COMPOSITION
Composition is the way in which something is put together or arranged: the combination of parts or elements that make up something.
Rule of thirds
The rule of thirds involves mentally dividing up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines, as shown below. You then position the important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet. The idea is that an off-center composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame. It also encourages you to make creative use of negative space, the empty areas around your subject.
Leading lines
Leading lines leads the viewer’s eyes naturally along vertical lines, parallel lines, diagonal lines and even strong horizontal lines. Some of the main subjects in images, such as these, are paths, rails, buildings and streets. These make us feel as if we’re standing within the photo itself. Where does the leading lines take you? If the answer is ‘nowhere in particular’ or ‘out of the frame, avoiding the subject’, then you’re doing it wrong.
Framing
Framing is the technique of drawing attention to the subject of your image by blocking other parts of the image with something in the scene. This gives the photo context, a sense of depth and layers and leading the eye towards your main focal point.
Frames for photographs come in all shapes and sizes and can include shooting through overhanging branches, shooting through windows, using tunnels, arches or doorways – you can even use people (for example shooting over shoulders or between heads) etc. Sometimes framing can just add clutter to a shot and make it feel cramped – but at other times it can be the difference between an ordinary shot and a stunning one.
Symmetry
Symmetry is a line that splits an object in half and, if both sides of the object are an exact mirror image of each other, then this object is said to be symmetrical. The line that splits a symmetrical object is called the line of symmetry. Symmetry allows you to create harmony and a sense of aesthetically pleasing balance and proportion in a photograph. Types of symmetries:
- Vertical Line of Symmetry (VLS): If an object’s line of symmetry is perpendicular to the horizon line, it has a vertical line of symmetry.
- Horizontal Line of Symmetry (HLS): If an object’s line of symmetry is parallel to the horizon line, it has a horizontal line of symmetry.
Negative Space
Negative space or sometimes referred to as white space, is the area between and around objects in a photo. Negative space defines and emphasizes the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. It provides “breathing room”, giving your eyes somewhere to rest and preventing your image from appearing too cluttered with “stuff”.
Other guidelines include:
- Balance
- Tension
- Clean edge of the frame
- Colour contrast and symbolism
- Cropping
CLASS NOTES
What is composition?
There are no fixed rules when it comes to composing photographs, but there are numerous guidelines, which can help enhance the impact of your photos.
These guidelines, which we often refer to as the ‘rules’ of composition, refer to the way the various elements in a scene are arranged within the frame.
What are some of the ‘rules’ of composition?
The ‘rules’ of composition are not hard and fast rules but guidelines, many of which have been used in art for thousands of years.
Here are five commonly used rules to start with:
- Rule of thirds
- Leading lines
- Framing
- Symmetry
- Negative space
APERTURE
The aperture does two things; it allows a certain amount of light to enter the lens through the aperture and also controls the amount of depth present in an image, or in other words how much of the scene is in focus.
The aperture is measured in ’f stops’ and determines the amount of light entering the camera. The larger the opening, the more light is let in and vice versa the smaller the aperture, the less light enters. The main aperture values are numbered as:
f1.4 f2 f2.8 f4 f5.6 f8 f11 f16 f22 f32
The aperture controls light and depth of field.
- The larger the aperture (smaller f stop number), the more light and less depth of field.
- The smaller the aperture (larger f stop number), the less light and more depth of field
The choice of aperture affects the hierarchy of an image, being the order in which the human eye perceives the elements within a photograph. An image with a lot of depth considers this area of the scene to be important whereas an image with a shallow depth of field helps isolate subjects from their surroundings, creating a more deepened area of importance. A photographer needs to ask, what are the important elements within the scene and how much depth is required to ensure these elements are in focus?
When looking at photographs with a soft and blurry background, the photographer has used the larger end of the lens’ aperture range (like f2.8–f4). Using a shallow depth of field in portraiture is common because it places a greater emphasis on the people in the image whilst throwing the background out and soft to frame the subjects. On the other hand, when the detail behind the subject is quite visible, this is a creative result achieved with an aperture of f11– f32. The more depth of field present, the smaller the aperture is required (f16). Landscape photographers often use this end of the aperture range to increase the depth of field. In what contexts would a large aperture like f4 work better than a small aperture like f16? It all depends on the creative vision of the photographer and how far apart the details deemed important are within the scene. In conventional portraiture, using a large aperture (f2.8) works well but in environmental portraiture where the surroundings are key to creating symbolism and thus generating a story, a smaller aperture (f8) may be required.
NOTES
- When talking about light and exposure, wider apertures allow more light and narrower ones allows less.
- The lower the number (f), the wider the aperture.
- The larger the aperture size, the more exposed the photo will be. In terms of depth of field is affected by aperture setting (f/1.4), the shallower the aperture size (f/22), the deeper the depth of field.
- Lower aperture number (f) – Background is more out of focus.
- Higher aperture number (f) – Background is more in focus.
Symmetry 
Rule of Thirds 
Random 
Break the Rules 
Negative Space 
Negative Space 
Negative Space 
Leading Line 
Framing 
Framing
RESOURCES
https://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/rule-of-thirds
https://expertphotography.com/how-to-use-leading-lines-to-improve-your-composition/
Break the rules – Granville Tafe. Did I even “break” the rule? I have no idea.
Negative space- Granville Tafe. Maybe needs more negative space so it’s more obvious.
Leading lines – Granville station. Leads the eyes to the human.
Framing – Castle Towers. Frames the car. Fence.
Annie's Photography Blog 