Composition of Photography
Techniques for creating a perfect photographic composition
Creating a perfect photographic composition can be made easy by following a few of the most well-known and practiced techniques in photography. These techniques include: The Golden Mean/ Rule of Thirds, Balancing Elements, Leading Lines, Symmetry and Patterns, Viewpoint, Background, Depth, Framing, and Cropping.
Golden Mean / Rule of Thirds
“The golden ratio is perfectly balanced, and that balance makes it pleasing to the human eye.”
The golden mean is actually a number ratio of 1 to 1.618; in math it is known as the golden ratio. The golden mean is found by taking a line or shape and dividing it into two parts, then if you divide the length of the longest section by the length of the smallest section, it is equal to the original length of the shape divided by the longest section. If you keep doing this, you get an interesting and mathematically perfect composition. It resembles a spiral also known as theFibonacci spiral.The most amazing part of the Fibonacci spiral is that it can be found in nature. In photography, the golden mean can be used to highlight the main subject and lead the viewer’s eye through the entire composition.
In photography it is important to create a balanced composition. One of the most important techniques in photography is keeping in mind the rule of thirds. It is a 3x3 grid that splits up the photograph into sections, it is also known as the Phi Grid. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines of the grid, your photo becomes more balanced.
Balancing Elements
To create a balanced composition, we must arrange images within a frame so that the objects are of equal visual weight.
When different parts of a photo have equal weights, perfect balance is achieved. There are different types of balancing elements that important to photography. They aresymmetrical balance (also known as formal balance), asymmetrical balance (also known as formal balance), radial balance,balance through color and value, and balance through contrasts in value.
Leading Lines
A creative way to make a meaningful composition and direct the viewer’s eye to a main point of interest is to use leading lines. They can be intentional or unintentional (found in your surroundings or nature). Natural lines can create an interesting narrative for the photograph interpreted by the viewer. Changing the view point of the leading lines can also make a photograph more interesting.
Symmetry and Patterns
Similar to balance, a symmetrical composition is achieved when both halves of a photograph hold the same weight. However, symmetry does not mean that the two halves mirror each other. Symmetry can also be achieved when different elements on both halves are arranged having similar weight.
Symmetry can be used with patterns. A repeated object forms symmetry, and if you repeat it again, you’ll have repetition and begin to form a pattern.
Viewpoint
The viewpoint refers to the position a photographer takes a photograph from. This will also be the viewer’s point of view when looking at the final composition. Different vantage points and angles can help you achieve interesting viewpoints, and dramatically change the overall feel of the photograph.
Background
In photography the background is behind the main subject of the photograph. It is the setting of the photograph.It is usually second to the subject. Layering your background can give the photo a sense of depth. Sometimes the background can be blurred, which is a cool effect but also gives further importance to the subject.
Depth
Depth gives a two-dimensional image a real three-dimensional feel. There are many ways to achieve this such as, including an element of interest in the foreground to enhance the sense of depth; this will lead the viewer’s eye around the scene, from foreground to background. Changing your viewpoint or angle, as well as layering the background or capturing leading lines, can enhance the depth of your photo.
Framing
Framing is one of the most important characteristics of photography. It is the technique of bringing importance to your subject by blocking other parts of the image with something in the scene. Architecture, nature, and other elements can naturally frame a photo, which can make it very interesting. Framing helps lead your eye to the main subject.
Cropping
In photography, cropping means to deleted unwanted areas from a photograph. It is one of the most basic photo manipulation and editing processes. Cropping is a great tool because instead of deleting the photo all you need to do is to crop the image, bringing importance to the subject you want in focus.
