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Saturday, August 16, 2008

How to Compose a Photograph

By SFXsource


Photo composition is important because it not only makes your art interesting, but it also keeps the viewer engaged. These tips are meant to help you improve your composition. If you are a beginning photographer, it will take a little bit of time to get an ?eye? for composition, but you will continue to get better.

1. When you are photographing your subject, always keep composition in mind. Do not rely on cropping them afterward. While it is okay to crop your photos, you do not want to be spending time cropping every single one in order to get an interesting photograph.

2. Subject placement is the first thing to consider. Rarely do you want to place your subject in the middle of the frame. Instead, place your subject in a "sweet spot."

To get an idea about where these sweet spots are located, imagine a rectangular, blank photo. Envision 2 vertical lines dividing the frame into 3 equal sections. Now imagine 2 horizontal lines breaking the frame into 3 equal sections. Where these lines intersect at 4 spots are the sweet spots. For a great photo, experiment placing your subject in these imaginary sweet spots.

3. If you use lines and texture creatively, your viewer will be drawn in. They will also be guided around the photos with these lines.

For example, if your subject is a spiral staircase, the lines will draw the viewer around the entire photo. A cycle can be made if you have grass that draws the viewer from the bottom of the photo to the top, and rays of sun that draw the viewer from the top of the photo to the bottom.

When you have a horizon, try to place it above or below the middle. For a strong composition, try using lines from subjects such as railroad tracks, buildings, trees, or ladders.

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