The document discusses various photography composition techniques including: - The rule of thirds which positions important elements along imaginary lines that divide the frame into thirds both vertically and horizontally. - Balance, where the main subject is offset from the center to make the image more interesting, and a secondary element is included to balance the composition. - Leading lines which guide the eye through the frame along lines in the scene. - Viewpoint, framing, cropping and simplifying the scene to isolate the subject and direct attention. - Depth cues like foreground/background separation and overlapping to convey three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional medium.

1. PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPOSITIONS

2. Rule of Thirds
Imagine that your image is divided into
9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2
horizontal lines. The rule of thirds says
that you should position the most
important elements in your scene along
these lines, or at the points where they
intersect.

4. Balance
Placing your main subject off-center, as
with the rule of thirds, creates a more
interesting photo, but it can leave a void in
the scene which can make it feel empty. You
should balance the "weight" of your subject
by including another object of lesser
importance to fill the space.

6. Leading Lines
When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along
lines. By thinking about how you place lines in your
composition, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling
us into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey
"through" the scene. There are many different types of line -
straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc - and each can be
used to enhance our photo's composition.

10. Symmetry and Patterns
We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural
and man-made., They can make for very eye-catching
compositions, particularly in situations where they are not
expected. Another great way to use them is to break the
symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a
focal point to the scene.

12. Viewpoint
Before photographing your subject, take time to
think about where you will shoot it from. Our
viewpoint has a massive impact on the
composition of our photo, and as a result it can
greatly affect the message that the shot conveys.
Rather than just shooting from eye level,
consider photographing from high above, down
at ground level, from the side, from the back,
from a long way away, from very close up, and so

14. Background
How many times have you taken what you thought
would be a great shot, only to find that the final image
lacks impact because the subject blends into a busy
background? The human eye is excellent at
distinguishing between different elements in a scene,
whereas a camera has a tendency to flatten the
foreground and background, and this can often ruin an
otherwise great photo. Thankfully this problem is
usually easy to overcome at the time of shooting - look
around for a plain and unobtrusive background and
compose your shot so that it doesn't distract or detract

18. Don’t just concentrate on your subject –
look at what’s happening in the
background, too. This ties in with
simplifying the scene and filling the frame.
You can’t usually exclude the background
completely, of course, but you can control it.

19. Depth
Because photography is a two-dimensional medium,
we have to choose our composition carefully to conveys
the sense of depth that was present in the actual
scene. You can create depth in a photo by including
objects in the foreground, middle ground and
background. Another useful composition technique is
overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure
one object with another. The human eye naturally
recognises these layers and mentally separates them
out, creating an image with more depth.

21. Framing
The world is full of objects which make perfect
natural frames, such as trees, archways and
holes. By placing these around the edge of the
composition you help to isolate the main subject
from the outside world. The result is a more
focused image which draws your eye naturally to
the main point of interest.

23. Cropping
Often a photo will lack impact because the main
subject is so small it becomes lost among the
clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight
around the subject you eliminate the
background "noise", ensuring the subject gets
the viewer's undivided attention.

25. Experimentation
With the dawn of the digital age in photography
we no longer have to worry about film
processing costs or running out of shots. As a
result, experimenting with our photos'
composition has become a real possibility; we
can fire off tons of shots and delete the
unwanted ones later at absolutely no extra cost.
Take advantage of this fact and experiment with
your composition - you never know whether an
idea will work until you try it.

27. Use diagonals
Horizontal lines lend a static, calm feel to a
picture, while vertical ones often suggest
permanence and stability. To introduce a
feeling of drama, movement or uncertainty,
look for diagonal lines instead.

30. Simplify the scene
When you look at a scene with your naked eye, your
brain quickly picks out subjects of interest. But the
camera doesn’t discriminate – it captures everything
in front of it, which can lead to a cluttered, messy
picture with no clear focal point.
What you need to do is choose your subject, then select
a focal length or camera viewpoint that makes it the
centre of attention in the frame. You can’t always keep
other objects out of the picture, so try to keep them in
the background or make them part of the story.
Silhouettes, textures and patterns are all devices that
work quite well in simple compositions.

33. Portrait composition

34. 01: Wide shot

35. • Wide shots throw up more variables than close-ups, offering
both a challenge and an opportunity to capture your subject
in an environment that perhaps reflects their work or
personality.
• As a rule, position subjects on a third. Use lines, shapes and
frames to lead the eye around the image, and scan the edges
of the frame before you take your shot to check for any
distractions.
• Try out different angles and camera heights too: by crouching
down or standing on a chair, for example, you can make your
subject or the background look markedly different.

36. 02: Top half

37. Cropping a subject at the waist or chest allows
for a tighter composition that brings two of a
portrait’s most important elements to the fore:
eyes and hands.
With this approach there’s usually a 50/50 split
between subject and background.
Try to find an uncluttered background and use a
wide aperture to throw it out of focus. When
positioning the head in the frame, one of the
most effective compositional skills you can learn
is also one of the simplest: don’t place subjects in
the centre. Think about posing too: here the
arms lead towards the subject’s eyes.

38. 03: Head and shoulders

39. • Amateur portraits often suffer from ‘dead-space
syndrome’, because the photographer hasn’t filled the
frame by cropping in tight on the subject’s face.
• For a successful head and shoulders portrait, fill the
frame with the face, and aim to place the eyes on the
top third.
• Don’t worry about including the top of the head,
portraits often look stronger with a dynamic crop into
the forehead.
• Also use a long lens: facial features will be
compressed and thus more flattering, the background
will be thrown out of focus, and you won’t have to
crowd your subject.

40. 04: Tight close-up

41. Extreme close-ups focus entirely on the face, so
they’re ideal if you want to convey a mood or
feeling. For great close-ups, crop in tight on the
face (or even another body part) and exclude the
background entirely.
Use hair to frame the face, and think about the
position and look of the eyes in the image. You
can go for a piercing stare or take a more subtle
approach and ask your subject to look down.
Focusing also becomes more crucial: focus
precisely on the eyes, and if necessary select the
focusing point manually.

42. hank you...