4 Rules of Composition for Landscape Photography

[Johndoe234]

The four rules of composition for Landscape Photography are Diagonal lines, Geometric shapes, rules of thirds and framing images. These are the important things that need to be taken care of.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by Johndoe234

The four rules of composition for Landscape Photography are Diagonal lines, Geometric shapes, rules of thirds and framing images. These are the important things that need to be taken care of.

You left out about eight others like Leading Lines, Simplicity (AKA Bullseye), Texture, Colors, Repitition (AKA Symmetry and Patterns, The S Curve, Balancing Elements and Viewpoint. Hw many are in my image below?

Benji

[navcom]

Looks like a spammer. Several threads started just to get folks to click on his link.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by navcom

Looks like a spammer. Several threads started just to get folks to click on his link.

You are probably right. I clicked on it and wasn't impressed at all.

benji

[cynalan]

Agreed. It's a terrible shot. Breaks the first rule in my book... simplicity. This is an extremely complex shot that does not tell a story. What is the subject? Should I look at the mill, the brook, etc? There is no point of attention to attract my eye.

[kencaleno]

You left out quite a lot........ here's my take on composition:

Composition is all about the arrangement of elements within the viewfinder’s frame, to evoke emotion from the viewer of the final image. What attracts us to great photographic images?
- They make us
- wrinkle our brow -
- smile -
- feel happy -
- feel sad -
- feel peaceful -
- feel disturbed -
- feel angry -
- feel like laughing -
- feel shocked.
If a photograph can evoke any of these emotions, it can be said to have Impact. The basis of impact in a photographic image is placement and possibly enhancement of that subject, within the viewfinder frame of the camera.
Composition refers to the arrangement of line, shape and contrast within the frame of the photographic Image. Effective composition arranges the elements, ( objects, colours, horizons, patterns, etc.,) that show the viewer your personal world view of the subject. It is a matter of knowing what to leave out of the image. The greatest influence on our reaction to a photograph is the position of the main centre of interest. This should almost never be placed at dead-centre in the frame, as any sense of implied movement dissolves. The result is usually static and boring.

Very specific to stock photography are the Rule of thirds, and allowing for copy-space (leaving room for text)
The rule of thirds comes into its own when using subject placement within the frame-
Imagine your camera viewfinder with a nine-segment grid ( like a tic-tac-toe, (Noughts and crosses)) grid
The most aesthetically pleasing position to site your subject will be on one of the four intersections of this imaginary grid, which also gives you two horizontal guides, and two vertical guides. There are many ways of using this imaginary grid:
- Horizontal lines are used to place horizons- 1/3 down from top for earthy renditions, and 1/3 up from bottom for more dreamy effects.
- You can use vertical lines for positioning trees, poles, vertical subjects
- When filling the frame with, for instance, a head-shot, eyes should be placed 1/3 of the way down from the top
- For landscapes, you can use this imaginary grid-by focusing on the 1/3 up from bottom gridline, you will be correctly focusing 1/3 into your distance, as you should be for landscapes
There are many elements to consider when composing your images, such as:
Position of horizon
Framing
Line
Perspective
Depth
Balance
Colour
Contrast
Shape
Pattern
Tone
Viewpoint
Brightness
Scale
Shock

The photographic image’s frame doesn’t just come from the edges of your viewfinder. Be careful that framing the things surrounding the main subject doesn’t trap the subject, or detract from it. Don’t use if the image doesn’t require it. Lines, in the image have a certain effect on how the viewer’s eye travels through the photograph:
Implied lines, always straight, between interacting objects, or between an object and whatever is ahead of it.
Upright lines give feelings of strength and balance throughout the image.
Curved lines convey peaceful movement, but the steeper the curve, the more tension and force.
Diagonal lines give feelings of action and dynamism.
Perspective lines show dynamic movement in the direction of the lines
Jagged lines convey unhurried and peaceful movement.

It’s the control of composition that determines the “WOW” factor in photography, and it is very important, if you are going to take worthwhile photographs, to master that control. Where Lighting and Exposure, are pure technique, or the science of photography, Composition is the art of photography.
Creativity is the understanding and manipulation of composition elements within the frame of the camera’s viewfinder.

Regards, Ken