Composing Your Digital Photo

When you look at a photo that pleases you, can you detect the subtleties that make it appealing? Are you able to see which of its elements capture your attention? This article will look at the basic techniques of good photo composition that will result in a beautiful engaging photo.

What makes a good photo?

To spot good photographic subjects, you must start by learning to take a fresh look at things around you. You don't have to look far to find a good subject, but you will have to become aware of shape, form, color, and light, all of which combine to make interesting images.

Begin at home, you should not have to travel further than your own garden to find suitable subjects. Color - take a second look at objects that other people would take for granted. Candid photography - portraits make powerful and direct subjects that elicit immediate emotional responses.

Which format?

A common mistake made by beginners to photography is to assume that the camera should always be held horizontally because it is designed to be more comfortable that way. Use a vertical format if it complements your subject's shape. The imposing height of a skyscraper is emphasized by adopting a vertical format. The horizontal format is a natural choice for landscape photography.

Filling your frame - a simple way to improve the impact of an image is to get closer to your subject so that it fills the frame. It prevents the subject from becoming lost against ugly or distracting background details. Use a telephoto lens if it's not possible to get closer to your subject.

Where to place your subject - the rule of thirds. Where a subject is placed in the camera frame helps to determine its importance in the composition. But don't feel that your main subject always has to be right in the centre - the effect of this can be rather dull. Composition is usually improved by placing the main subject off-centre. The rule of thirds - imagine that your picture area is divided horizontally and vertically into thirds by two equidistance lines. Each line forms a good location for important structural elements in the composition, and any of the points where two of the lines intersect (four positions in total) would be suitable position for your picture's main centre of interest.

Using the foreground - choose your viewpoint carefully to include strong foreground detail, which gives your image a sense of depth and distance. You may be able to use complementary foreground details to fill the frame if your main subject is small. Emphasize foreground detail by raising your viewpoint and angling the camera downwards.

This is a short discussion on composition and I hope to discuss more aspects of composition in future articles.

Andrew Low is an executive search consultant who enjoys photography in his spare time. After toying with a digital compact camera, he had upgraded to a Digital SLR Camera and is enjoying and learning more of digital photography. You can read more news and reviews of digital photography at his website at http://www.leisure808.com and his blog at http://www.leisure808.com/updates

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