We’re just beginners here at MorePhotos, but we thought it was past time for us to start taking photography more seriously. Not only will it give us more insight into our client base (you!), but we also happen to be surrounded by so much natural beauty that it would be a shame not to capture and share it.
Please join us! Wherever you are in the country or the world, go out on Friday morning from this week forward, capture some images and post them to our Facebook Wall. Once we get some momentum going we’ll get some fan voting/interaction and perhaps add some prizes to the mix -for now it’s for fun and sharing. Oh, and if you don’t mind, those of you who are actually good at photography please give us some tips & critiques!
Share this with those you know and get outside on Friday morning! Here’s looking forward to some fun while we usher in Spring 2011…
One of the first things taught in any photography school, worth its salt, are the basic rules of composition. And, concerning composition, ‘the rule of thirds,’ well… it rules. If you’re not familiar with this concept, get thee to a book on photography and start reading! Basically, if you divide your photo into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, you get four intersecting points, which are the areas where the dominant object in your photo should be placed. Read dominate object as the object, or point of interest. When shooting landscapes, as demonstrated in the examples above, one of the rule of thirds, or better yet one of the rule of thumbs, would to NOT place the horizon line in the center of your photo. I know for the very anal retentive among us, (myself included) this will be a tough sell; I know it was for me many years ago when in photo school. But, the reason you should refrain from being so symmetrical is that it splits your photo in two, and forces the eye to search for a point of focus. Having someone focus their attention on the subject or point of interest is paramount in good composition. Knowing some of the basics to perpetuate this awesome feat of photographic magic, is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal of compositional knowledge. Some of the basics, in helping to do this, are remembering some important pearls of wisdom like, lighter areas in a photo draw the eye quicker, leading lines in a photo draw the eye in the direction they lead and placing the center of interest using the rule of thirds has the same effect if done properly. That’s not to say these rules are etched in granite. Sometimes, rules are made to be broken, of course. However, before you can break them, you have to fully understand them. In the first photo, top left, we see the classic case of spitting the image in two, by placing the horizon in the middle. Also, there is really nothing of interest in the sky portion (we call that dead space folks), however, the leading lines of the foreground lead you to oblivion. It would be a much more pleasing image, if the horizon were placed more toward the top of the photo, with just a smaller portion of sky showing, and something on the horizon to lead your eye to. In the next image, top right, we see almost the same problem. However, in this instance, because of the clouds in the sky and the way the leading lines lead you to it, you may want to show more of the sky. And, the horizon line, though almost centered, doesn’t break the image in two as badly as in the first because of the leading curving line in the foreground. Still, it would be a much better composed picture if the horizon was raised a bit more than where it is. In the bottom shot, the horizon line is almost at the proper position, if using ‘the rule of thirds.’
What needs to be remembered in this image is that lighter areas draw your eye first, and in this case, the lighter area of the clouds draws your eye away from the foreground, maybe a little too quickly. Repositioning the shot, and/or using a neutral density filter could have helped a lot here. The best way to utilize these concepts of composition is to treat them as tools hanging on your belt. Apply them when needed, and adapt them or change them when appropriate. No rule is always hard and fast. But, knowing the concepts, and how to make changes to them, gives you a bigger bag of tricks and make Jack , or Jill, a better photog.
Jim,
I really appreciate these detailed tips. Since starting here about 8 months ago I have become more and more interested in photography. I just picked up a D90 a couple of months ago and am still just grasping the features of the camera and the basic principals of photography. You have done an excellent job of pointing out ways to improve these images with specific examples. I look forward to utilizing these pointers next time I go out.
Thank you!
Drew,
The D-90 is a good choice and should serve you well; let me know if you ever need help with your camera. With regard to composition, remember that a lot of things are subjective. So opinions, even mine, though relatively informed, are just that. And, when I start getting REALLY picky about pointing out stuff in a photo, that just means I’m having a harder time finding anything wrong. I’ve never taken a picture where I couldn’t have done something just a wee bit better, and I hope I never do – it just means there’s always room for improvement. 😉
JG
Thanks again Jim!
Drew,
Not sure who was aksing about using am image of mine for the newsletter, but please pass it along that it is fine with me, as long as it’s only use is promotional, and not for monetary gain. I will of course will retain all rights.
Thanks.
Jimmy G.
Thanks Jim, I’ll let Zack know.