Digital Photography-- Composition Tonya Skinner, Instructor

Pick up notes page… See website for bellringer…

Rule of Thirds Place interesting elements at the intersection of the divisions:

Rule of Thirds The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot - using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

White Space Does not have to be white…it’s empty space Giving your subject space to breathe Sometimes it is what you leave out of an image that makes it special

Framing Used within the composition of a shot to help you highlight your main point of interest in the image and and/or to put it in context to give the image ‘depth’.

Perspective Point of view The perspective that a shot is taken from is another element that can have a big impact upon an image. Shooting from up high and looking down on a subject or shooting from below looking up on the same subject drastically impact not only the ‘look’ of the image, emphasizing different points of interest, angles, textures, shapes etc - but it also impacts the ’story’ of an image.

Perspective The variety of perspectives that you can shoot images from is only limited by your imagination. In addition to standing in front of your subject you might like to try: – lying or crouching in front of it – climbing above it – putting the camera on the ground and chancing it

Color Bright colors can add vibrancy, energy and interest - however in the wrong position they can also distract viewers of an image away from focal points. Colors also greatly impact ‘mood’. Blues and Greens can have a calming soothing impact, Reds and Yellows can convey vibrancy and energy etc.

Balance The positioning with elements in a frame can leave an image feeling balanced or unbalanced. Too many points of interest in one section of your image can leave it feeling too ‘heavy’ or complicated in that section of the shot and other parts feeling ‘empty’.

Filling the Frame Nice technique to really make a photograph interesting Sports shots come alive with rippling muscles, grimaces on faces and even sweat spraying off players as they play

Filling the Frame--Examples Not filledFilled

Lines Horizontal Conveys a message of ’stability’ or even ‘rest’. Horizons, fallen trees, oceans, sleeping people - all of these subjects have something about them that speaks either of permanency and timelessness Horizons are most common Horizons should generally not be placed in the middle of your frame. This leaves an image feeling unsettled compositionally. A much more effective technique is to place them in the upper or lower third of your frame

Lines Vertical Vertical lines have the ability to convey a variety of different moods in a photograph ranging from power and strength (think of skyscrapers) to growth (think of trees). Attempt to keep your vertical lines as much in line with the sides of your image as possible.

Lines Diagonal Diagonal lines generally work well to draw the eye of an image’s viewer through the photograph. They create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth by suggesting perspective. They can also add a sense of action to an image and add a dynamic looks and feel.

Leading Lines Why?? The concept of leading lines in photography helps make photos more interesting by giving the eye a pathway to the point of focus in the photo. Leading lines can be anything with a defined edge which your eye can follow, distinct from the rest of the photo. For example--a path, a stream, painted lines on a road, lines on buildings or a coastline.

Depth of Field Concepts Depth of field refers to the amount of the scene which is in focus in your photo. A large depth of field will result in a photo which is mostly in focus, while a shallow depth of field will result in a band of focus with blurred regions in front and behind. DOF is Affected by Aperture size Focal length (zoom) Distance from the subject

Depth of Field

Things to remember That strap on your camera... it’s there for a reason!! Places to keep... and NOT to keep your camera Using the viewfinder vs. the LCD screen on your camera Just like your cell phone, keep the batteries charged.

Pixels—what are they?? The word is a combination of PICture and Element—pixel! The smallest piece of information in an image The more pixels used to represent an image, the closer the result can resemble the original This doesn’t mean you need an 8 MP camera to take a good picture!

The following guide will help you know what size of high-quality print you can expect from each megapixel rating.

ISO: International Organization for Standardization Similar to the traditional film camera rating system, ISO speed is determined by the camera's imaging sensor. As in traditional film cameras, the higher ISO, the lower the image quality. On some cameras, this feature can be changed to your liking.

Aperture A small, circular opening inside the lens that can change in diameter to control the amount of light reaching the camera's sensor as a picture is taken. The aperture diameter is expressed in f-stops; the lower the number, the larger the aperture. For instance, the aperture opening when set to f/2.8 is larger than at f/8. The aperture and shutter speed together control the total amount of light reaching the sensor. A larger aperture passes more light through to the sensor. Many cameras have an aperture priority mode that allows you to adjust the aperture to your own liking. In short—a larger number=a smaller hole=less light let into your camera.

Shutter Speed The camera's shutter speed is a measurement of how long its shutter remains open as the picture is taken. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure time. When the shutter speed is set to 1/125 or simply 125, this means that the shutter will be open for exactly 1/125th of one second. The shutter speed and aperture together control the total amount of light reaching the sensor. Some digital cameras have a shutter priority mode that allows you to set the shutter speed to your liking. In short—the longer the shutter is open=more light let into your camera.

Macro This setting will allow you to take pictures of objects that are extremely close, usually within 1-2 feet from you and typically no closer than a few inches from the camera.

Macro

Just for fun…FORCED perspective

Sources of Information