How do you approach composition in your photography?
Jan 19, 2024 13:18:34 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
... I have a book that not only has all those diagrams but breaks them into mathematical and geometric formulas. It is some interesting reading but not very useful when shooting wildlife. a sports event, a landscape in sub-freezing weather, or a riot.... Here is one of the diagrams that illustrate the strongest point in a composiition- enough to drive one crazy...
I'm glad I never read that book. In particular that diagram looks very confusing to me. The angle chosen to produce the line AB is not defined. A and B are not the same length. If a were large it could stretch much further to the left or A could be small so it intersects the bottom line right under the circle. That would produce wildly different results for the golden mean/extreme. And it doesn't tell you what to do with those dimensions anyway (I assume it's in the text of the book). The diagram does not stand alone. There must be some explanation of the details. But I don't want to know those details. I'll continue to crop to my own liking.
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
...Personally speaking, I do not confine my work to one format, aspect ratio, size, or shape unless it is for a commercial job with a particular layout...
Jan 19, 2024 13:24:15 #
Shoot with the full resolution of your digital sensor. If that's a 3:2 aspect at 24MP at the max resolution for your camera, that's the size to use so you have the maximum number of pixels to process later into as many options (crops) as your desire.
Look and see if your camera gives you 1/3 guides in the view finder. Look too and enable the 1/3 guides in the cropping tool of your digital editor. If not already doing, learn the controls of your camera to selectively place an AF point (or group) within the frame, for older DSLRs, or finger-peck your touchscreen for AF placement. If you skip enabling the guides, at least learn how to move the AF around the frame for off-center placement of the sharpest focus.
Now that you've configured your enabling technology, practice the idea of looking at your scene / composition before you even raise the camera to your eye. Decide where to position the subject, usually the upper 1/3 line intersections on the upper left or right. Set your AF point to match that position. Now, raise your camera so that AF point covers the subject and shoot. If relevant, take a step or two left (or right) and move the AF point to the opposite upper left or right intersection and shoot again. Or, take a knee to get a better angle.
As you review and edit your multiple images, consider the steps above, the AF settings, and any other approaches that work best for your personal shooting style and desired results. Practice, practice, practice what you want to develop into basic approaches / basic instincts, things you do without even thinking that are part of your process of composition, so that your mind is focused on the important stuff of light direction, the anticipation of the action, personal safety in the situation and so forth.
And of those multiple images, develop also a firm hand that keeps only the best and deletes the rest. You're shooting digital in 2024 after all.
Look and see if your camera gives you 1/3 guides in the view finder. Look too and enable the 1/3 guides in the cropping tool of your digital editor. If not already doing, learn the controls of your camera to selectively place an AF point (or group) within the frame, for older DSLRs, or finger-peck your touchscreen for AF placement. If you skip enabling the guides, at least learn how to move the AF around the frame for off-center placement of the sharpest focus.
Now that you've configured your enabling technology, practice the idea of looking at your scene / composition before you even raise the camera to your eye. Decide where to position the subject, usually the upper 1/3 line intersections on the upper left or right. Set your AF point to match that position. Now, raise your camera so that AF point covers the subject and shoot. If relevant, take a step or two left (or right) and move the AF point to the opposite upper left or right intersection and shoot again. Or, take a knee to get a better angle.
As you review and edit your multiple images, consider the steps above, the AF settings, and any other approaches that work best for your personal shooting style and desired results. Practice, practice, practice what you want to develop into basic approaches / basic instincts, things you do without even thinking that are part of your process of composition, so that your mind is focused on the important stuff of light direction, the anticipation of the action, personal safety in the situation and so forth.
And of those multiple images, develop also a firm hand that keeps only the best and deletes the rest. You're shooting digital in 2024 after all.
Jan 19, 2024 13:25:38 #
Picture Taker wrote:
I trop thru the lens. Learned with taking sides. You took all correctly (focus, cropped and exposure) or got nothing. I still think that way, yes, I can fix and adjust some now but, I still take the picture with all in mind. Save a lot of work later.
Exactly. Sadly, this will be a lost art. I still shoot as if every shutter release is special, rarely blast and pray.
Jan 19, 2024 13:28:38 #
MrBob wrote:
If you are a skilled typist do you THINK about where the keys are located... ? Your BRAIN knows; it has learning ability. When it is right, you KNOW and FEEL it... Of course there are ALWAYS scenes within the scenes...
Jan 19, 2024 13:40:53 #
Different genres have different requirements when it comes to composition, so generalisations are guaranteed to miss the mark occasionally. If there was a genre called "scene capture" it would encompass the most basic aspects of what most people want when it comes to composition. Some of the possible exceptions are still life, product photography and the like.
A popular genre which has common, basic composition requirements is landscape photography, and it's common to see landscape scenes being divided into foreground, mid field and far field (or background). In landscape photography, composition is all about finding the right viewpoint (where to stand) and the right line of sight (what direction to look in). Within the camera's field of view there will be a main subject or subjects of interest or a main area of interest, and the photographer's job is to make it obvious what the main subjects or areas of interest are, regardless of whether they are in the foreground, mid field or far field. Compositionally that can be achieved by means of placement within the frame or alternatively it's possible to use various devices like leading lines or clear channels to lead the viewer's eye towards those specific subjects or areas of interest. Other factors like lighting, contrast, sharpness and colour can also be used to draw the viewer's attention but the subject here is composition.
