Several tips to make your images looks great!

The only rule in photography is that there are NO RULES. However, there are many composition guidelines which can be applied in almost any situation, to enhance the impact of a scene.

Rule of thirds.  Imagine that your image is divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines. Try to position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Doing so will add balance and interest to your photo. Some cameras even offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen, making it even easier to use. But always be DIFFERENT. Choose other composition!!!  I will give you example! Sometimes I used this composition.

this is the image without guideline

Loneliness (2010)

Balancing Element. Placing your main subject off-centre, 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. If not, make your negative space useful with your ‘powerful’ concept.

Girl, be careful with that! (2007)

Leading line. 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.

Continuous Strip (2008)

Symmetry and Pattern. 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.

Revisited, photo by Rik Oostenbroek

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 on.

Man on the Beach, photo by Ronsho

Depth of Field (DoF). 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 recognizes these layers and mentally separates them out, creating an image with more depth.

Sheep, an HDR

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 focussed image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest.

Desolate Lake (2009)

Experimenting. 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. Keep experimenting!

Sudden Storm (2008)

Diagonals. Linear elements such as roads, waterways, and fences placed diagonally are generally perceived as more dynamic than horizontals.

Only a Tree (2009)

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 from the subject.

Hello, my name is TROUBLE (2010)

Simplicity and Focus. Be sure that only the things you want the viewer to see appear in the picture. If there are numerous objects cluttering up the background, your message will be lost.

Our Face (2009)

Concept. In photography or art, a concept can often be seen as a picture that relates an emotion without any words needed.  Happiness, sadness, victory, loss, time, loyalty – all can be captured in one powerful scene.  The idea itself is equal, or greater in importance than the beauty of the picture. A concept also can be an abstraction, that may mean something different to each person that is viewing the picture.

Losing life, photo by Koen Hillewaert

At least composition in photography is far from a science, and as a result all of the ‘rules’ above should be taken with a pinch of salt. If they don’t work in your scene, ignore them; if you find a great composition that contradicts them, then go ahead and shoot it anyway. But they can often prove to be spot on, and are worth at least considering whenever you are out and about with your camera.

~ by Indira Singgih on February 16, 2011.