Working with composition

[kenpossum]

Took this pic of a Least Sandpiper at Iona with a couple of my UFV photo students this week. Looks ok but it could be better. What it lacks is attention to composition. The bird is centred in the frame making it difficult for my eyes to be at ease looking at it.





One solution is to follow the Rule of Thirds. This process involves dividing the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically, creating four points of intersection.




The prime subject is placed at one of those intersections, away from the centre of the image.







If the subject is large, try to put the head or eyes at the intersection. Try this, not just with your bird images, but all your photos. Later, when you get good at it, we will discuss breaking the rule the way Robert Bateman often does.

[oldfulica]

Hi ken
That is one of the first tips I learned when I joined the local camera club.
What a difference it makes. I bet you think that is a Least Sandpiper because of the yellow legs . However it is too big and look at the clear line across the breast. I bet it is that Pectoral in the background of your previous duck picture.

[dpeppar]

Good tip Ken. Since we tend to centre the bird in the frame to get the best focus and also most birds to not stay still for a frame in camera shot your tip is essential. 100% of my final pictures have some type of post processing done to it.

DaveP

[trudi]

So Ken i was right with my first thought ...should not have second guessed ourselves!!ongrats on your lifer there.

[kenpossum]

While I'll be! Thank you so much Len, as what Trudi wrote, she thought it was a Pectoral but we wavered a bit. The Pectoral is a lifer! Thanks Trudi for finding it for me.

Yes, as Dave stated, we most often use the centre-point focus option at the moment of capture, then have to post-process to adjust for composition. I have to do this very often.