Rule of Thirds

One of the keys to good composition is to understand how to frame what you see. A tried and true tool is the Rule of Thirds. If you were to divide the picture area into nine equal boxes, and then use the intersecting lines as guides for placing your subject, you’ll find it often creates a stronger composition.

Just take a look at the first image where the cyclist is centered in the image.



Now look at the second image with the rider is further to the left.



If we overlay the grids from the rule of thirds, you can see that the cyclist in the first photograph is in between grid lines. The image is missing something, and that is a sense of balance.



Now look at the second image with grid superimposed, and notice how the cyclist is now close to an intersecting line. The result is that it creates a more balanced image that gives the rider more impact. What’s great is that some cameras have a grid overlay as an option in your display menu, so you can take advantage of this great tip anytime you want.




A great book on this subject is Real World Digital Photography

Look for the Light

Here's another situation where we come upon a wonderful visual opportunity. But sometimes the first place you see doesn't have the kind of light quality that makes for a great image. Here, because the light is coming from behind the building, there is nothing to help define the shapes.



By walking around the building (I went from the east facing side to the northwest facing side), I was able to take advantage of the late afternoon light to capture brilliant highlights and deep shadows that made the building much more three dimensional.
In fact, if I were to think about the five most important things to look for before creating an image, one of them certainly would be to scout your location carefully and observe how light falls onto your subject.

Keep It Simple

It’s normal to want to take a picture of a beautiful scene you happen upon. You hop out of the car, and shoot a picture that takes in as much as you can see with your bare eyes. But most times, including too much hurts the composition because the viewer does not know what to focus on. Rather than having an immediate response to the image, the viewer’s eyes wander all over the frame trying to take it all in. Just look at this image to see what I mean.



The best solution is to simplify the number of elements in the image as in the image seen below. By driving a bit further, literally a few hundred yards, I found a spot where the elements were reduced to just four—sky, clouds, mountains and trees. The result is an image with more punch, and a stronger ability to hold the viewer's attention.

Look for Color

There are so many ways to look at color. Of course there is the obvious scene bursting with vibrant, rich color like this image of an athlete.



But you also want to be on the lookout for times when color is subtle, even close to monochromatic. Here’s an example of how a foggy day can create soft, romantic light and a dramatic high key image. In fact, one of the best suggestions I can make to be grateful for rain, snow and fog. They create marvelous opportunities to capture color in unusual ways. Just be prepared to protect your equipment, and yourself, from the elements.

Watch Your Angle of View

Changing your angle of view can have a big impact on your photographs. In the first example, the picture is shot from eye level, which would probably be the first inclination you would have in taking the photograph. And the subjects were just asked to stand in the field, also the simplest and most common approach that comes to mind in that situation. The result is that your subjects seem distant, not only because you are taking in so much visually, but also emotionally, since you are looking down on them.


But by asking the subjects to sit on the ground, bringing the camera down to just below their faces and coming in closer, you can create a more intimate, warm and engaging portrait. That's because by bringing the camera to below the subjects, you not only are looking up to them literally, but pychologically as well. It's a wonderful tool for creating emotional punch, one that works in the reverse as well. Shooting from an extreme high angle creates the pyschological impression of looking down on the subject.



So the next time you shoot a portrait, resist the urge to just point and shoot. Instead, have fun playing with the angle of view, either high or low, for more impact and to make more of a statement.