When I have my composition hat on I look for ways to draw the viewer's attention into the shot, and very often that goes hand in hand with ways to amplify the depth aspect of the scene. Photos are a 2D rendering of a 3D reality and anything you can do to enhance the perception of depth within the photo will be a major step towards creating the idea that the viewer is perceiving a 3D reality as opposed to a 2D rendering of it. You want the viewer to forget that he/she is not actually seeing reality but a facsimile of it. I've noticed that 3D depth cues are a pronounced feature of AI-generated images. It's obviously a major aspect of the algorithms that are used to create images from scratch. Perhaps it's our turn to learn from AI instead of it learning from us.
A popular genre which has common, basic composition requirements is landscape photography, and it's common to see landscape scenes being divided into foreground, mid field and far field (or background). In landscape photography, composition is all about finding the right viewpoint (where to stand) and the right line of sight (what direction to look in). Within the camera's field of view there will be a main subject or subjects of interest or a main area of interest, and the photographer's job is to make it obvious what the main subjects or areas of interest are, regardless of whether they are in the foreground, mid field or far field. Compositionally that can be achieved by means of placement within the frame or alternatively it's possible to use various devices like leading lines or clear channels to lead the viewer's eye towards those specific subjects or areas of interest. Other factors like lighting, contrast, sharpness and colour can also be used to draw the viewer's attention but the subject here is composition.
When I have my composition hat on I look for ways to draw the viewer's attention into the shot, and very often that goes hand in hand with ways to amplify the depth aspect of the scene. Photos are a 2D rendering of a 3D reality and anything you can do to enhance the perception of depth within the photo will be a major step towards creating the idea that the viewer is perceiving a 3D reality as opposed to a 2D rendering of it. You want the viewer to forget that he/she is not actually seeing reality but a facsimile of it. I've noticed that 3D depth cues are a pronounced feature of AI-generated images. It's obviously a major aspect of the algorithms that are used to create images from scratch. Perhaps it's our turn to learn from AI instead of it learning from us.
Jan 19, 2024 13:41:37 #
george19 wrote:
Exactly. Sadly, this will be a lost art. I still shoot as if every shutter release is special, rarely blast and pray.
My calendar says the date is January 19, 2024. If you're using a digital camera, get with the times.
Jan 19, 2024 13:48:51 #
I just move around until the "best" composition "presents itself." I can't explain it. It just happens.
Jan 19, 2024 13:52:00 #
Orphoto
Loc: Oregon
I look at the scene and then follow these steps. 1) what drew your eye to this in the first place? 2) what can you do photographically that allows your vision to be captured? 3) attend to the technical details.
The scene drives the composition and lens choices. Not any rules or guidelines. Makes allowances for special lighting.
Review the image on the screen. Did it achieve your goals? Adjust and try again.
Coarse compositional choices should be made before looking through the viewfinder.
The scene drives the composition and lens choices. Not any rules or guidelines. Makes allowances for special lighting.
Review the image on the screen. Did it achieve your goals? Adjust and try again.
Coarse compositional choices should be made before looking through the viewfinder.
Jan 19, 2024 13:52:56 #
revhen wrote:
I just move around until the "best" composition "presents itself." I can't explain it. It just happens.
Alas, that probably makes for a repeatable process that is next to impossible to teach / explain to others ...
Jan 19, 2024 13:58:18 #
george19 wrote:
.... I still shoot as if every shutter release is special, rarely blast and pray.
Regardless of whether we're shooting film or digital, we should always shoot as if every shot has the potential to be THE shot (the money shot, the shot of a lifetime). In keeping with that attitude we should give each shot the appropriate amount of effort, consideration and planning.
Jan 19, 2024 13:59:16 #
JZA B1 wrote:
Square crop, rule of thirds, or something completely different?
How do you know which one to apply in any given situation? Any time-tested rules or just what looks best?
How do you know which one to apply in any given situation? Any time-tested rules or just what looks best?
I will use zoom to get as close as possible to what I want and fine tune it in PP if needed. I usually zoom to where I will have some "wiggle room" for cropping further in post.
Jan 19, 2024 14:01:51 #
Jan 19, 2024 14:04:57 #
Johnweby
Loc: Lititz, PA
All of the above, plus framing, making sure there is one point of interest and featuring that, eliminating distracting background, but ultimately what looks good to me or what can be fixed to look good.
Jan 19, 2024 14:09:22 #
mikegreenwald
Loc: Illinois
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Some photograhers have a natural inborn talent for... (show quote)
My feelings exactly. I’ve known quite a few artists and photographers - my wife among them - who instinctively shoot excellent photos with no knowledge of the rules, and little if any interest in learning them.
Jan 19, 2024 14:12:42 #
Orphoto
Loc: Oregon
I should add, often if you are including any foreground, a key part of composition is physically moving around and lining up the pictorial elements in a way that pleases you. That includes moving left/right, further/closer and up/down. Eyeball it and then figure out how to approach photographically.
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