Improving your Photography
01st March 2010
You may have heard the phrase that a certain person has 'a good eye for a photograph.' That may be true in certain cases, but Photography is definitely a skill which can be learned. Everyone starts as a beginner, and many Master Photographers say that you never stop learning from that point on! If you want to improve your photography, here are some pointers which should help you along the way:
Composition
Strong composition is key to a good picture. 'Composition' basically refers to 'the selection and arrangement of subjects within the photograph.' Well-composed pictures often take careful planning, and sometimes patience to wait for things to fall into place. There are certain 'rules' or guidelines which you should be familiar with, and which should eventually become second nature to you. These will improve your photography immensely:
(a) Simplicity
The first and perhaps the most important guideline is simplicity. Look for ways to give the centre of interest in your pictures the most visual attention. One way is to select uncomplicated backgrounds that will not steal attention away from your main subject. Too many things competing in the picture, will steal attention away from the main subject, or make the viewer wonder what your real subject was. Look for uncomplicated backgrounds, avoid unrelated subjects, and move in close. If you want to make your centre of interest even more dynamic, place it slightly off centre in your frame. This brings us to the next 'rule' of composition.
(b) The Rule of Thirds
This is a simple rule that can make your photographs more dynamic. Simply divide the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. When composing your shot, place important elements either along these lines, or where the lines intersect - NOT at the centre of the frame. 'Dead centre is dead composition!'
(c) Lines and Triangles
Think in terms of strong diagonal lines, or the infamous 'S' curve - each of which will make a very strong visual photograph. If you can form visual triangles within the picture, it is sure to have strong visual appeal.
(d) Avoid mergers
Think of the 'tree growing out of someone's head' in a photograph! Such a basic mistake is easily avoided by moving your subject a few feet to the side, or changing your own viewpoint so that the background behind your subject becomes clear.
(e) Cropping
You do not have to accept your photograph the way it comes out of the camera - consider cropping it, to see if it improves the overall composition. You can crop to remove distracting elements, to place a centre of interest in a better position, to make a square format or letterbox format. The possibilities are endless. Look for 'the picture within the picture' for instance, and see if cropping can bring out what perhaps you should have seen in the first place.
Final Suggestion - Practice makes perfect!
It doesn't matter whether you are taking family snaps at home, or taking landscapes out in the open. If you think of these basic rules and guidelines every time you press the shutter, your photographs will improve and 'strong composition' will hopefully become second nature!
Ross McKelvey
Composition
Strong composition is key to a good picture. 'Composition' basically refers to 'the selection and arrangement of subjects within the photograph.' Well-composed pictures often take careful planning, and sometimes patience to wait for things to fall into place. There are certain 'rules' or guidelines which you should be familiar with, and which should eventually become second nature to you. These will improve your photography immensely:
(a) Simplicity
The first and perhaps the most important guideline is simplicity. Look for ways to give the centre of interest in your pictures the most visual attention. One way is to select uncomplicated backgrounds that will not steal attention away from your main subject. Too many things competing in the picture, will steal attention away from the main subject, or make the viewer wonder what your real subject was. Look for uncomplicated backgrounds, avoid unrelated subjects, and move in close. If you want to make your centre of interest even more dynamic, place it slightly off centre in your frame. This brings us to the next 'rule' of composition.
(b) The Rule of Thirds
This is a simple rule that can make your photographs more dynamic. Simply divide the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. When composing your shot, place important elements either along these lines, or where the lines intersect - NOT at the centre of the frame. 'Dead centre is dead composition!'
(c) Lines and Triangles
Think in terms of strong diagonal lines, or the infamous 'S' curve - each of which will make a very strong visual photograph. If you can form visual triangles within the picture, it is sure to have strong visual appeal.
(d) Avoid mergers
Think of the 'tree growing out of someone's head' in a photograph! Such a basic mistake is easily avoided by moving your subject a few feet to the side, or changing your own viewpoint so that the background behind your subject becomes clear.
(e) Cropping
You do not have to accept your photograph the way it comes out of the camera - consider cropping it, to see if it improves the overall composition. You can crop to remove distracting elements, to place a centre of interest in a better position, to make a square format or letterbox format. The possibilities are endless. Look for 'the picture within the picture' for instance, and see if cropping can bring out what perhaps you should have seen in the first place.
Final Suggestion - Practice makes perfect!
It doesn't matter whether you are taking family snaps at home, or taking landscapes out in the open. If you think of these basic rules and guidelines every time you press the shutter, your photographs will improve and 'strong composition' will hopefully become second nature!
Ross McKelvey
