Photo Stop Tip #2;

Following on the heels Tip #1, and still thinking about image composition, there are a number of photographic and non photo specific rules that will help give your image compositions greater impact. One of the most written about by photographers, painters and artists alike is the “rule of thirds”, whereby one draws up a grid of three by three lines (nine cells) each of these lines represents a third of the image either vertically or horizontally and the placement of an element within the image along one of the lines is said to form the rule of thirds (Fig 1.). 

Fig. 1 This coastal scene has been divided into nine segments using the rule of thirds, with 
two thirds being the interesting element of the image.

Learning to see this imaginary grid overlayed on the viewfinder image is a good skill to have, you can start by taking shots where the horizon is placed on one of these imaginary lines ensuring the element with the greatest interest is the element that has the largest portion or the remaining two thirds (Fig 2.)

Fig. 2 This country scene has been divided at the top of the image using the rule of thirds, with 
the bottom two thirds being the interesting element of the image. 

Next you could try placing elements on either the right or left hand side along one of the imaginary vertical lines (Fig 3.).

 

Fig. 3 This beach scene has been divided into nine segments using the rule of thirds, with 
two thirds being the interesting element of the image and the placement of the umbrella
element on the left third of the image.

Although a basic compositional rule, the rule of thirds is not a hard and fast rule, combining it with other rules to help form a complete composition will give your images balance. As there are with other photographic rules, many personal choices must be made in order for you to be happy with your images overall - experiment!

DJ.

Photo Stop Tip #1;

What’s in an image? While there are many elements that make up the composition of an image, learning to look through the viewfinder and see the image that you have pictured in your mind takes a lot of experimentation and practice. One of the most important elements of composition in my opinion is what’s not in the image, that’s right! Removing unwanted elements will improve your image composition and the overall impact of the image. How is this achieved? Start by looking around the viewfinder’s extremities and each corner to see those elements that don’t belong and need to be removed, then either zoom in or out, move forwards or backwards and even side to side to get the best possible angle or position to remove the unwanted elements from your composition. See the images below (Fig1. & Fig2.) and how they compare, while some would say that it’s commonsense to wait for moving objects to move away and out of the frame which is true, some of the more static items like the light pole and signpost might go unnoticed however, so be sure to examine the whole of the scene through the viewfinder.

Fig1. The image above has circled in red unwanted elements in it that need to 
be removed by getting closer to the main element and some careful camera 
placement.

Fig2. The above image has the unwanted elements removed, improving 

it’s overall impact.

DJ.

Welcome to my blog; DJ’s Photo Stop.

Here I hope to bring you a range of photographic hints & tips and to share with you my passion for photography, whether it is portraiture, macro, landscape, architecture or flora & fauna or any form of digital art and imagery.

I do hope that you will enjoy the ride as we delve into the wonderful world of photography.

 

DJ.