Rules of Composition

Rule of Thirds:

• If an image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines then you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines. Doing so will add balance to your photo.

Balancing Elements:

• By placing your main subject off-centre it creates a more interesting photo but you must fill the empty space with another object of lesser importance.

Leading Lines:

• When you place lines ( curvy,straight, diagonal, ec.) in a photo it can affect how people view the objects placed in the photo.

Symmetry and Patterns:

• Using symmetry and patterns can really catch the viewer's attention. One way to use this rule is to have the symmetry and pattern break, causing tension and making one point in the photo the focus.

Viewpoint:

• Considering what viewpoint you want to take a photo from is very crucial. From ground level to side view, where you position your object can have a huge affect on the message and or image you are trying to convey.

Background:

• Make sure u find a plain and unobtrusive background and make sure that the background does not direct attention away from the subject.

Depth:

• You must choose your composition carefully in order to convey the sense of depth that was present in the actual scene of the photo. To create depth in a photo you can and objects to the foreground, middle ground, and background. You can also overlap different layers to demonstrate depth in a photo.

Framing:

• When placing certain object, such as; trees archways and holes, around the edges of a photo you can isolate the main subject from its surroundings. This draws the viewers focus on the point of interest.

Cropping:

• By cropping around a small subject surrounded by a busy background you are able to eliminate the background "noise" causing the viewer to focus on the main subject. 

Experimentation:

• There are many different rules and guides to taking photos. Sometimes we take the best photos when we are just experimenting with what we have. Try and discover new things, photography does not have a reaching point.

Aperture Edit #1 Blood Drop

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Cropping for Better Composition - Advanced Photo

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This cropped photo illustrates the leading lines rule of composition by the way the waste cans lead to  main stage really emphasizes the main subject.

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This photo incorporates the diagonals composition rule, with the street and bridge at a diagonal angle it makes it less boring than just normal horizontal and vertical lines. This gives it more of a wider and different view. By cropping the photo I focused more on the diagonal lines rather than everything going on in the picture.



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This cropped photo is an example of the background rule of composition. By cropping around the bubbles it focuses more on the subject while incorporating the Ferris wheel in the background, making it less busy.


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 This cropped photo illustrates the composition rule of viewpoint. By shooting the picture from a ground level instead of directly at it the picture is looking at it from a different point. I did not have to crop much since it already showed the rule, but I just cropped it to make it more focused on the subjects.

Canon Rebel T3i Review

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Old Style Family Portraits

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Photography is the result of combining several different technical discoveries. Around the year 1800, Thomas Wedgwood made the first known attempt to capture the image in a camera obscura by means of a light-sensitive substance. He used paper or white leather treated with silver nitrate.

Yosemite and Photography

     Pop Laval was one of the official photographers of Yosemite National Park and other memorial parks in California however they did not pay him directly. Besides Ansal Adams who photographed Yosemite in the past,I have found a photographer, Phil Hawkins, with very interesting and beautiful pictures of Yosemite National Park. His photos can be found at Phil Hawkins' Yosemite Photos. In his descriptions of his photos Hawkins talks about the difficulties and patience it took to create these wonderful photos. He does photography workshops in Yosemite so he does get paid. If I were to photograph Yosemite I would try to take a similar approach as Hawkins as in how he streams and uses light in his photos. I would want to take pictures of each season at the same and different times of day. While also capturing animals in the scenes because of my interest in them.