Lesson 1a Composition and Impact: How To Make A Great Picture

1. Composition and Impact Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A It’s a beautiful picture…but do you know why it’s beautiful?

2. Oftentimes we see a photo and know it’s lovely…how do they do it? Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A

3. Well, we don’t have to be geniuses but rather, knowing a few key techniques might just let us be masters ourselves… Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A

4. So lets begin and see what the magic is all about… Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A

5. 1. Get really really close to your subject Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A First, and most important, rule: Simplify . The more you simplify , the more attention you draw to your subject, the more successful you are in communicating your message to the viewer... eliminate anything in the background that may detract from your subject. Get closer and closer until there's nothing else in the viewfinder except the focus of the subject matter itself…this technique is called “ filling the frame ”. Bottom line is to focus on your subject by really thinking about what you want to emphasize. Soft bellowing effect of rose petals Luscious lips of laughter

6. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A What do you think these pictures convey about the musicians?

7. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Close up shots can sometimes give you the impact of human emotions… just play it up!

8. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Close up shots can also show up details which can be quite intoxicating and mesmerising…

10. 2. Photographic Composition Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Several "classic" ways to compose a photo. You will need to train yourself, foremost, to see your subjects in terms of lines and shapes . Sometimes lines in a photo are obvious, like the horizon in a sunset. Other times, the main lines in a photo are not nearly so obvious. One way to see the main shapes in your photos is by squinting your eyes until the image becomes a blur. You'll possibly see lines and shapes created by the shadows and light. This is a great way to look at a scene when you're thinking about composing a photo. Try it and see how that helps you…

11. The rule of thirds Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A One of the most commonly talked-about rules in photography is the Rule of Thirds . The concept is best explained by taking your photo and dividing it up into thirds, vertically and horizontally. The rule of thirds is derived from another rule called the "Golden Mean" that says that the main subjects of an image should be placed at the intersecting points created (roughly) by the lines mentioned above, thusly:

12. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Which photo do you think makes a better shot from the compositional point of view? Can you see how the Rule of Thirds can help to quickly compose a picture without needing too much unnecessary fuss thinking about where to put your focus…Try it and be thrilled!

13. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A For a sunset photo, try placing the horizon one-third the way from top or bottom of your photo, to include more foreground or more sky. You'll notice a stronger landscape this way

15. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Look at the photo on the left…notice the pink daisy blossom is placed at one of the intersection points . The background itself is not distracting . The blue of the vase melts into the blue background, and all of that blue really makes the contrasting pink stand out and grab your attention. That’s what composition is about… Balance

16. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Look at the photos here and see if you can analyse how the Rule of Thirds is being used to focus on the subject matter…

17. Other Rules of Composition Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A There are other ways besides the rule of thirds 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. The Triangle Frame Within a Frame Leading Lines The Circle Rhythm Negative space

18. The Triangle Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A When you take a photo basing the composition of a triangle that goes from one corner to the two opposite sides, the image is stronger and more dynamic .

19. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A By placing objects along strong diagonal lines , creating a triangle , you'll add strength to your image, as the eye is led from one corner to the other… Try it and see how dynamic your photo turns out to be…Remember balance …

20. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Look closely…can you tell where the triangles are?

21. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Remember composing with diagonals or triangles and balance

22. Frame Within a Frame Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Use materials in your foreground and include them in your photo around two or more of the edges, creating a " f rame within a frame “ effect. Mostly done with trees or branches, archways, doorways, etc. to frame the views you want to capturing… Good for landscape or urban shots…

23. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A The frame should have at least 2 sides . Avoid using only one side of the frame which could create off-balance shots.

24. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Can you spot the frames?

25. Leading Lines Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Leading lines are great in composing a photo… Line created by the path leads the viewer into the photo, as if they were standing on the trail, ready to walk right into the image. The photo is interesting because it “ invites ” the viewer into the picture… Think about how you would like to “invite” the viewer into your picture…

26. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Combine 2 or more techniques together… Notice the photo below. The road leads your eye into the image, meets the horizon which is one third from top of photo ( rule of thirds combined with leading lines ). Edges of the petals lead the eyes into centre of flower… Row of trees or street lights vanish in the distance, etc…

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28. The Circle Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A The circle can be used very effectively when composing a photograph, if the subject is right.

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30. Rhythm Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Another way to create dynamic impact in your photograph is with the use of " visual rhythm ". Use repetition of form and shape in an image to create interest.

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32. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Negative space implies only small portion of frame is taken up by subject matter itself. Used either to make the subject matter seem very small, or give impression of subject matter in a wide-open space – “ less is more ” approach. Balance of negative space and subject is crucial… use rule of diagonals as basis… Negative Space

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35. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Sometimes you can place the subject in the center of the negative space…

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37. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Learn to see compositionally by taking abstract photographs . By abstract, subject matter is unrecognizable for most part. Get in close , use colour and lines in your composition. When you're done, look closely at it. Does the photo feel " balanced "? If the photo does not seem to resemble anything you’ve ever seen before, chances are that you’ve succeeded in taking an abstract shot…Congrats!! Putting it all together

38. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Look at the image on the right… Combination of rule of thirds and diagonals … Diagonal giving strength to the composition. Petals meet each other at the bottom third of the image. Sometimes by combining techniques a different composition arises. Test it yourself and create your own signature style. Be your own master.

39. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A The light falling on a red object in the background was captured to make a vivid abstract. Once again the rule of thirds comes into play with the technique of “ getting closer ”. The line of rivets is aligned using rule of thirds and the texture creates an interesting abstract .

40. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Is Abstract for everyone? Abstract photography is definitely not for everyone, but it can be a wonderful learning tool to grasp composition and balance in a photo. It forces you to pay attention to the things that might not come naturally, like the rule of thirds and other techniques discussed

41. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A Let your imagination run wild and test out some of the techniques discussed… Explore your style and have fun discovering your hidden talents!

42. Revealing Eye in Digital Photography DE002A OK now it’s time to show what you’ve taken the last week. Extraordinary out of the Ordinary… Don’t be shy… Show what you have…