Free Photography Tips for Beginners
Photographic Composition
By carefully choosing your angle of view, and the juxtaposition of subjects within the frame, as well as lighting you can create images that convey the kinds of emotions you are looking for.
Some major points to consider when composing your picture are the following:
Subject: Make sure you have a clearly defined subject. Often photographs are ruined because there are too many competing subjects within the photograph.
Distance: In many cases the photograph gains greater impact when it fills the whole frame, so try to get as close as possible to the subject in order to avoid including extraneous details in the frame.
Format: Generally speaking a vertical format is best suited to photographing tall images whilst a horizontal format is best suited to photographing wide images. However don't hesitate to experiment with this rule as you might obtain some interesting compositions.
Background: Be careful when composing your image to look to see if there is anything in the background that may detract from the photograph you are trying to create. Consider using an aperture of F2.8 to F4 in order to diffuse any background details.
Patterns: Look for patterns in the subjects you photograph as the repetition of form and shape attracts and holds the eye to the photograph. A pattern with an unexpected break also works well.
Viewpoint: Try different angles; don't always take a photograph standing at eye height. A high viewpoint will give you a very different image to a low viewpoint or from a side or back view. Different points of views can also be gained from using different lenses eg. a wide angle lens . Again don't be afraid to experiment with different lenses from different perspectives.
Subject Positioning: Subjects positioned off-center usually are more appealing to those that are placed in the center of the frame. Subjects placed in the center of the frame often appear quite boring and lifeless. Positioning off-center breaks up the symmetry, allowing one's eye to explore the rest of the image.
Diagonals: Be on the lookout for diagonal compositions because they are more dynamic than horizontal or vertical compositions. Diagonals give a feeling of motion and a greater sense of depth, as the subject seems to be moving away or towards the viewer.
