Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

dimensional relationships a scene's elements have with one another within the frame. The closer an element is to the camera, the more space it takes up in the frame. Various techniques enable you to take advantage of the space in your frame and use it to create visually compelling compositions. I explain what you need to know in the following sections.

Givinq your subject more (or less) space

In order to reveal the details that are necessary for conveying your message, be sure to consider the amount of space that your subject takes up. When you want to reveal intimate details about your subject, for example, make it larger in your frame. You may use this technique to show the color of a person's eyes, the texture of a piece of fruit, and so on. If, on the other hand,

you feel that the environment surrounding the person can reveal more pertinent information to your intended message, you can back up from your subject and fit more of the scene into your frame.

Your ultimate goal is to find the best size to represent your subject while allowing adequate space to reveal any necessary supporting details in your scene. Sometimes you may want to fill your entire frame with your subject in order to show the maximum amount of detail, and other times you may reveal the subject as a tiny speck on top of a mountain.

Figure 5–6 shows two examples of the same subject in the same scene. In the image on the left, the subject is large in the frame and takes up a dominant amount of space. The image on the right shows the subject in a less-dominant position, which enables the environment to be more important and informative.

Emphasis on subject

Emphasis on environment

Figure 5–6: Your subject's position in the frame changes whatyou reveal.

shapes room to breathe

When you compose an image, pay attention to how the shapes of your elements are being represented. When one element merges with another, which happens in the left-hand image of Figure 5–7, both shapes become less recognizable. By repositioning your camera or your subject, you can separate the elements in your frame to better illustrate them. See the image on the right, for example.

Merging elements

A clearview

Figure 5–7: Show the shape of your subject and supporting elements in the best way possible.

In some cases, you can allow elements to merge in order to create the illusion of depth, but do so with caution. Make sure the closer elements don't block any important details in the further elements. Letting elements merge is appropriate only when it doesn't compromise the viewer's ability to see the elements as distinct objects.

For instance, in Figure 5–8, the image on the left shows two triangles side by side. This arrangement highlights their size relationship — because the gray triangle looks larger than the orange one and is on the same horizontal plane, you can assume it is in fact a larger triangle.

In the image on the right, I allowed the larger triangle to overlap the smaller one. I also positioned the smaller triangle higher in the frame than the larger one. This arrangement creates the illusion of distance. Because of the size difference and the overlapping effect, the gray triangle seems to be closer to the viewer than the orange triangle.

In this version of the Figure 5–8: Composition reveals size and spatial relationship

image, a viewer can't of objects. assume that the gray triangle is larger than the orange one, and he knows only that it's closer.

Size difference

Spatial difference

Staggering objects Within your frame

Lining up elements throughout your frame can cause images to feel stiff and boring. However, using your space to stagger the elements keeps viewers' eyes moving from one to the other in an interesting way. Taking advantage of the space in your frame and giving viewers a reason to explore the whole scene is a good way to keep their attention for longer periods of time. Figure 5–9 shows you how staggering adds interest.

You can more easily create dynamic compositions with informal balance by using an odd number of key elements than with an even number. Perhaps this is because even numbers have a natural tendency to cause symmetry and formal balance. (Read more about the pros and cons of informal and

formal balance in Chapter 12.) You call a person who's boring a square, not a pentagon.

The left-hand image of Figure 5–9 shows a staggered composition of three elements. The lack of symmetry is natural when dealing with odd numbers. The right-hand image shows how to work with an even number of elements to throw off symmetry. Doing so adds interest in your composition and enhances the illusion of depth.

Odd number of elements

Even number of elements

Figure 5–9: Staggering elements helps create interest in your compositions.

Containing lines inside your frame

When you allow a leading line (a compositional element that directs a viewer's attention) to go off the edge of your frame at a corner, you take the viewer out of the frame and leave yourself no space to bring her back into it. Doing so is clearly a problem because the whole point of creating a photo is to grab a viewer's attention and keep it for as long as possible.

In Figure 5-10, the image on the left uses the foreground to lead your eyes into the frame and then uses the horizon line to bring your eyes back into it where the blue curvy line goes off the edge. The space above the point where the line exits the frame enables me to use the space to keep your attention. A corner is at the edge of your frame both vertiFigure 5-10: Stop lines from exiting the corners of your frame

cally and horizontally. to keep a viewer's eyes from permanently exiting the frame. As the image on the

right-hand side of Figure 5-10 shows, a leading line in a corner leaves you no space to work with and no way to bring the viewer back into the image.

Keeping an Image Simple or Unleashing Controlled Chaos