Today on the blog, we’re kicking off a two-part series on composition for all you aspiring photographers out there!
My Composition Journey
If you tuned in last week, you probably remember that we talked all about the Exposure Triangle! If you didn’t see that blog post…you can go look through that HERE.
With your understanding of the Exposure Triangle, I am thrilled to start our next topic of discussion today: part one of a two-part series on composition! This will be a two-part series simply because there is SO much content to share!
Fun fact: one of my favorite things in photography is COMPOSITION. This isn’t something that came naturally. I mean, it was BAD for that first few years (yes, I said years!). I cut off limbs, I had weird, awkward angles, the horizon lines were totally crooked (it looked like families were in a circus funhouse!), and I never noticed the things in the backgrounds of my images.
But with a little bit of practice and a whole lot of stalking all my favorite photographers (and someone telling me to STOP tilting my damn camera sideways for “artistic effect” point-blank…also I don’t think she said damn but I kind of wish she would have!) things got BETTER! And the better they got, the more I loved what I was shooting. Then, I realized the reason I loved them was because I was actually finding natural composition elements to follow.
So, here I am, hoping to help you skip the ugly years, and jump right into images that you love and you are proud of!
Your Composition Journey
So, let’s talk about composition!
There are so many reasons why our brains tell us we love an image (besides the subjects photographed obviously), but it usually comes down to composition. There is an abundance of composition “rules” to follow, but I’m going to share some of the most commonly used ones and the ones I love most. Again, I am doing this in today’s blog and next week’s blog because there is lots of love to go around and I can’t choose a favorite!
Composition Rules
- Rule of Thirds- The rule of thirds is a basic principle that helps you to compose interesting and balanced shots. It works by imagining that your image is divided into nine parts. According to the rule of thirds, if you place your subject at the top, bottom, left or right area, then it will make a good composition.
- Depth/Layers – Think Foreground-Middle Ground-Background (Bonus: one of these images ALSO uses framing!)
- Framing- Using elements of a scene to create a frame within your frame. For example, you might shoot through a doorway, pulled back curtains, branches, fences, tunnels, or arches to highlight your subject.
- Fill the Frame- The frame refers to the edges of the photograph or your camera’s viewfinder. So, filling the frame means to make the subject(s) a significant part of your final photograph.
- Leading Lines- A leading line paves an easy path for the eye to follow through different elements of a photo.
Snag Your Freebie
Looking to up your photography game? Click here to snag my free guide, “The 15 Rules to Photography Composition”, and you’ll receive all the need-to-know in order to make that happen!
