Photo composition myths: myths about the location of objects in the frame. A few rules to get an interesting photo Object in the center
“5 Simple Tips on How to Take Pictures ...” is our regular series of articles in which we show you how to properly capture certain objects. Our content focuses on the five most popular storylines. We'll show you how to properly set up your camera and what kind of photography equipment you need to get good results.
We devote the third part of our series to photographing people, creating portraits. This aspect of photography is particularly challenging and certainly falls into the elite category of photography. Unlike the other two photographic subjects we've covered (s), your portrait models can tell you that the photograph, from their point of view, has failed. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right settings and know some of the intricacies of taking photographs. Our five simple tips will help you do just that.
How to photograph people and take portraits: It is not at all necessary to shoot portraits in vertical “portrait” format.1 Use the right technique
For portraits, 85mm and 135mm are considered the most suitable focal lengths. Both focal lengths are in the "tele-area", which ensures correct display of proportions. Unnatural-looking wide-angle distortion hardly occurs. Long focal lengths require a large aperture value, such as F1.8 or F1.4, to blur the background and the model clearly. Excellent portrait lenses at relatively low prices are offered by various manufacturers, for example: Canon EF 85mm F1.8, Nikkor AF-S 85mm F1.8.
You can of course experiment with other focal lengths. Use, for example, ultra wide-angle lenses, due to the corresponding distortion, the legs of the model will appear longer. If you want to create a half-length portrait or photograph an entire person, then try working with focal lengths of 35 or 50 mm. Experiment with very long focal lengths, this will distort the perspective, and the background will visually become closer to the model.
How to photograph people and take portraits: To take a full-body photo of a person, use wide-angle and normal lenses. 2 Configure the camera
Let's start with shutter speed: people are quite difficult subjects to shoot, they are constantly moving, so we advise you to work with fast shutter speeds of 1 / 125th of a second and even faster. Otherwise, even small movements of the model may cause blurring of the image. In low light conditions, you can raise the ISO sensitivity or use the flash.
When doing this, pay attention to the flash sync speed, which means the fastest standard shutter speed when the flash is on. If the flash time is shorter and the flash does not support high-speed sync, a black bar appears in the image - a shadow from the shutter curtain. If you want the background in a portrait shot to be out of focus, open the aperture to its maximum.
How to photograph people and take portraits: When photographing portraits, the staging of light is especially important. Soft light will be the most beneficial for your model. 3 Proper preparation
Important! Talk to your model. Our main advice is to plan a photo session in advance, explain to the models what and how you plan to photograph. It is important to agree even on such trifles as commands "to the right", "to the left" - so that your model immediately understands whether you mean to the right of yourself or to her. Rehearse difficult moments in advance, ask the model to portray different emotional states (depending on the purpose of the photo shoot), for example, arrogance, sadness, or thoughtfulness. If you have enough time, shoot two shots in a row, otherwise (in the worst case) it may turn out that in one shot the model will blink, and the photo will be hopelessly ruined. Professionals usually create a sketch of the photograph in advance, in which they depict the facial expression, pose of the model and the setting of the light.
Another important aspect (which will hardly surprise you) is light. Small light sources such as system flashes and the sun produce very harsh light that can accentuate imperfections in appearance. Experiment with artificial light, use light diffusers such as a studio umbrella or softbox. For fashion photography, you can use hard light reflectors such as a Beauty Dish or a regular reflector - whichever you prefer. When shooting outdoors, the sun gives its best soft light in the late morning or evening. You can also do a photo shoot in daylight, such as in the shade of a tree, directing the light with a large folding reflector.
How to photograph people and create portraits: Sliced face-only framing focuses the viewer's attention on the subject's face. 4 Compose your shot correctly
As in any art direction, there is no “right” or “wrong” in photographing people - however, if you do not take passport photographs. Shooting artistic portraits gives you much more creative freedom. It is customary to shoot a classic portrait in a vertical, "portrait" format. But the horizontal format (the so-called "landscape orientation") is also not prohibited at all, it makes it possible to better show the background.
But what's important 99% of the time when shooting portraits is the correct focus. Always focus on the subject's eyes, or at least the eye closest to the viewer. The main rule is to change the aperture value until all indicators suit you. Since this parameter depends on the situation, that is, the focal length and the distance to the object, we cannot advise you on the exact value. Just experiment.
How to photograph people and take portraits: Looking down from the camera gives the impression that the subject is portraying submissiveness. One of the most common mistakes beginners make is cropping incorrectly: cropped elbows, shins and fingers look odd, and this also applies when the model has her hands in her pockets. Suggest that your model, for example, cross her arms over her chest (determination posture), raise her arms to face level (wounded expression), or have him or her take something in his hand.
Perspective also plays an important role. If you shoot from the bottom up (shooting from a low point), then your model will look dominant, and when shooting from a high point, the person looks weak and dependent. For this reason, it is better to photograph children at eye level, for this you can squat down.
In conclusion, we will answer another frequently asked question: are there photogenic people? In a nutshell, yes, there are. When photographing some models, it doesn't seem important at all what kind of light source, what kind of perspective - they turn out perfectly in photographs anyway. Others look good when shot face-to-face; profile photos are not very good. Photogenicity is the level of complexity of a task for a photographer, and you need to be able to solve tasks correctly. When starting out with a new model, try photographing her in different positions with different facial expressions. Making a beautiful portrait is entirely up to the photographer, that is, you.
