Tipster: Exploring Different Photography Compositions

For many beginners in film photography, the gateway techniques to better composition are leading lines, frames within frames, and the rule of thirds. But there's a few other ways to look at a scene and create a harmonic or story-driven image.

In this tipster, we're looking at more composition techniques to try out or keep in mind to upgrade your photographer's eye. Let's get into it!

Centered Composition

While this composition technique goes against the rule of thirds which guides us to place our subject to the left or right third of an image, we can still come up with balanced or interesting images by putting our subject at the center and gauging the other elements of the scene.

Take these photos from community members @jimnest, @materiagrezza, @ivancherepashuk, @plazmotron and @yanafedotova which made use of the centered composition to create a visually-appealing image. In these photos, our eyes are directed at the center of the image, but other elements such as the metal railings, two individuals standing back to back, or the unbalanced branches of a tree allow these images to stand out.

Left to Right Rule

The left to right rule in photography is based in the natural way we as viewers process or view an image starting from one direction to the next. In this case, if a subject is moving from left to right, it makes sense to place them on the left side of the image and create enough space opposite in order to create an appealing image.

For example, these shots by @wil6ka, @glezserna, @comikanalog and @zozofilms guide the viewers' eyes from the left side to the right side of the image, creating an image with a clear and satisfying sense of direction.

Patterns & Textures

Patterns and textures are abundant in our surroundings, especially in our natural environment. Often times revealing their beauty only takes a curious eye, and patience in order to find the right angle or wait for the perfect moment.

Whether it's a wood pattern, the stars above us or random synchronizations we see daily, patterns and textures also make for interesting images on film.

Minimalism

Instead of being driven by a thought-out narrative, these photos could just be celebrating a simple aesthetic or a straightforward scene, such as the harmonious interplay between shapes and colors. Take inspiration from these photos by community members @abik, @freakoftheweek, @kleeblatt, @amp_puttipong and @popoti to create striking photos with minimal elements.

Layering

Adding a foreground, middle distance and background makes for an interesting image where there's more than one subject to see and more than one story to be told. We can add depth to our images by surveying our surroundings, looking for objects to use as a foreground or scenes to use as background.

Much like the frame within frame technique, we can also use structures or objects such as trees to relate one section of an image to another.

Do you have more composition techniques to recommend? Share them with us in the comments section below!

written by sylvann on 2024-10-25 #tutorials #beginner #composition #basic-techniques Share Article