Lesson 2 - Objectives 13-16 (Thursday)
B02-13 Image composition basics
The Rule of Thirds: Image by Rachael Smith
13. Image Composition Basics
Sometimes, when there is a lot more in the picture then just your main subject, the emphasis of the photo becomes lost in the visual clutter. With Photoshop's or Camera Raw's Crop tool (C) you can edit out distracting bits of the photo and arrange the main focus using a rule of composition so that it has more emphasis.
Composition Rule 1: Rule of Thirds
This rule states that if the image were divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally that the important element is placed on or near one of these intersections. This rule has become so common that most cameras have a rule-of-thirds overlay that can be activated in either the viewfinder or on the preview screen.
In this image the people are the main focus and the picture has been cropped to place them over the lower right intersection of the rule-of-third lines. The top of the sand dune creates a strong horizontal line which you eye follows until it reaches the small figures of the people in the photograph.
The Golden Rule
The Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Rule which has several names, some of which are the Golden Mean, Golden Ratio, and Divine Proportion. This tends to be the composition rule that gets mathematically inclined folks really excited because it has to do with the infinitely extending number phi (similar to pi and is pronounced fie) more commonly known as the Fibonacci sequence. This rule won't be on any test, but if you're interested watch this (slightly dated and patched from several sources) video explaining a little bit more about the history of the Golden Rule. Fibonacci - World's most mysterious number (6:19). You'll find a downloadable Golden Section Grid and other videos on the Golden Mean in the Resources section.
Sometimes, when there is a lot more in the picture then just your main subject, the emphasis of the photo becomes lost in the visual clutter. With Photoshop's or Camera Raw's Crop tool (C) you can edit out distracting bits of the photo and arrange the main focus using a rule of composition so that it has more emphasis.
Composition Rule 1: Rule of Thirds
This rule states that if the image were divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally that the important element is placed on or near one of these intersections. This rule has become so common that most cameras have a rule-of-thirds overlay that can be activated in either the viewfinder or on the preview screen.
In this image the people are the main focus and the picture has been cropped to place them over the lower right intersection of the rule-of-third lines. The top of the sand dune creates a strong horizontal line which you eye follows until it reaches the small figures of the people in the photograph.
The Golden Rule
The Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Rule which has several names, some of which are the Golden Mean, Golden Ratio, and Divine Proportion. This tends to be the composition rule that gets mathematically inclined folks really excited because it has to do with the infinitely extending number phi (similar to pi and is pronounced fie) more commonly known as the Fibonacci sequence. This rule won't be on any test, but if you're interested watch this (slightly dated and patched from several sources) video explaining a little bit more about the history of the Golden Rule. Fibonacci - World's most mysterious number (6:19). You'll find a downloadable Golden Section Grid and other videos on the Golden Mean in the Resources section.
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Photo credit: Ludwig Keck (image used with permission)
Check out Mr. Keck's blog for some great tips on composition and other aspects of photography. As I was searching for resources this was one of the better-laid-out sites. The composition tips are also available in booklet form here.
Composition Rule 2: Avoid the Center (Usually-every rule is made to be broken, if you know why you're doing it!)
Following the rule of thirds helps you follow this rule as well. Perfectly centering the main focus of an image makes the picture so balanced it becomes "boring." Increase the interest of an image by cropping so the focus is away from the center. This is a great tip to remember when taking snapshots of friends and family.
Check out Mr. Keck's blog for some great tips on composition and other aspects of photography. As I was searching for resources this was one of the better-laid-out sites. The composition tips are also available in booklet form here.
Composition Rule 2: Avoid the Center (Usually-every rule is made to be broken, if you know why you're doing it!)
Following the rule of thirds helps you follow this rule as well. Perfectly centering the main focus of an image makes the picture so balanced it becomes "boring." Increase the interest of an image by cropping so the focus is away from the center. This is a great tip to remember when taking snapshots of friends and family.
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Composition Rules Caveat
I say avoid the center (usually) because on the rare occasion placing the subject dead center actually works. Click here to see an example of centered composition. In this example the shapes and angles created by the walls, walkways, and contrasting colors are so strong and dramatic that it actually looks best centered. Breaking the rules on occasion is acceptable if it is deliberate and if the resulting photo is strong because of it. However in most cases you'll still want to go by the Rules.
I say avoid the center (usually) because on the rare occasion placing the subject dead center actually works. Click here to see an example of centered composition. In this example the shapes and angles created by the walls, walkways, and contrasting colors are so strong and dramatic that it actually looks best centered. Breaking the rules on occasion is acceptable if it is deliberate and if the resulting photo is strong because of it. However in most cases you'll still want to go by the Rules.
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Composition Rule 3: Fill the Frame, or Cropping Close
This involves cropping the image so that the subject extends off several sides of the frame. The effect is essentially to bring the subject "closer" to the viewer. In keeping with the previous rules, the main focus of the girl's face has been placed over the upper left rule of thirds intersection. Photo: 1421973 http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1421973 Belovodchenko Anton |
Horizon Lines
A horizon line is where the curve of the earth in the distance creates a natural line. When objects extend above this line where they meet the sky is called a skyline. Because both of these create a natural line element the photo will look better if the most obvious horizontal line is on or near the top or bottom rule-of-thirds line instead of centered. (The picture below is a "bad" photo with the horizon line dead center.)
