Post by kenpossum on Feb 5, 2011 22:38:03 GMT -8
Composition may be defined as the placement of the subject in the frame of the image. There are "rules' of composition, but these should only be considered as suggestions. The bottom line is - what makes the subject placement 'pleasing' to the eye? Then again, perhaps you do not wish for the image to be 'pleasing'.
I will start with an image of a Northern Harrier Hawk taken at Boundary Bay this week. (There was a horrid wind, and the hawk was a fair distance away. Even though I used 1/4000 sec the wind still affected the tripod even with IS/ VR.)
As is often the case when we have to shoot fast, a centre spot focus was used to capture the subject. The result is the subject is centred in the frame.
While this centred composition would be acceptable for a documentary photo, it lacks is image design appeal. Our eyes quickly go to the subject, but almost as quickly travel off in all directions.
If we dissect the image space into three sections horizontally, and three sections vertically, there will be nine small rectangles created by two horizontal and two vertical intersecting lines. Placing the main subject (the bird's face and eyes) near one of four line intersections is referred to as the Rule of Thirds. The off-set subject is more pleasing to the eye as the subject has been given more stability and space.
It is common to have the subject "look into" the image, so when the hawk's head turned, I reframed the composition.
These are only suggestions and as always the case, any 'rule' in art can always be broken, sometimes with very interesting results. More on that later.
I will start with an image of a Northern Harrier Hawk taken at Boundary Bay this week. (There was a horrid wind, and the hawk was a fair distance away. Even though I used 1/4000 sec the wind still affected the tripod even with IS/ VR.)
As is often the case when we have to shoot fast, a centre spot focus was used to capture the subject. The result is the subject is centred in the frame.
While this centred composition would be acceptable for a documentary photo, it lacks is image design appeal. Our eyes quickly go to the subject, but almost as quickly travel off in all directions.
If we dissect the image space into three sections horizontally, and three sections vertically, there will be nine small rectangles created by two horizontal and two vertical intersecting lines. Placing the main subject (the bird's face and eyes) near one of four line intersections is referred to as the Rule of Thirds. The off-set subject is more pleasing to the eye as the subject has been given more stability and space.
It is common to have the subject "look into" the image, so when the hawk's head turned, I reframed the composition.
These are only suggestions and as always the case, any 'rule' in art can always be broken, sometimes with very interesting results. More on that later.
