1. Photography Composition JEA Photojournalism Curriculum

2. What is composition? Composition refers to the way a photo is constructed/planned to make the biggest possible impact. Composition rules are ingredients that a photographer may use, but just like a chef wouldn’t use all of the ingredients in his pantry in one meal, a photographer won’t use every composition skill in one photograph.

3. Rule #1: Rule of Thirds If you divide your picture into a tic-tac- toe board, your subject should not be located in the center square Bushra Ghafoor, R.B. Hayes High School

4. Addie Driskill, Maize (Kan.) High School

5. Daisy Marquez, Maize (Kan.) High School

6. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

7. Rule #2: Repetition A repeating pattern works well to emphasize your subject A little bit of variance (changing it up) within the repetition is even better

8. Aysen Tan, Foothill Dragon Press

10. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

11. Rule #3: Angles If you can change the angle or viewpoint of your photograph, you automatically make it more interesting Note: Changing the angle does NOT mean tilting the camera.

12. Bird’s Eye View The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

13. Worm’s Eye View

14. Mikaela Stevenson, Maize (Kan.) High School

15. Rule #4: Strong Subject (Or “Fill the Frame”) Photo has a strong, dominant focal point and/or center of interest Keep your background simple to avoid distractions

16. Samantha Terrell, Maize (Kan.) High School

17. Bushra Ghafoor, R.B. Hayes High School

18. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

19. Rule #5: Framing Use natural elements to create a frame for your photo, so your audience knows exactly what your focus is

20. Aysen Tan, Foothill Dragon Press

21. Bushra Ghafoor, R.B. Hayes High School

22. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

23. Rule #6: Leading Lines Lines in a photo direct a viewer’s focus to the photo’s subject

24. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

27. Rule #7: Selective Focus When a photographer narrows a picture’s depth of field so that only part of the picture is in focus. (Combine this with rule of thirds to create an awesome photo!)

28. Aysen Tan, Foothill Dragon Press

29. Brittani Casement, Maize (Kan.) High School

30. The PIX Yearbook - Little Rock, Arkansas

31. Limits of composition rules A chef may use high-end ingredients but that doesn’t automatically make the recipe taste great. Just because a photo has great composition doesn’t make it a great journalistic photo. A journalistic photo must also tell a compelling story.

32. Without a compelling story, a photo will fall flat of its purpose. It may be beautiful, but it must also be impactful. The best stories include individuals and supporting details to give views a complete picture.

33. Bryant High School Publications

34. McKinney High School Publications

35. Casey Simmons, Westlake High School