative part begins. Anyone can learn how to take a photo that has the right amount of light, but it takes know-how to take a photograph that is framed well.
Composition, the act of composing the image in the viewfinder, is a visual process of organizing the elements and individual details of a scene into a balanced and pleasing arrangement. Because what one person finds pleasing, someone else will not, composition is largely a matter of personal taste. There are lots of writups about composition and the do's and do nots, but this is simply up to the photographer. Rather than trying to tell you what to do, I'll give you a few tips that will help you decide what to do.
Zoom and show the details
When I first started taking photos I wanted to squeeze as much of what my eye was seeing into the frame as possible. Bad idea. The harsh truth is that a camera just doesn't see things the way your eyes do. It's not stereo and it can't see the range that you can. The closest you can get to capturing a scene the way your eyes do (in my opinion) is panoramic photography. So, don't try to capture exactly what your eyes see, but rather think like a camera and find a way to look at things that a camera CAN capture. This often means you need to zoom in a bit and squeeze the subject into the frame.
More often than not it's much more effective to have a subject go off of the edge of the frame than to show a complete outline of the person. Take a look at the photo on the right that I took of my wife Kristen. Isn't this shot much more interesting than a typical snapshot of a person? I like to think so... Not only does the photo just seem like a higher quality photo, it also shows a lot of detail and gives a sense of character to the photo.
Other general composition tips
- Look behind you!!!!: This mental exercise is designed to remind myself to step away from the crowd, look in the other direction, and generally remember to not just shoot the obvious. There are lots of photos out there that focus on obvious subjects. Why do you want to be the same as everyone else?
- Keep shooting: This one's simple math - the more shots you take, the better chance there'll be something decent in there. And now, thanks to digital SLRs and cheap compact flash, you really can just keep shooting. I remember reading where the professionals take a minimum of 300 shots for every one they deem "usable"....so with digital, I take a LOT of photos to get a few keepers.
- Take pictures of things/people you love or are interested in: If you care about a shot you're more likely to take the time to take sevearal shots and make sure that you have lots of options to choose from.
- Use the Macro function for close-ups: If you're a person that likes to take close-up shots you'll want to learn more about the Macro function on your camera. It basically allows you to get the camera extremely close to an object and still be able to get crystal clear focus.
- Get a different perspective: The tendency is for us to stand in place and take a photo of what we're looking at. Sadly, this isn't usually very interesting. Crouch down or stand up on a higher platform and you'll achieve some interesting angles that will improve the quality of your photos.
- Look at the edges: There have been many instances where I've taken a shot that I thought was wonderful only to find later that there's something at the edge of the photo that I didn't notice when taking it. Make sure that only items you want in your picture are in the frame.
- You CAN take it with you!: Never leave your camera at home. Some of the best photos are spontaneous, not planned.
- Be selective: Dont fall in love with your shots! The trash bin can be your best friend! Shoot a lot, but then don't hesitate to throw away anything that's not absolutely outstanding.
- Walk around it: If you're taking a picture of a stationary object, walk all the way around it first. You're original location may not be the best one.
I hope this gives you a better idea of what composition is all about. Remember, this is (in my opinion) THE most important part of photography and should not be underestimated.