{"id":163433,"date":"2022-04-04T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T08:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?p=163433"},"modified":"2022-04-29T10:41:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T09:41:23","slug":"beginners-guide-to-the-art-of-photography-and-composition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/improve-your-photography\/beginners-guide-to-the-art-of-photography-and-composition\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginners Guide to the Art of Photography and Composition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once you\u2019ve mastered how to use your camera and lens<\/a>, as well as the basics of shooting, the next thing you\u2019ll want to look at is something that could fill several books<\/a> – and often does! Of course, we\u2019re talking about the Art of photography and composition<\/strong>, and how you take a good or great photo!<\/p>\n

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Welcome to the AP Improve Your Photography Series<\/strong> \u2013 in partnership with MPB<\/a>\u00a0– This series is designed to take you from the beginnings of photography, introduce different shooting skills and styles, and teach you how to grow as a photographer, so you can enjoy producing amazing photography (and video), to take you to the next level, whether that\u2019s making money or simply mastering your art form.<\/p>\n\"Improve\n

Each week you\u2019ll find a new article so make sure to come back to continue your journey. The start may seem basic to some photographers, but it\u2019s an important step in making sure you\u2019re comfortable with your equipment and the basics of photography, as it\u2019s part of the foundations that help build into great photographs, and once you know these, you\u2019ll be able to play with them, and understand further articles in this series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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There are various elements that go towards taking (and making) a great photo, and it\u2019s also worth being aware of the difference between a photo that means a lot to you, versus a photo that appeals to others. If you\u2019re shooting for yourself, then this could be much easier, depending on what you want to achieve, but to create commercially successful photographs, you will most likely need to master your photography.<\/p>\n\t\t

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This family photo means a lot to me, but most likely nothing to you, the photo is mostly out of focus, but captures a fun looking family moment. Photo: Stephen Waller, 1983<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How you \u201csee\u201d a photograph vs how other people see a photograph<\/strong> – Do you like the composition, styles, and framing, or do you like the subject in the picture? Family photos and photos of people we care about will always bring about an emotional response to us, but not necessarily to other people.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t have to be perfect if it captures the moment, or the thing you wanted to capture, and if it captures your vision of the scene, or just the moment in time. In the example above, it doesn\u2019t really matter that the main subjects are out of focus, as it is about a memory, and in this photo, it has captured the moment well enough.\u00a0But to take your photography to the next level, here are some useful things to keep in mind…<\/p>\n

The very basics – landscape vs portrait orientation<\/h2>\n\t\t
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Left: Portrait \/ Vertical orientation using in a portrait photo, Right: Landscape \/ horizontal orientation used in a portrait photo. Model: Lucy Woodroffe, Photo: Joshua Waller.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

What format suits your subject better?<\/strong>\u00a0Landscape \/ horizontal orientation is typically used for landscape photography<\/a>, but where you want to frame the scene differently you could use a portrait \/ vertical shot, and what works best will often depend on what you are photographing.\u00a0Shooting off-centre lets you frame the shot and subject differently, and you can move the focus point and use focus-lock, or use the touch-screen to set the focus point, so that your subject is in focus.<\/p>\n

Nb. Focus-lock<\/strong> \u2013 When you half-press the shutter release button, your camera will focus on the subject, however, if you want to reframe your shot, you can continue holding the button, and move the camera, whilst the camera maintains focus on the subject.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is the decisive moment?<\/h2>\n

The \u2018decisive moment\u2019 is a concept that initially emerged in street photography and popularised by Henri Cartier Bresson<\/a>. The concept refers to the right moment to take a photograph and can also be applied to other genres.<\/p>\n

How do you capture the moment?<\/h2>\n

How do you know when the right moment is? Well, start without the camera. Look around, try to plan and previsualise the photograph you hope to capture. Consider factors such as location and time of day. Then on location, consider your perspective, looking at all angles of your subject to get an idea of the whole picture; a slight change can alter the balance of a photograph. By doing this it is likely you will find something that interests you and \u2018the moment\u2019 will arise. However, also be open to serendipity and chance \u2013 the moment may arise quickly and unexpectedly. So it pays to be ready!<\/p>\n

Creative Vision<\/h2>\n

Although having the latest\/best\/suitable equipment can improve your photography, one of the most important elements of photography is having creative vision and developing your eye for capturing images. How you see the world will change the way you take photographs, and this will develop over time with practice.<\/p>\n

Elements that will help develop your creative eye include finding something of interest to you, becoming more aware of details, considering composition and perspective. Shooting with intention and consideration will capture the difference between a nice looking photograph and great one.<\/p>\n

