6 Rules of Photography Based On Composition
1)Filling the frame: gets rid of any unnecessary distractions in the frame and focuses on the subject of the picture rather than the background. This allows the photographer to have more control over the composition as there are less visual elements that have to be arranged. Filling the frame allows the photographer to show the importance of the picture.
2)Framing the subject: gives centre stage to the subject in the picture this time including some of the background and maybe even foreground. The photographer Robert Capa said "If your pictures aren't good, you're not close enough'. By this he meant that the subject of the matter can look unimportant and not worthy of closer attention. To make sure your photograph does not become to busy, unstructured and cluttered with unwanted detail you must not stand too far away from the subject matter.
3)Vantage point: When using the vantage point rule angles are very important to consider as this rule means taking pictures from different points of views. In order to use this rule successfully the following should be done:
- Study the subject from all angles
- Disregard the ordinary and go with the unusual
- Take away possible distractions through placement of the camera
- Use angles/view points to emphasise your subject's 'character' E.g. Head teachers door taken from a low angle to highlight power and high authority
4)Depth of field: photograph is created by a foreground, mid-ground and background which gives a photograph visual perspective. The person looking at the photograph should be able to feel like they can interact with the picture. This rule gives a two dimensional print which is a representation of a three dimensional scene. The photograph should make our eyes look through the photograph by working its way through the foreground to the mid-ground to the background as we would do if we were at the actual scene.
This example of a ball in the foreground which appears to be larger than the ball in the mid-ground which then appears to be larger than the ball in the background is a very good example of the use of depth of field. This picture is taken in perspective because this two dimensional print has been taken a picture of a three dimensional scene as it almost feels like we can put our hand through the picture and grab the ball which instantly allows the person at the photograph to interact with the picture.
This is an example Eugene Atget's use of depth of field. I think this is a good example for depth of field because the photo has been taken in perspective. We can interactive with this picture as it almost feels as if we are walking though that street because it looks very three dimensional. This photograph is created in the three layers which are foreground, mid-ground and background. In real life the building behind the trees is not smaller than the trees but in this picture this is how it appears as the trees look a lot larger than the building.
5)The rule of thirds:breaks down the image into thirds. The point of this rule is not to place the subject in the centre of the picture but by positioning it along the three sections on the grid in the viewfinder which allows our to move around more when looking at the photo rather than our eyes being fixated at one point if the subject was placed in the centre.
The subject of interest in this picture is placed on the right side of the picture which leaves the sky and the sea to fill the other sections of the grid. This shows that the photographer has sectioned the picture into thirds which allows our eyes to move around the picture more as the subject of interest is placed in a less obvious position rather than the centre of the picture
I think this photo taken by Eugene Atget is an example of the use of thirds because the tree has been broken into sections as it is spread out in this picture. The tree isn't in the centre of the picture so our eyes move more as the tree has been taken in an angle where it fills all three sections of the grid if we were to draw one on this picture.
6)Use of Line: is when lines are more dynamic than horizontal or vertical lines alone. For example diagonal lines are less ordinary and are seen as 'unstable' whereas horizontal and vertical lines are seen as more ordinary and 'stable'.
7)Capturing the Subject: is when the photographer takes an image of their subject which tells the audience everything from that one image.