composition

[Kaz26]

I really need to work on my composition. Any tips or suggestions that could help?

[RichardTaylor]

This tute, on this site, may help.

Four Rules of Photographic Composition

There are also links to related articles at the end of the text.

[dcclark]

Yep. Go to the DPS homepage (click on "Digital Photography School" at the top of this page) and look through the "Tips and Tutorials" section. Click "Popular" and you'll see a lot of good articles.

Also, look up the "rules" -- the "rule of thirds" for example. These aren't really rules, but they are good suggestions for learning basic composition. Work on those, and once you've got them down pat, start breaking them. That's where you can get some very interesting photos.

[LeeR]

I think there are three things you need to improve your photographic composition; a great source of information, feedback and practice. Clearly, the Internet is a fantastic source of information with thousands of resources and blogs to help you on your way. Many people have found that this very forum has helped them tremendously. This forum is also good for the second requirement: feedback. Post your images in the "Critique" section and people will only be too happy to let you know what works and what doesn't. Yes, you will have to develop a thick skin and you will also need to learn which voices are worth paying attention to as you often get conflicting advice, but that's part of the growth cycle. Finally, there is no substitue for practice, and lots of it. My roommate in college practiced piano four hours a day and guess what? He got very, very good at playing the piano. You may not have four hours a day to dedicate to photography, but there will certainly be a direct relationship betwen the amount of time you invest and the skill you develop.

[Kaz26]

Thanks for your suggestions, I will definately have a look at the articles and practice whenever I can

[Marmeduke]

I think it's always important to follow your instinct with composition and not to overthink things. If something interests you you'll probably feel like you want to show it in a certain way anyway.

It can't hurt to think about balance, proportion etc. though. So this is a clear guide on the rule of thirds and the golden mean in photography composition: Photography Composition - Introducing the golden mean and the rule of thirds.

[danbaileyphoto]

I agree, try not to overthink things at this stage of the game. Why not just go out and shoot what YOU think are good compositions and then ask for feedback on some of your images, either by posting them on this site, or by asking other photographers that you know. You'll likely learn as you go from that feedback, and you'll also realize things yourself about what makes a good composition. It just takes time.