Composition Rule #4: Avoid Uncomfortable Visual Tangents
"The word tangent usually just indicates that two things are touching, but in art the term describes shapes that touch in a way that is visually bothersome." - Dianne Mize. See the red arrow pointing at the mountain peak? That is a visually uncomfortable tangent because it is almost touching the edge of the picture..
The basic rule of thumb about tangents is "never have elements that almost touch." If you can, move the edge away from the tangent or crop tighter so that the original tangent point goes past the frame edge. For more guidelines on tangents, check out Avoiding Tangents: 9 Visual Blunders Every Artist Should Watch Out For by Dianne Mize.
Photography Tip: Leave yourself enough room to crop!
When you take a photograph frame up your composition so it looks good in the view finder and then zoom back just a bit. This will leave you some extra wiggle room around the edges of what will eventually be your final picture. This comes in really useful when cropping and also when you end up printing on canvas and need extra photo to wrap around the frame.
A horizon line is where the curve of the earth in the distance creates a natural line. When objects extend above this line where they meet the sky is called a skyline. Because both of these create a natural line element the photo will look better if the most obvious horizontal line is on or near the top or bottom rule-of-thirds line instead of centered. (The picture below is a "bad" photo with the horizon line dead center.)
Composition Rule #4: Avoid Uncomfortable Visual Tangents
"The word tangent usually just indicates that two things are touching, but in art the term describes shapes that touch in a way that is visually bothersome." - Dianne Mize. See the red arrow pointing at the mountain peak? That is a visually uncomfortable tangent because it is almost touching the edge of the picture..
The basic rule of thumb about tangents is "never have elements that almost touch." If you can, move the edge away from the tangent or crop tighter so that the original tangent point goes past the frame edge. For more guidelines on tangents, check out Avoiding Tangents: 9 Visual Blunders Every Artist Should Watch Out For by Dianne Mize.
Photography Tip: Leave yourself enough room to crop!
When you take a photograph frame up your composition so it looks good in the view finder and then zoom back just a bit. This will leave you some extra wiggle room around the edges of what will eventually be your final picture. This comes in really useful when cropping and also when you end up printing on canvas and need extra photo to wrap around the frame.
As a general guideline, avoid horizon lines in the center of an image.
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Watch for uncomfortable visual tangents.
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Changing the resolution setting of your camera to the highest resolution will also help you make successful crops. Having more pixels in your original image leaves you more options for how to edit it later.
Additional Resources: Recommended Reading for Composition
10 Top Photography Composition Rules: A good introduction to composition (Alternate link to PDF)
10 Top Photography Composition Rules: A good introduction to composition (Alternate link to PDF)
B02-14 Value - the lights and darks in an image
The term 'value' in art and photography refers to the value of light. The more light, the higher the value. Pure white light has the highest value on a value scale. Conversely, black has the lowest value. Value is critical to painting or photography because value changes are what creates contrast in an image. Our eyes tend to be drawn to areas of highest contrast in a picture or graphic. You've learned that a histogram is basically a chart of values in an image, from black to white (or dark to light). In photography, we often try to make the histogram balanced, like in the image below. This gives a full range spread from black, through the mid-tones, to white.
However, this is not our only option when playing with value in an image. Sometimes artists push the histogram toward the dark side on purpose. These are called low key images. Other times artists push the histogram toward the light side of the value spectrum. These are called high key images. Below are some examples of each. Value is one of the elements of art, along with line, shape, color, space, form, and texture. You can read more about the elements of art here - http://thevirtualinstructor.com/artfundamentals.html
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-key_lighting
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Source: http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Světlo_ve_fotografii
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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wefi_official/5371653178
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Click these two thumbnails to see their histograms!
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B02-15 Positive and negative space in an image - they are both important!
Composition Rule #5: Remember that the negative space is important too!
Negative space is the space between objects or parts of an object. Negative space can be very important because it creates its own shape and counts as one of the photo's elements. Sometimes you may hear me say of a photo or design "It needs some more breathing room." This means that it could use a little more negative space between the type or main subject and the edge of the picture or design. To see some truly fun uses of negative space check out this website. Positive space is the area taken up by your main emphasis.
Negative space is the space between objects or parts of an object. Negative space can be very important because it creates its own shape and counts as one of the photo's elements. Sometimes you may hear me say of a photo or design "It needs some more breathing room." This means that it could use a little more negative space between the type or main subject and the edge of the picture or design. To see some truly fun uses of negative space check out this website. Positive space is the area taken up by your main emphasis.
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Space is also one of the basic elements of art. You need to be aware not only of the positive space in your image, because the negative space is just as important. Creative use of negative spaces can add beauty and emphasis to your designs and images. Have a look at the examples above to see what I mean. Click on each for a larger view. These were all found on Pinterest.com.
