From Snapshots to Photographs: Beginners' Composition Tips (Part -I)

[cray101]

How does one define a good photograph? What elements of a photo captivate the audience’s interest? Perhaps there are no direct answers to these questions. They are almost certain to vary from person to person and from one photo to the next.
But at the same time it is also true to say that there are some basic distinctions between a good photo and a bad one. We will try to explore these qualities that make some photos stand apart as works of art from hordes of others.
So how does one make the transition to clicking quality photographs?
In my opinion, the first step is to ask oneself a few questions before taking a shot. One should take a moment to reflect on the why’s and how’s. Or in other words, one must ask
why am I clicking this photo? And how can I make this capture better?

There are numerous books written on explaining the techniques of good photography. And indeed it is an unending learning experience. But the first and most basic step to a great photo is to question yourself what has made the scene before you worth a photograph. Or rather, what are the points of interest in this frame? The answer to this question must come naturally to you as a photographer. It is really not something that that needs instruction. The eye for noticing a frame worth capturing can come only with experience, and hours of peering into the viewfinder.But the next question one must ask is how to best capture the frame such that it makes his or her capture interesting and captivating. This is the question that we will try to explore further.

Broaden your horizon
To start with, here are a few things that you can try out to compose your images more aesthetically:

Change the orientation:

Experiment with both horizontal and vertical formats. Changing the format (Lansdscape or Portrait) helps rid us of unnecessary details and puts the subject in proper perspective. In this side portrait the drummer playing his drum kit, the vertical format helps to frame the subject correctly.

Fill the Frame:

Filling the frame focuses the viewer’s attention on the subject. You can try the following things:
Get closer to the subject:
The trick to a good photo is to not be lazy. Get in close to the subject.
Zoom In: There are of course times when you would like to get closer, but can’t. Zooming in helps us to get close to the subject without moving. Telephoto lenses are great for this purpose.
Crop the photo: One basic and widely used post-editing tool is the cropping tool. By cropping one can re-frame the shot. Almost all photo-editing tools have a cropping feature.

In this photo, the focus is riveted to the chameleon’s features giving it a cold and dignified look.

Change the viewpoint:

More often than not you will find that moving a little left or right, up or down can bring out a completely different facet of the subject. Try a top-shot or a bottom-shot, i.e. a shot from a vantage point above or below the subject. A bottom shot exaggerates the immensity of the subject, as seen in this photograph of India Gate.

Keep Experimenting!Outlined above are a few simple yet important techniques to improve your compositions by exploring the available options of handling your subject. The mantra is to always keep experimenting. Many a times, you will find the your first shot is not always the best. Try the same shot from different angles and settings, and you will be sure to discover an altogether new composition!

[nams]

I agree Cray101
Every person brings with him a unique way of photography, but whether it works or not depends on how well he is able to translate what he has in his mind, to his pictures.
..and always dare to experiment

Hope to see more of your works

[cray101]

Thanks for your kind words, nams. Glad you liked it.
Part-II is on its way!

[quekbc]

very well written cray!