Top tips for you and your camera
# 3 - COMPOSITION
Understand the 5 rules of composition and why they work will help you capture better images but more importantly you will learn how to break them and create your own style.
Simplicity
Many of the best images have very little in them. You are asking your viewer to focus their attention precisely where you want. This does not mean you have to remove all items from your shot you might be able to achieve it by changing the angle you are shooting from, reduce the depth of field so the background is blurred or get in really close to the subject to make sure it gets all the attention. Also think about putting that item off centre. (see rule of thirds)
Balance
Not only should you think about balancing the components of the image but also think about balancing the colours present in the shot. Images with primary colours in them will be more eye catching and dramatic. Remember red and orange are foreground colours (no matter where they are in your shot) so avoid red in the background if you can.
Rule of thirds
There are two lots of thirds in your image - ONE: the foreground, middle-ground and background - all need to appear in landscape shots and you can be clever about where you want your viewer to focus their attention. TWO: image your image with a O and X grid across it. Your images will instantly look better if you place the item you want attention on on one of the intersections of the lines.
Lines
Lines appear in every shot you capture but you can use them to your advantage to lead your viewer to draw their attention to the focal point of the shot - they are called leading lines. They create tension and drama horizontal lines can split up the image in interesting ways, diagonal lines create visual paths, repetitive lines are interpreted by the eye as background and can be useful to bring the main subject into sharp relief.
Framing
Every time you put your camera to your face and look through the viewfinder you will be thinking about framing. You will decided which items you don't want in your shot and what you do - you are framing your shot and editing it. You can also use items in your shot to frame the scene you wish to capture - have a frame within your frame. This technique can produce powerful images.
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| Which of the rules does this image follow? |
Now you have the rules you can go and have fun using them to improve your images or breaking them to create your own style.
Next top tip - 'how to avoid camera shake' - next week.
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