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Basic photo composition
Author: Mark Rigney
If you pay attention to some simple rules of photographic composition, rather
than simply
"pointing and shooting," you'll begin to notice a significant difference in your
snapshots, even the ones you take of family events.
(1) Remember, centered photos are boring. Pay attention the next time you're in
a movie theater; nothing is ever centered. Follows the rule of thirds - mentally
divide the frame into thirds both vertically and horizontally, and place the center
of interest (usually your subject's eyes) on one of those 'third lines.'
(2) Frame your pictures. If you're taking scenes of a distant lake or mountain,
look for an interesting frame. This is no different from framing a photo on your
wall. Your frame can be tree branches, rocks, or some other interesting
foreground object.
(3) When shooting portraits, use the longest zoom setting your camera will allow (without using the "digital zoom"). Also use the widest aperture (or the lowest
f-stop number). This will throw the background into a nice soft focus, drawing
your viewer's eyes right to your smiling subject.
(4) Look for distractions in the frame. It's hard to learn to do this, because your
brain naturally filters out the telephone pole growing out of Uncle Joe's head -
but the photo printer won't. Look for objects which will draw your viewer's
attention away from your desired center of interest. Follow these four simple
rules, and you'll begin to see a dramatic improvement in your photos!
About the author:
Mark Rigney has been an entrepreneur and professional
photographer for over two decades, and has also worked in the film
industry. http://digitalcamerapage.com/
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