Composition by Andrea Anderson
My name is Andrea of @mama_and_little. I'm a mama of a two and four year old, with our third due this fall. We live in the beautiful PNW. My children and I love exploring and taking walks in different natural locations around our area. In addition to photography I enjoy knitting, reading, hiking, drawing, singing, and playing guitar. I dabbled in photography from a young age. My parents bought me my first digital camera at twelve and I enjoyed taking photos of my younger sisters. I started getting more serious about photography when my oldest was born. I decided to attempt taking his newborn photos and a few months later I began my first project 365. From there I’ve been continuing learning and growing as a photographer through groups such as p52 clicks. I’m honored to be sharing a little about composition with you this month.
What is Composition?
To put it simply, composition is how the elements within the photograph are arranged. This can be something as obvious as where you position the main subject, or as subtle as the placement of certain colors throughout the frame. How you choose to compose your frame will determine the story you tell. Even the slightest change of your angle and position can greatly affect the scene you capture. Composition includes a myriad of different aspects, a few of which I will touch on in the following sections.
Basic Compositional Elements
It’s important to have a basic understanding of the “rules” of composition to then be able to either follow them or break them with purpose. Having a good understanding of the fundamentals will give you a solid foundation on which to branch out and experiment artistically. Photography and art as a whole is up to the discretion of the artist and their vision; So while I’ll be speaking a bit about the “rules” keep in mind that art is subjective and it’s up to the artist whether or not they follow them.
The following are a few examples of different elements of composition with photos for illustration. Often a photo will contain many of the different aspects within the same frame.
Leading lines - Lines within an image can help to draw the viewer's eye through the frame. They can help draw your eye to the subject as well as deeper into the photograph.
Framing - Framing is using the elements in an image to surround the subject and help draw the viewer's eye where you want them to look. It can add depth and interest to an otherwise flat image. The framing can be as subtle as shooting through foliage or as literal as the frame of a mirror.
Symmetry - Symmetry is achieved when, if the image is divided evenly, the two sides mirror each other. Our minds subconsciously look for patterns and repetition within images, and symmetry can add a sense of balance which is pleasing to the eye.
Rule of thirds - The rule of thirds is achieved when, if the image is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically, the points of interest fall on one of the four intersections. Generally if the subject is facing one side of the frame, you would position them so that they are looking into the frame rather than towards the edge. Though again, rules are made to be broken. Having the subject facing towards the edge of the frame can add a sense of mystery to the image; leaving the viewer to wonder what the subject sees.
Center composition - With center composition the subject is placed in the middle of the frame. This composition lends itself well to be combined with other elements such as leading lines, scale, and negative space.
Creative Compositional Elements
The following parts of composition are a little more nuanced and tend to break the “rules” more often than the earlier examples. Incorporating unexpected compositions into your work can be freeing and even help you break out of photographic ruts.
Negative space - Negative space is the area surrounding your subject that lacks much visual information. The simplicity provides contrast against your subject making it stand out from the frame.
Creative crops - Experimenting with unconventional crops can lead to creating compelling and playful images. Cropping can help bring focus to parts of the frame that you wish to draw attention to and is an excellent way to capture the small details of a scene.
Filling the frame - Filling the frame with your subject works well with portraits and images of small details. It helps to simplify the image and can also cut out distractions that may be around your subject.
Movement - When the subject is moving through the frame from one side to the other, generally you would place them so that they are heading into the frame. Typically you wouldn’t place them on the rule of thirds facing the edge of the frame. Doing this can leave the viewer with a sense of tension. Because many countries read from left to right, it is said that we subconsciously read photographs the same way. Placing your subject so that the movement is from left to right can help give the image better flow. Personally I tend to flip the image either way and see which I prefer. Be sure to pay attention to things within the image that must also then be flipped, such as words and familiar logos.
Scale - Scale is the size of an object in relation to another. In these examples I’ve made my subject small in the frame in relation to his surroundings to exaggerate his smallness and vulnerability.
Layering - Layering typically includes foreground, midground, and background. It helps to add depth and dimension to an image. In the first image I cut small branches from a tree whose leaves had turned to fall colors and shot through them to add depth to the image.
Perspectives - Changing perspectives can have a dramatic effect upon composition and the story you portray. Shooting from above is a personal favorite as it’s easier to fully capture all the different details of a scene. Shooting from a low perspective can add interesting elements to an image that you wouldn’t otherwise see. In the first image, the puddle that my son was standing near was actually very small, but because I shot from a low vantage point I was able to capture the reflection of him and the flowers in the water.
A few things to be conscious of
Crooked horizons and lines - Unless it is an obvious artistic choice, having crooked lines in a photo can leave it looking haphazard. If you tend to shoot crooked, see if your camera has an overlay in the viewfinder that shows whether or not the camera is level. I used this tool often when first starting out and though I don’t use it now, I’ve found it trained my eye to shoot straighter than I used to.
Hard lines intersecting your subject's head - Placing your horizon line, or other strong lines, so that they cut through the subject’s head disrupts the flow of an image and can be distracting.
Unintentional limp chops - The general rule is to avoid cropping an image on any joints. Doing so can make an image look sloppy.
Horizon placement - Typically placing the horizon in the exact middle of the frame can leave the photo feeling unbalanced. While it can be done well, it is a little trickier to execute. It is often more pleasing to the eye to have the horizon either nearer the top or bottom third.
Editing Tips
The Composition Overlay Tool - While in the develop module in Lightroom, click on the “Crop” button and you will see an overlay on the image of a type of composition. I believe the default is the rule of thirds, but if you press the O key on your keyboard, you can then toggle between the different overlays. If you wish to change the orientation of an overlay press shift + O.
Straightening Lines - While in the develop module in Lightroom, scroll to the “Transform” panel on the right hand side. You will find several buttons labeled Auto, Level, Vertical, and Full. You can choose between any of these, but I find that Auto or Full tend to work best for me.
Crop Constrain Aspect Ratio - When cropping in Lightroom be sure to have the little padlock icon locked. You can do this simply by clicking on it. When I first began editing I didn’t know this and would crop my photos any way I wanted without paying attention to aspect ratio. I didn’t realize there were standard sizes you had to crop in to be able to print properly.
Straightening a Crooked Horizon - This is a simple method to straighten a crooked horizon in Lightroom. When the crop tool is selected, you should then see a small icon that looks like a ruler. Click on the icon, and once it’s selected simply click on one side of the horizon, hold down your mouse button and drag the line across your frame to the other side of the horizon. This tool can also be used on vertical lines.