1. Composition of a Photograph
Photography
Composition Vocabulary & Examples

2. Angle: the vantage point from which the photograph was taken; generally used when discussing a photograph taken from an unusual or exaggerated vantage point.
“Tug Running Close Aboard”

3. background: the part of a scene or picture that is or seems to be toward the back.
“Kids at Morgan’s Bridge”

4. balance: the distribution of visual elements in a photograph
balance: the distribution of visual elements in a photograph. Symmetrical balance distributes visual elements evenly in an image. Asymmetrical balance is found when visual elements are not evenly distributed in an image.
“The Cove”

5. central focus: the objects(s) which appears most prominently and/or most clearly focused in a photograph.
“Boys on Mill Dam”

6. composition: the arrangement or structure of the formal elements that make up an image.
“Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”

7. contour: the outline of an object or shape.
“BBQ Cook Shack”

8. contrast: strong visual differences between light and dark, varying textures, sizes, etc.
“White Chair, Unmade Bed”

9. framing: what the photographer has placed within the boundaries of the photograph.
“Two Beds, Two Windows”

10. setting: actual physical surroundings or scenery whether real or artificial.
“Grain Towers and Water Tower”

11. vantage point: the place from which a photographer takes a photograph.
“Shoe Shop Man”

12. Your Assignment: “Door”
You will take a picture of a door or with a door for each one of the composition vocabulary words.
Example: Balance – Door is directly in between to objects or centered.
Angle – pick a unique angle (laying on floor taking picture upwards.