Practical Digital Photography for Beginners - Find a Hero - Rule of Shadows: This is an expansion of Step 4 in the “Practical Digital Photography for Beginners” post. The “Rule of...

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

This is an expansion of Step 4 in the “Practical Digital Photography for Beginners” post. The “Rule of Shadows” & “Strong Pose” are my own coined term to explain & present the process and elements being discussed.

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CO

I think what you say in the description for Figure 1A is wrong. You say that other elements of the image are out of focus thus less distracting. It's great to have out of focus elements behind the main subject but not in front of the main subject. I recently took this photo at a model photo shoot. The model is standing in an herb garden. I placed the focus point on her face to ensure that she is in focus. The out of focus herb plant in front of her is too distracting.

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Grahame Loc: Fiji

CO wrote:

I think what you say in the description for Figure 1A is wrong. You say that other elements of the image are out of focus thus less distracting. It's great to have out of focus elements behind the main subject but not in front of the main subject. I recently took this photo at a model photo shoot. The model is standing in an herb garden. I placed the focus point on her face to ensure that she is in focus. The out of focus herb plant in front of her is too distracting.

Fully agree.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

CO wrote:

I think what you say in the description for Figure 1A is wrong. You say that other elements of the image are out of focus thus less distracting. It's great to have out of focus elements behind the main subject but not in front of the main subject. I recently took this photo at a model photo shoot. The model is standing in an herb garden. I placed the focus point on her face to ensure that she is in focus. The out of focus herb plant in front of her is too distracting.

The core word here is "isolate well", which did not happen in your image and is actually a good example for Figure 1A-A. When elements merge into a blob.

On my example, I had 2 out of focus foreground element on both sides of the subject framing it. In your image, the object is directly in front and not blurred enough to separate it from the Hero. If we apply the Rule of Shadows to your image you will see why it fails to have a good composition. The foreground merges and dilute the integrity of the hero instead of supporting it.

Fortunately, a crop and some light editing improves it. Now it is similar to Figure1A with the foreground element pseudo-framing the subject

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Foreground element mixes with the hero, diluting its integrity

Crop and slight edit improves the composition

CO

The bottom line is that out of focus elements in front of the main subject are distracting. In my photo, there's an out of focus herb plant in front of her and off her left side. It's doesn't overlap with her but it's still distracting. I think diagram 2A1/2A1C is the only one that will work in your diagrams.

An actual photograph like figure 1A would have shown that, even without the red flower there. That out of focus animal close to the camera would have been distracting.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

CO wrote:

The bottom line is that out of focus elements in front of the main subject are distracting.

Because it was directly in front of your subject. It is was not blended away by soft focus and it is much brighter than your hero. All of which are not in my example.

CO wrote:

In my photo, there's an out of focus herb plant in front of her and off her left side. It's doesn't overlap with her but it's still distracting.

You lost me there. How can one element not overlap if it is directly in front? I've already explained above why your composition is weak and gave a solution. Its the same photograph but when arranged as per my example, it was better.

CO wrote:

I think diagram 2A1/2A1C is the only one that will work in your diagrams.

It should because 2A1/2A1C is a set-up correction of 2A, which i already explained was not great because of conflicting heroes.

CO wrote:

An actual photograph like figure 1A would have shown that, even without the red flower there. That out of focus animal close to the camera would have been distracting.

As i've stated, these are guides, like ingredients to mix and match the taste that photographer envisions. Everything will depend on the actual elements of the shot hence in my example, because i chose my elements well, it works. And when i adjusted your image to fill the same criteria, it works too.

uhaas2009

Oh wow.....

CO

You stated: "You lost me there. How can one element not overlap if it is directly in front? I've already explained above why your composition is weak and gave a solution. Its the same photograph but when arranged as per my example, it was better."

I'm talking about the out of focus plant that is off her left side. It doesn't overlap with her yet is still distracting. Do you have the actual photo from figure 1A ? Please post that one. It wouldn't work. The out of focus animal would be a distraction.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Another rule? I admit I was not aware that there was such a thing as a "hero" referring to subjects and a "shadow rule."

The main subject of any image has been forever called the main subject of the photograph or the "center of interest." If placing out of focus images in front of that center of interest things could change and cause distraction. I guess to make a subject under the "shadow rules" we have to underexpose but up to what point that will favor the image is beyond me.

Honest of God, if those explanations are for beginners I do not want to see those for advanced photographers.

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Ignore all "rules." None are universal; all are but a subset of general composition principles. INSTEAD peruse the whole subject of composition, either online or in several books, then go out and SHOOT. Then check back on your composition sources and/or ask for critiques. Then SHOOT some more. Repeat.

geezer76 Loc: Prineville, Oregon

CO wrote:

I think what you say in the description for Figure 1A is wrong. You say that other elements of the image are out of focus thus less distracting. It's great to have out of focus elements behind the main subject but not in front of the main subject. I recently took this photo at a model photo shoot. The model is standing in an herb garden. I placed the focus point on her face to ensure that she is in focus. The out of focus herb plant in front of her is too distracting.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

CO wrote:

You stated: "You lost me there. How can one e... (show quote)

Because the plant was not muted by the soft focus. It needs to be more out of the DOF. Actually it does not distract as much as the one in front of her and is totally eliminated when the adjusted composition was applied.

The illustration i presented is just a guide and is very typical for compositions using framing. The crop i did is clear example of how it is applied on a real photo.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

artBob wrote:

Ignore all "rules." None are universal; all are but a subset of general composition principles. INSTEAD peruse the whole subject of composition, either online or in several books, then go out and SHOOT. Then check back on your composition sources and/or ask for critiques. Then SHOOT some more. Repeat.

That is step 5 and step 11

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-575239-1.html

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

camerapapi wrote:

Another rule? I admit I was not aware that there was such a thing as a "hero" referring to subjects and a "shadow rule."

There is no rule. These are guides to analyze a scene that can be forced or removed by choice.

camerapapi wrote:

The main subject of any image has been forever called the main subject of the photograph or the "center of interest."

We call it hero in advertising where the "main subject" is pushed to have maximum impact composition.

camerapapi wrote:

If placing out of focus images in front of that center of interest things could change and cause distraction.

It is just an example and a typical relation of elements when using framing in composition.

camerapapi wrote:

I guess to make a subject under the "shadow rules" we have to underexpose but up to what point that will favor the image is beyond me.

Sorry to confuse you, The rule of shadow is not done with equipment, but inside the viewers head. It is imagining the scene you want to take a picture of in terms of its very basic elements and how they blend together. It is about using that image in your head as a means of interaction & measurement of composition.

camerapapi wrote:

Honest of God, if those explanations are for beginners I do not want to see those for advanced photographers.

Those are charts to a deeper explanation of an earlier post; https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-575239-1.html
As charts they were meant to be explained, but i have not gone to that part yet.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

CO wrote:

Do you have the actual photo from figure 1A ? Please post that one. It wouldn't work. The out of focus animal would be a distraction.

That was made for illustrative purpose only but here are some samples of how the principle is applied.
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