Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

In photography, each scene is unique, and you have several options for capturing it. One major decision you have to make is whether a particular scene would be better represented in color or in black and white.

The easiest way to figure out whether to shoot in color is to look at the colors in your scene. Ask yourself whether the colors are creating any significant impact. Look for complementary color relationships. If those are absent, perhaps you see an analogous relationship or a monochromatic one that you can work with. Does any element stand out because of its color, or do the colors in the scene work well together?

If the colors in the scene don't create any interest or impact, and you decide that black and white would be most representative of your message, you should still shoot the scene in color. That way, if you download your images to your computer later and decide that the image looks good in color, you can roll with it. If not, you can convert it to black and white.

If you intend to convey a specific message, you may need to shoot in color or in black and white to accomplish that message. Each format has a different way of telling a story and can be used to achieve different effects on viewers.

Color photography is the better choice when you want to convey the following:

' Temperature: Warm colors give a warm feeling and cool colors do the opposite. If you were selling the idea of a cold, refreshing drink, you'd need color to enhance your message.

• Emotion: Different colors signify different emotions, and if your intent is to convey a specific emotion, using color (along with the other elements in your composition) strengthens your message.

• Separation: In black-and-white photography, you may have a difficult time creating separation between elements that are different in color but similar in tonality. Color photography gives you the ability to separate compositional elements through tonal and color differences. For example,

it shows the difference between a red apple and a green apple, and black and white could make them appear the same.

• Vibrance: Color is vibrant and creates an image with a modern feel that most people prefer. Just like pop music sells more than the blues or jazz, color photography sells more than black and white.

You may shoot in black and white when you want to

' Simplify the scene: If the colors in your scene don't work well together, you can simply remove the mess of color by converting the image to black and white.

• Create an artistic edge: Black-and-white photography is still familiar to people as a classic art form. By converting your images, you automatically cause them to appear more artistic.

• Provide emphasis: A subject that doesn't rely on color may be better shown without it. If the main focus of your image reveals the shape and texture of someone's body, for example, including color in your composition may distract viewers from your message. Minimizing the elements in an image (such as color) emphasizes the ones you keep.

• Generate drama: By creating a great deal of contrast between your shadows and highlights, you can create a feeling of drama that's clear-cut and uninterrupted by the distraction of color.

Part III. Arranging the Key Elements to Compose a Successful Shot

In this part.

Great compositions tell stories, and the chapters in this part help you best tell yours. These chapters provide you with in-depth info on the key compositional elements. You find out about using focal points, making the most of perspective, and choosing backgrounds that support your story instead of taking away from it. I also tell you about light (a critical element of any composition), show you how to keep viewers' eyes in your image with framing, and give you tips for creating a harmonious image.

Chapter 7. Using Focal Points to Tell a Story

In This Chapter

t Determining your subject and focusing attention on it

| Applying selective focus

%. Making good use of two focal points

n Chapter 3,1 tell you how your camera and lens work together to achieve «? focus in an image. In this chapter, I discuss how to control what's in focus in your composition and why this control is essential. You can enhance the sense of purpose or message in your photography by literally focusing on what's important and controlling what your viewers focus on throughout the scene.

By creating primary and secondary focal points in your compositions, you can control the order and amount of time in which viewers look at the elements in a scene. You also can control your focus by eliminating distracting details that aren't relevant to your message. I tell you everything you need to know about focal points in this chapter.

Finding your Focal Point and Helping It Take Center Stage

When you approach a scene and decide to take a photograph, some reason drives you to make that decision. That reason is most likely going to be your subject. A subject gives purpose and meaning to a photograph — it's the focus, or the star of the show. The exact point where you place your focus is your focal point. In most cases, your focal point is your subject or some part of your subject. Selecting a focal point provides a clear way of informing your viewers of what they're supposed to be looking at. If you were focusing on the subject when taking the photograph, your viewers will focus on it when viewing the photograph.

In Figure 7–1, the dew-covered spider web is the subject of the photo. It not only provides life to the photo, but it also tells you (because of the dew) that the scene took place in the morning and creates an interesting effect by reflecting and refracting light. (You can read more about using light to tell your story in Chapter 10.) Without the web and the dew atop it, the blades of grass wouldn't be very interesting, and I really wouldn't have had a reason to take the photograph.

100mm macro, 1/500 sec, i/2.8, 100

Figure 7–1: Morning dew settled on a web that's covering the ground amid blades of grass.

Your focal point determines how far from your camera the focal plane is placed. The focal plane is a flat area that's parallel to your digital sensor and intersects with your focal point. Every point that falls in line with the focal plane is sharp. For instance, if several people are standing in a straight line parallel to the camera and the camera is pointed directly at them, each person will be in focus, assuming you placed your focal point on one of them.

The further an element is from the focal plane, the more blurry it will appear in your photograph. In Figure