Taking great photographs is greatly aided by a good camera, thats a fact, however YOU are in charge of what you take and how you take it. Only if you see the potential in a shot and frame it correctly can you get the maximum effect……
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Try and get the shot right whilst taking it rather than relying on post processing. Cropping and such are all very useful but you will lose areas of the photo that may be of interest and obviously reduce the size of the overall image.
Rule Of Thirds
The first rule that you should use in all of your photography to get the right composition is the ‘Rule of Thirds‘. The illustration to the left is what this rule applies to (this grid is available as an overlay on the viewfinder on many DSLR’s). The image is broken up into thirds both hoizontally and vertically. Where the lines cross (known as the ‘power points’ by some photographers) is where you should aim to place the focal point of the shot to get a more intersting shot. This rule can obviously be broken sometimes, such as when the subject is in the centre of the photo but in these instances a feature on the subject can be lines up with a power point to improve composition.
Try and move the focal point around within the grid to avoid repetitive photographs.
Below are some great examples of photos taken using the Rule Of Thirds;
By fd
By Яick Harris
By mseckington
The above photo has the following text on the photographers photostream;
“From Wikipedia: “The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.”
So does my photo contain tension, energy and interest? “
Are there any distractions from the main focus of the photograph?
When taking the photograph and in post processing check the background of the image for distractions. Areas where the colour is washed out or a person walking accross the back of the shot will draw the viwers eye straight away and ruin the overall effect of the shot.
If photographing groups of people, trees, multiple objects or animals etc fill the whole image including the corners. Areas that are empty will also act as a distraction for the person viewing your photograph.
Should I take vertical or horizontal photo’s?
Check both angles out in the viewfinder prior to taking any shots (although with DSLR’s this isn’t so much of an issue and you could take the shot using both angles and delete the one you don’t like). Vertical shots are great for emphasizing height or depth of field in a photograph and a horizontal shot will achieve an effect as if you have ’swpt’ accross the scene.
Adding that ‘Dramatic’ effect to a photograph
Rather than taking a straight shot of your subject look for reflections either from water or glass that might be reflecting the subject and use this as your lens.
By mikebaird
By VisualAge
By C-HAD
For landscape shots look for good definition between the clouds and the sky, storms are even better but if your in the middle of a field watch for lightning! HDR is a great technique for highlighting the contrast in the sky but dont overdo the effect.
Certain time of day often offer great light conditions, sunrise and sunset are obvious favourites. Winter sun mixed with frost on the ground is a great example of foreground and background interest. Occasionally you might venture out in the early morning in Spring and catch steam coming off of the surfac of a stream or river as it is being warmed by the sun, this adds an extra dimension to any scene.
When photographing at sunrise or sunset remember that you only have a certain amount of time. Get your kit ready and be quick with your camera settings. Also be prepared to change position as the light changes.
Try and experiment with different angles. Photographs taken from ground level often create interesting shots and give the impression of size and DOF to a photo. Taking photos of animals ‘at their level’ adds an intimacy to the photograph. Dark backgrounds often work well but experiment with different scenes. I have climbed trees to take portrait shots before but they gave a great ‘original’ feel to the shot.
Use Lines
Use lines in a photo to lead the eye of the viwer to the focal pont of the image, diagonal lines work particulary well for this.
Balance your shot
If taking photo’s of multiple subjects then try and keep them to odd numbers. 3 is often thought of as the ‘magic number.
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