Photography

Composition And Framing

Everywhere we look these days beautiful images capture our attention; whether it be on social media, billboards, magazines, you name it! Intriguing photos of places we’ve never seen and may never go which envelop us for a moment… but we are also inundated with dull and mundane photos which we tend to forget, which hold no memory whatsoever.

So what’s the difference? What makes or breaks a photo? What is it that makes a photo stand out? That makes a photo great?

What makes a photo great is composition and framing, aligning shapes to please the eye, showing subjects and scenes in the best possible light that spark a feeling.

Framing is all down to creative flair, most people don’t get past simply putting what they see inside the space, this makes for a bland photo.

Find your Auntie’s Instagram page of sunsets and flowers and tell me what they all have in common?… I’ll tell you, they are all boring, they are all the same, and there is nothing captivating.

We all see the world differently and photography is a great example of that. What you choose to put in the frame will convey your style and convey what you want others to see.

To develop your craft you must go beyond simply framing what is in view. Great photographers take what is both beautiful and ugly and position them in the best possible way to create intrigue.

The Rule Of Thirds

A great rule to start with is the rule of thirds, what you are doing is dividing your picture into 3 vertical and 3 horizontal pieces, so 9 equal parts.

Now what you need to do is place the subject where the line falls or where the point of the intersecting lines are - so the left or the right third. This leaves space in the image; this little trick will make your photo that little bit more dynamic. Rather than just having what you see right bang in the middle of the frame, put it off kilter to balance it.

The rule of thirds is a good rule, a simple rule, a great rule when beginning and you’ll notice as your craft develops that you use it an awful lot without thought. The thing is, once you practice enough it’ll come naturally, you won’t always be looking for it, the eye just finds it the most pleasing.

Foreground

Foreground is what is closest to you as opposed to background. Using the terrain around you as foreground can add that bit of depth to your picture. Find something that is present in the environment that you’re in; if you’re in a city the edge of a light pole, if you’re in the outdoors a tree or a bush. What you’re trying to do is add an element that creates distance and depth, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in focus - and a lot of the time isn’t

Below are two similar photos, one with foreground, one without, which is more interesting do you think?

The one with foreground gives dimension to the image, it’s not so flat, the one without is just that bit more dull in comparison, it’s flat literally, 2 dimensional.

Little tip, I’ll sometimes hold something colourful in the corner of my lens to add a spark of colour that’s not there, slightly obscuring the shot and sometimes filling space that’s not so interesting.

Natural Framing

Finding natural frames is similar to foreground as you’re putting something in the forefront of your image. What you’re looking for is a gap found in the environment surrounded by an obstacle; this might be a hole in a wall, looking through a window frame or doorway, a rock formation, the arch of a branch.

A natural frame gives a feeling that you are seeing all that you need to see within the frame, it encloses the subject.

What you’re essentially doing is placing the subject in a position where it is surrounded, so you’re looking to confine the viewers focus.

Reflections

Reflections are interesting in themselves, simple but interesting.

Reflections are one of the few subjects which are pre-prepared by nature; it’s always good to make this the focus point when a reflection is present.

Reflections can be found in all manner of places, any reflective surface can add that little extra something; windows in the city, puddles in the rain, a mirror, the symmetry of a sunset on a lake surface, keep an eye out.

Tip, for a little bit of obscurity try focusing on the reflection, this can make an abstract photo, try flipping the image, a view that we don’t always think about, and the best thing in photography that you can achieve is to make someone think.

Low Angle, High Angle & Perspective

This one I tend to forget.  If you do remember, remember to crouch down low every once in a while close to the ground. Don’t be shooting up people’s skirts you sick pervert that’s not what I meant! Gosh!

If you’re on the edge of something, look down, it sounds easy but sometimes forgotten as that’s not how we perceive the world. We perceive the world at eye level, that’s why drone shots are so popular at the moment, it’s a view we don’t tend to see in everyday life.

Low angles, looking up at objects and people can give a sense of power and awe; like towering skyscrapers maybe there is something in us from when we were kids looking up to adults.

While high angles can do the exact opposite, it can make the subject look vulnerable or helpless like looking down at a crying toddler or an insect.

The viewpoint you choose can say something that appeals to the subconscious.

The other view is the altering of perception or perspective.  Perspective is the size in relation to subject, a distortion of how we view the world, we see the world at 35mm, and by using different focal lengths you can manipulate this, showing the world in a different view. That’s how most trick photography is done.

Leading Lines

Leading lines are brilliant if you want to draw the viewer’s attention to a certain part of the image. Our eyes naturally are drawn to the furthest point, the converging point.

When you’re driving you’re not looking directly in front of you, you are looking ahead, that is the same for leading lines you are looking down the line, to the end point.

Remember, lines can lead you to the wrong point of an image as well, so putting your subject at the point of interest is paramount.

So be on the look out for paths, hallways, streams, roads, something that is leading somewhere, the eye will follow.

Simplification & Minimalism

Simplification and minimalism is one of my favourite styles. Sometimes the object itself is enough but you have to know when this is the case and when it isn’t. Textures and colours can really make a simple image pop, lots of modern art focuses on minimalism and when it works, it works well.

