A 101 class wouldn’t be complete without a primer on composition. If you missed the first or second write up, check them out here: basics of photography and camera modes. When talking about composition or framing in photography, we have the luxury of already having it filled. Our job as photographers is to crop out the unnecessary details so that we can capture the photo we want. If you’re using a zoom lens, all you have to do is run through the focal lengths. If you’re using a prime lens then you’ll have to walk closer or further from your subject to frame it correctly. There are only a couple of guides, realistically, that you’ll recall when out in the field.
The Rule of Thirds
You’ve probably heard of this framing rule before even if you don’t own a DSLR or Mirrorless. This is usually the first tip to help with composition and framing. This rule simply states that you should align your subject of interest on grid lines or points of intersection on the grid lines. If you have a horizon in the frame, align it to one of the vertical grid lines. Fast, simple, and for the most part true. You can set your camera to display the Rule of Thirds grid so you can easily visualize and compose your frame.
Leading Lines
Leading lines are a line or multiple lines that helps move your eye through the photo to your subject of interest. These lines can be anything from natural landscape twisting through the photo or manmade paths or architecture.
A Quick Primer on Learning Composition
When starting out with photography, you’ll have a few lucky shots now and then, but good composition is learned over time. You can use leading lines or the rule of thirds to help build that composition, but honestly, the best way to learn composition is a combination of analyzing professional photographers’ work and shooting often and with varying subjects. What happens when you analyze other photographers’ work is that you start to see patterns emerge in photos you like. You can start to see particular color combinations that you enjoy, the way certain lines in a landscape naturally glide across a photo, or how the photographer plays with light. There is a lot to learn and unfortunately there is no easy way to teach it beside studying other work and your own. Understanding what you like and don’t like allows you to better compose your photographs because you are able to easily crop out what you need in a photograph.
One last thing that should be noted is the Golden Ratio. You see this pop up time and time again in photography and design. My personal belief is that it’s utter BS. I don’t think anyone is actively applying the Golden Ratio while shooting in the field. It’s always an afterthought to somehow give more meaning to a photo or a design from a third-party -- not the original designer or photographer. Don’t get stuck on ideas of what or how a photographer should be shooting, shoot what you like and grow from there. Take photos often and remember to analyze what it is about those photos, the subjects, the colors, the lines, the textures, etc that makes you interested in them. It’s a personal journey and it takes time -- enjoy it.
Homework
Find 10 professional photographers that you admire and write a short paragraph for each describing what you like in their photos. This short exercise will help you become more cognizant in what you like to see in your own photographs and help you to become a better photographer faster.