When it comes to taking photos the composition you choose to use is just as important as the subject you are shooting.  Photographers are very intentional when using composition  techniques.  A composition holds the power of how a photo is viewed.  And when done correctly, it usually holds the viewer’s eye much longer than using no composition at all.  Here are 8 composition techniques that I use to make my photos more appealing.

 

1.  FRAMING

This technique is just as it sounds. You are literally framing your subject in the photo.  This draws the viewer’s eye to whatever is within that frame.  In the photo below there was a gap between the landscape rocks which resulted in a frame.  I was able to get the cat to cooperate (finally) and peek its head in that opening creating a frame around the cat.  Framing is found everywhere.  You can use tree branches, stair railings, gates, doorways etc.  The options are limitless, you just have to be creative.

 

 

2.  LEADING LINES

Leading lines is another creative composition that can also be found everywhere if you are looking for them.  I have found they can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal as long as they lead the viewer to their subject.  Leading lines can be a row of chairs or trees, stairs, fencing or even a road.   In the example below my niece and I were in a parking garage when I saw a safe deserted corner of parking spots.  I knew immediately the photo I wanted to capture.  I had her walk on the parking spot line away from me which became a game to her.  The end result has the viewer’s eye following the line leading straight to my niece which is exactly what I intended.

 

 

3.  RULE OF THIRDS

The definition for the rule of thirds is mentally dividing your photo using two vertical lines and two horizontal lines resulting in thirds, vertically and horizontally.  The idea is to position the most important detail of your photo onto one of those lines.  In my photo below I positioned the rose on the far left side of the frame.  When looking at the photo your eyes immediately move to the left hand side.  If I had centered the rose in the middle of the frame the photo would have been an o.k. photo.  But by off centering the rose on the left side the viewer will take a double look at the photo because the composition makes it stand out more making the photo more appealing.

 

 

4.  FROM ABOVE

Shooting from above is one of my favorite compositions.  I achieve this composition using my tilt screen and setting my camera to LIVE mode while standing on a stool or chair if needed.  My niece always tells me to be careful when she sees me climbing to get a shot : )  Being able to see what my photo will look like using LIVE mode along with tilting my screen to where I need it has helped me tremendously.  It’s a new perspective that I love to tackle.

 

 

5.  DOWN LOW

Capturing a photo at your eye level is normal and expected.  What’s not expected is getting down low to achieve a new perspective.  When I photograph children playing on the floor I get right down there with them either by kneeling, sitting or even laying on the ground.  I want to see the world through their eyes.  You can’t always accomplish that towering over them.  Getting down low to capture children records their childhood in a whole new way.  You are preserving their smallness which is priceless.  Animals are another subject I like to shoot down low.  In my example below my dog was enjoying a lazy afternoon.  I knew photographing him at my eye level would only give me a snapshot look.  I knew I needed to photograph him on his level so I laid down on my stomach to frame the shot.  He didn’t seem too bothered by the attention : )

 

 

6.  REFLECTIONS

Photographing reflections can be challenging, especially when you are trying to avoid capturing yourself in the photo along with the subject.  In my photo below my niece was watching t.v. when I noticed her reflection in the mirror on the dresser.  The mirror had two moving wings on each side which presented an opportunity to create a cool photo if done correctly.  The left side of the photo was shot using the middle part of the mirror while the right side of the photo was shot using the right wing of the mirror which I was able to move.  The results gave me twins : )  Mirrors are not the only way to achieve a reflection.  You can find reflections in windows, water puddles, even shiny surfaces.  The more creative you get the more appealing your photos will be to the viewer’s eye.

 

 

7.  BOKEH

Oh how I love bokeh!!  Bokeh is the intentional blur created when using a small aperture.  It’s that creamy look either in the background or foreground that helps your main subject stand out.  The smaller the aperture number the blurrier the bokeh.  I wanted the focus in my photo below to be on my drink with bokeh in the background.  I wanted just enough bokeh to blur the background but still be able to recognize the McDonald’s arch.

 

 

8.  NEGATIVE SPACE

Out of all the composition techniques there are, viewing a photo that has negative space gets my attention and a second glance quicker than any other composition.  When you isolate your main subject, surrounding it with negative space, your photo instantly pops directing the viewer’s eyes to the subject.  When looking at the photo below my eyes are immediately drawn to the strawberry.  It stands out so much more because it’s surrounded by white negative space.