What you’re doing is ridding the frame of unnecessary elements; you should be doing this anyhow but in this case do it to the extreme so that there is the bare minimum so that there are as few components as possible.

Clear the image, clear your mind.

Negative Space

Negative space is again clearing the frame of the unwanted but in this case you’re filling it with nothing, you are leaving a part of the image totally empty.

Negative space follows the rules of simplicity in that you are not giving many options to the viewer, you are controlling their attention, by giving them no options, it can work well but again looking at nothing can be very dull indeed.

Horizon lines

Horizon lines come into play whenever you can see the line in the background.  Make sure it’s straight - that is key, a wonky horizon line doesn’t look right, it looks unstable.

But where is the best place to let the horizon line fall? As with most photos you don’t want to play it safe, half way is okay but again this can lead to a pretty standard photo.

What’s better is down 2/3 or up 1/3 of the image, following the rule of thirds, this rule is definitely down to feel, I sometimes even go 4/5 or 1/5 for dynamics.

If the sky is overcast and not offering much I’ll hide it, if it’s brilliant and vibrant I’ll make it the view point of the photo.

Symmetry

Symmetry is the most beautiful thing in nature and in photography simple to achieve if on offer. What you are looking for is unity and harmony. We all have the same picture in our portfolios looking straight down a jetty. Unless the subject is beautiful the dynamics can be unimaginative, always look for the best possible way to capture the symmetry.

When you’re practicing, go nuts! It’s important to master all techniques, and balance is essential and aesthetically pleasing. 

Perfect symmetry catches the eye, but be aware in the case of photography it won’t hold the viewer’s attention for that long.  A great rule to fall back on maybe or you could make it your style like Wes Anderson has.

Patterns & Textures

Patterns and textures paint the world around us and they can hold great beauty alone.  Repetition can be found everywhere, and sometimes a pattern is compelling enough that capturing just it is all you need. The key to capturing patterns is to keep it simple.

Textures can also hold enough character to be fascinating, an old wall or a wrinkled face is interesting in itself, it tells its own story without effort, it’s also a great thing to focus on. I have a gallery of just colours and textures I love them.

Colour & Shade

Colour! My favourite! 

Colour gives life without even trying to capture our attention. Balancing colour is so important… unless you’re a black and white fanatic then what do you care hey, but balancing shade is equally as important shade creates character.

Keep a look out for colour combinations and vibrancy, colour palettes are curious things, who knows why some combinations work so well, colour alone can make a great image.

Layers

Ogres have layers, onions have layers, photos have layers.

Layers are important as they create depth to your image, the third dimension, having foreground, background and middle ground adds layers to look at and focus on.

Layers can create a complex photo. When there are multiple levels to a photo, this can create curiosity as you search the frame for details. Busy photos can be hectic but if the settings are right who cares.

Fill The Frame & Cropping

Filling the frame is a simple way of making your photo less busy.

You are focusing on one thing and one thing alone. Being tight on a subject will make it the main focus. In most cases you’ll want to eliminate the background and any other distraction, this can be done through cropping or blurring the background out entirely.

Cropping is also a life saver when editing, a photo not quite right can be made right with a tweak or two.

Focus

Where to focus is down to where you want the viewer to look, the beauty of focus is you don’t always have to be in focus depending on your style.

With this photo below, I have the flower as the main centre point of attention. As you can see there is something in the image that we all know, the Eiffel Tower, but the Eiffel Tower is not the focus of the picture.

Landscape photos tend to need to be in sharp focus and the same with portraits, as you’re seeing the subject for exactly what it is.

If you’re trying to make something the heart of the photo, it’s important it’s in focus.  Something slightly blurry when it could be sharp is lazy, if you’re using a digital camera and you’re unsure zoom in to check - especially if you are using a slow shutter speed or a high aperture, you don’t want to get home to find the pivotal point of your photo is blurry.

No Rules

The last rule and my favourite rule - forget the rules, break the rules!

Maybe it’s all garbage and we are seeing rules where they don’t exist, maybe what we are trying to do is balance elements, the world is a complex place and anywhere we point the camera is a potential opportunity.

Ultimately after a time these rules don’t mean much, it’s great to learn them but when you’re about to click the button there aren’t any rules in your mind, all you are thinking is - is this pleasing to the eye?

The best thing to do is to get out there and take photos. Take bad photos until they become good. Be the biggest critic of your own work - it’s the only way you’ll improve. Try something other than the way you always have. Don’t look at all your photos and say “god damn I’m good”. Question yourself.  Did you capture what you intended to capture?

Just like a book, look for character, settings and story.

I have 3 tips

• If you don’t like something in your frame, reframe! Don’t put it in the frame; if something isn’t right, make it right.

• Switch it up, take a safety photo, the photo that’s framed by rules - but also take the photo that’s not, take the photo that’s an experiment.

• Now this one’s wild to the tame - delete photos!  That’s right -delete them there and then! Photos that don’t meet your expectations, if you don’t like the look of it, trash it.

I say find your style, there are so many genres of photography, imitate the photographers you like. I found that I love colour, vibrancy and character so I know what I’m looking for.  I have in mind what I want before I click the button, you have to find your aim, you need to find your style.

The best way to get better is to take more photos, so get shooting.

Daris Laurins.