A Guest post by Amar Ramesh.
Here’s 10 more composition tips following last week’s article 10 quick tips for composition illustrated with Eastern Washington pictures. Practice these quick and simple tips constantly. They will quickly become a natural part of your routine leading to consistently better and better photography.
Balance and Symmetry
Symmetry makes for a simple, straightforward, balanced composition. Strive for balance by adjusting your composition to establish symmetry with lines, shapes, objects, and color. Balanced and symmetrical pictures are pleasing to the eye.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Repetitive objects make great subjects. Whenever you see a series of similar objects repeated over and over, you have found a winning composition. Repetition never fails to impress and create a unique frame.
Keep it Sweet and Simple
There is a reason why simple is king. Cut the frills, cut the distractions, cut the clutter. The more objects you remove from the picture, the clearer and sharper your story and subject will be to the viewer.
Magnify and Focus
This is something you should remember in all types of photography. Emphasize your main subject. Frame your subject making it larger, taller, or in sharper focus than other objects.
Add Depth
Foreground objects add depth to the picture and brings out the subject in the background more effectively. Include objects at 1/3rd the focus to enhance your subject.
Add Nature
When you are in the field, city or country, look for new ways to add nature to your composition. Scout around and look for natural elements like water, earth, or vegetation to include in the frame. This technique will enhance your picture and make it more effective. I included stagnant water in this picture to bring out reflection of the tulips and add interest.
Portrait or Landscape?
Use your judgment when shooting horizontal or vertical for every shot. Shoot vertically when you want to enhance tall objects to emphasize height. Shoot horizontally to emphasize width. When in doubt, shoot both. You can decide later which one to keep during post processing. In this picture below an horizontal framing made more sense while a vertical shot would have completely ruined the feel.
What’s My Story?
One of the most important tips for any shot is to know your story. Ask yourself what you are telling your viewers with your pictures. Are you sharing a feeling, sensation, moment, or theme? If you don’t know the story when you frame the shot, neither will your viewer. Rethink about clicking that shutter until you see it.
You’re Not Done Till You Do it Again
When you think you are done taking pictures, think again. See what happens when you change your angle, lens, or distance. Surprisingly, in no time you will have whole new perspective.
Cropping is a Good Thing
Cropping is photographer’s best friend. Today’s prevalence for digital photography and wide range of editing tools lets you crop pictures to correct mistakes or reframe your composition sitting at home. Be sure to keep cropping in your tool bag when taking and editing pictures.
Give these quick tips a try and watch your skills improve. Don’t over think or over analyze, just go try it. Check back for the third installment of composition tips coming soon. Check out my portfolio to see how I have applied these tips to a variety of photography styles and subjects.
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