 

 

 

Using composition techniques in your photography gives you more options to be creative resulting in more variety in your photos.  Applying these techniques when framing your shot will give you endless possibilities to capture more appealing photos that viewers will be drawn to.

                                   PHOTOGRAPHY 52 CHALLENGE   WEEK 11 – EMOTION

Week 11 had me looking for emotion.  And with two little nieces running around I didn’t have to look very hard.  Kids have LOTS of emotions.  One moment they are screaming and crying and ten seconds later they are giggling and laughing.  Capturing true emotions, the unpredictable candid moments is what I love photographing.  In the photo below my niece had discovered a new way of hanging upside down.  She is a little dare devil : )

 

                                                             WEEK 11 – EMOTION

                                  PHOTOGRAPHY 52 CHALLENGE  WEEKS 8-10

Photographing movement can be approached two different ways by using your shutter speed.  Shutter speed controls the look of your movement whether you want to freeze the action or blur the motion.  To freeze action you need a fast shutter speed and to blur the motion you use a slow shutter speed.  Let’s look at my photo below.  I wanted viewers to see the movement of me walking as it was happening.  To achieve this I had to use a slow shutter speed and my camera remote.  I sat my camera on the driveway and walked in front of it.  The result was my left leg being blurred due to movement while my right leg was in focus due to stillness.

 

                                                             WEEK 8 – MOVEMENT

 

I’ve always been a fan of black of white photos.  I think it’s the simplicity of them.  You have no colors distracting your attention away from the real focus of the photo.  And sometimes, depending on the subject and location, you can’t tell whether a black and white photo was taken in present time or fifty years ago.  My weekly prompt for week 9 was a black and white photo.  My niece was coloring in a brightly lit area of the room.  I chose to step back to photograph her for two reasons.  The first reason was because she was being framed by the posts on the left side of the photo and the walls on the right making for a nice composition.  And my second reason for stepping back was to capture the darkness created by the low lit area I was standing in.  The darkness helps to balance out the brightness in the photo and to reinforce my intentional focus, my niece.

 

                                                       WEEK 9 – BLACK AND WHITE

 

Self portraits are not my favorite thing to shoot : )  I’m usually the one behind the camera.  But for week 10 the prompt was to take a self portrait.  Shooting photos of yourself can be a bit tricky when using your digital camera.  The first thing you need is either a flat durable surface to rest your camera on or a tripod.  The second thing you need is either a self timer on your camera or a remote.  For my photo I used a tripod and my camera remote.  Once you are in a pose you like take several photos at a time so that you have more options and not constantly getting up to look at one photo at a time.

 

                                                              WEEK 10 – SELF PORTRAIT

                                      PHOTOGRAPHY 52 CHALLENGE WEEK 7 – LOVE

Last week’s prompt was love in honor of Valentine’s Day.  For me, love is in the form of two little girls that I simply adore.  What better way to spend the day than lovin’ on these two?  : )  It’s always a day full of sweet treats and lots of hugs and kisses. And of course, a present or two.  They were so excited about their gifts I don’t think they even realized I was photographing them : )

 

                                                       WEEK 7 – LOVE

                                  PHOTOGRAPHY 52 CHALLENGE  – WEEKS 5 AND 6

For week 5 my prompt was exposure.  Exposure refers to how much light and detail is in a photo.  You can choose to overexpose a photo by letting in more light than necessary.  You can also underexpose a photo by blocking out as much light as desired. For my photo below, I wanted to capture the detail of my niece’s right eye since it was closest to me.  I wanted to be able to count her eyelashes.  Since she was watching t.v. and being still it was easy to achieve focus.  I wanted the background to be blurry but still be able to see the shapes of the hearts so I chose an aperture of  f/3.5 to achieve bokeh.

 

                                                           WEEK 5 – EXPOSURE

 

My shooting prompt for week 6 was from above.  Shooting from a bird’s eye view has become a favorite of mine since I got my Nikon D750.  This camera has a tilt screen that I LOVE and has made shooting from above so easy.  In the photo below I originally wanted to focus on the table with the crayons and coloring books.  At the last second my younger niece was curious as to what I was doing and looked up. So I changed my mind and put the focus on her eyes.

 

                                                          WEEK 6 – FROM ABOVE