Colour or black and white?<\/h2>\n\t\t
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Bold Colour – Yellow leaves, Photo: Joshua Waller<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Contrasting colours, or complimentary colours? Bold colours, and abstract thinking<\/a>.<\/strong> Once you start seeing things as shapes, and colours, rather than objects, such as trees, people, buildings, then you can start to see things in a more visual way. In this photo, the leaves are a radiant yellow colour, and by filling the frame with the leaves, we get a “wall of colour”.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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Shooting in black and white, if you start with a colour photo, you can get a range of different looks when converting to black and white.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Monochrome<\/strong> – Shoot in black and white, and get a different look. Or shoot in colour, and then convert to black and white later, and you can adjust how the image looks during the process. We’ll go over black and white photography in more detail in a later article, but for now, if this is something you’re interested in exploring more, have a look at this article on how to see in black and white<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Why is light so important in photography?<\/h2>\n

Light is everywhere. In photography, light can determine not only light and dark areas of a photograph, but also tone, mood and atmosphere. How you see, understand, and use light will help you make a difference between a \u2018boring\u2019 shot and an impactful one.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Find where the light is in a scene, and you can use it to highlight something in the frame, or give your images an additional level of contrast, interest, or pop, but if the light is wrong, then it can also ruin a photograph. Photo: Joshua Waller.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

If you are using natural light or shooting on location, try shooting the same subject or scene at different times of the day. Explore how the light changes the scene or subject. By returning to the same subject, you are also likely to experience and notice new things each time that will increase your creativity.<\/p>\n

High contrasting light and dark lighting, otherwise known as chiaroscuro<\/a>, can be dramatic and create atmosphere. Softer lighting, for example early in the morning, will create a more subtle effect.<\/p>\n

If you can train yourself to see the effects of light<\/strong>, you’ll start recognising the effects it has in your photography, and you’ll be able to see a great photo before you even take it. As you learn to see light, you’ll start seeing the change light can make to the colour in an image, for example, as the sun starts to set you’ll notice light takes on a warm yellow colour.<\/p>\n\n

Creativity – finding your own style, experimentation, try different things, what do you like?<\/h2>\n

Picking a subject or genre that you find interesting, will allow creativity to flow more easily, and you can enjoy the process much more. Once you have your subject, you could consider the following suggestions when taking photos:<\/p>\n

Textures and patterns:<\/strong> Incorporating textures and patterns into your photographs will add an element of interest and draw the eye in. Choosing subjects that have natural contrasted textures will make photographing texture much easier \u2013 subjects in nature and fashion for example offer plentiful options. Contrast can also highlight and emphasise textures where they are not as strong.<\/p>\n

Negative Space:<\/strong> Negative space is a term that refers to the large empty space and very few elements surrounding a subject, often creating dramatic narratives with emphasis and definition being drawn to the subject itself. Negative spaces are often solid backgrounds and the results can be very minimal, but can also take a more textured form \u2013 such as a brick wall, trees, grass, or sand. Utilising light and shadows can also be very effective.<\/p>\n

What is most important when using negative space is the scale and room around the subject, allowing for balance. You’ll want to\u00a0 read our guide to mastering minimalist architecture photography<\/a> if this sounds good to you.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Symmetry:<\/strong> A symmetrical composition can be very powerful. Look for natural symmetry in a scene, for example in architecture, nature and reflections.<\/p>\n\t\t

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A moorhen reflected in water, Olympus OM-1 photo, Photo: Joshua Waller<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Reflections:<\/strong> Reflections provide great photographic subject matter. Whether it\u2019s a mountain reflected in a lake, a neon sign reflected in a puddle, a bird reflected in water<\/a>, or one building reflected in the window of another, there are endless picture opportunities. When capturing a reflection in glass, you may have to move around to find the right perspective.<\/p>\n

Angles:<\/strong> Many photographs are typically taken at head height. Consider experimenting with different angles \u2013 looking up, down, or from low down or at a height. A camera with a tilt and swivel LCD screen can make this type of shot easier.<\/p>\n\n

What is Composition?<\/h2>\n

The general definition of composition is \u2018putting together using conscious thought\u2019. In photography, composition is the arrangement of the visual elements you see within a frame. It is your way of communicating your artistic vision to others, commanding the viewer\u2019s eye and directing them to what is important. A photograph shows the world what your camera sees, but when you create a composition, you show the world what you<\/strong> see.<\/p>\n

When you are photographing at a studio or other controlled environment, it is easier to control the composition because we are able to build the image ourselves. When working on location however, we need to take more consideration of our surroundings, what to include or not include in the frame to create an impact.<\/p>\n\t\t

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The Asian Openbill stork is in the midground, with a blurred foreground, and blurred background. Photo: Getty Images, Premanand Khilare<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Foreground, Midground and Background<\/h3>\n

A photographic composition is made up of the Foreground, Midground and Background. Using these three areas will help to build your shots together<\/p>\n