I am glad to welcome you, dear reader. In touch with you, Timur Mustaev. As you may have noticed, this blog has already covered many aspects of landscape photography, interiors, sports and more. I did not talk about photographing people, although this is one of the most popular genres in our business.
Sometimes it is portrait photography that drives people to buy a digital camera, and after that, beginners begin to look at the world in a new way. But we have already talked about the world, so now I will tell you how to photograph people correctly and what you may need for this.
Foreshortening
In general, when photographing people, you need to take into account many aspects: angle, background, lighting, behavior with the model. It is worth starting with the choice of the angle. Why? If we don't understand well how a person can look from different angles, then how will we get a beautiful picture with his participation? So, the first thing you need to understand is what kind of photo the person wants: full-length, waist-deep, or just the face, and the poses can be completely different. Based on this, already determine the angle.
In the first case, there is only one unique condition for a successful shot: you need to shoot a person from the level of the chest or waist of the model, if we are talking about full-length photography. Otherwise, the proportions of the human figure may be distorted by the optics of your camera and the picture will not be as beautiful as we would like.
Shooting, for example, from eye level will be beneficial when working with a bust portrait, and if you shoot from an angle below the waist or above your head, such photos can be considered caricature or playful.
Speaking about the look at the model, it is worth mentioning that a portrait strictly “head-on” is very rarely successful. Therefore, the person being photographed should be looked at about ¼ of a turn, as this can visually reduce the cheeks and hide asymmetric facial features.
Also, you should not act as if photography is a boring and monotonous job. Perhaps it is, but creating such an atmosphere on the set is not worth it. Otherwise, the person being photographed may behave constrained and constricted, hesitant. You need to try to avoid this in order to obtain the highest quality result.
Background
It can be both an essential part of photography, or it can be useless. It all depends on you: if you want - shoot outdoors, with a limp, a simple white background, indoors - there are no restrictions. But you should, nevertheless, remember a few simple rules so as not to spoil the photo with anything superfluous.
First of all, you should look at lampposts, trees, shrubs, diagonals, the horizon - at all lines of the frame, and make sure that they do not “cut” the person into pieces, do not leave the head or enter it. Try to make the background as adequate as possible.
If you decide to work at home or in the studio, choose the most neutral background. Checkered wallpaper in bright colors is a bad option for a background. It is better to use a completely monochrome background or subtle shades so that they do not distract attention from the person.
Lighting
How your model will look in the photo depends on it. With this parameter, you can both ruin everything and save the initially hopeless picture. There are some tips for shooting in different conditions. I propose to consider some of them.
The first tip is to watch out for the bright midday sun if you work outside. As paradoxical as it may sound, too bright the sun can harm the picture. Why? It will make the subject squint, the shadows on the face will appear deeper and sharper, and you can just get overexposed objects. Therefore, many recommend working early in the morning or in the evening, or on a cloudy day.
Second, try to shoot in the shade if the clear sun has caught you off guard. Better, by the way, to use the shadow of the building so that it is uniform. As you know, the leaves of trees have small gaps between them, through which unwanted light can enter the model.
Third, if you still could not find a suitable shadow, avoid shooting against the sun. You can't make the model squint, but you don't want to get a black silhouette either. Therefore, I recommend to stand sideways to the sun's rays: this is how some kind of compromise will be reached.
If you have to shoot against the light, use an external flash in fill-light mode. Yes, it is an external flash that should be used in such a situation: the built-in flash will definitely not be enough. The same advice will be relevant for shooting at sunset, with the only difference that our flash will play the role of the main light. Another useful accessory can be or.
Once in the studio, everything becomes a little easier. There are a couple of basic rules here, without which it will be very difficult to get an even, high-quality photo. It is necessary to use lighting fixtures with the same color temperature, use soft diffused light, and also refuse fluorescent lamps.
Important notes
Among other things, one cannot fail to say about some details that are knocked out of the description of the choice of angle or background. First of all, this is the processing of the resulting photograph. It is worth remembering that you need to carefully crop it, select the most natural color balance and preserve the natural skin color of the model.
Also, you should not cut off parts of the body of people. It doesn't matter if it's head, legs or arms. The only exceptions can be considered only certain genres of portrait, such as waist, chest or knee-length.
When working with a model, there are also some important tips to keep in mind so as not to embarrass the person. A photo session in such conditions will be a torment for both participants in the process, and the result will be an unpleasant result.
- First tip: don't force your gaze into the frame. This can be done only in very rare exceptions with special need.
- Second tip: smiling your model all the time is not always the best option. Sometimes a brooding, sad, resentful, or sly face can look more beautiful than a smile.
Don't miss this and get a masterpiece shot.
You can also try to photograph the model before starting the process itself: this will help to get a more natural expression on the face, real human emotions, and this is the most important thing in photographing people.
If possible, try to take pictures in, which will help you to better edit your picture after shooting.
- (if you have NIKON) or My first MIRROR(if you have CANON) - It is from this course that I recommend starting to become a photographer. It contains all the basics for a correct understanding of the very essence of photography. Everything is shown with practical examples, which is important!
- - Photo processing itself is already underway here. From which side it is better to approach editing, how to do it correctly, so that, for example, the skin is not "rubbery" and so on. Lots of practical examples and tips. This video course is specifically for photographers!
My first MIRROR- for owners of CANON photographic equipment.
DSLR for Beginner 2.0- for owners of NIKON photographic equipment.
Photoshop for the photographer 3.0. VIP
That's all for today. I told you what it takes to shoot a person in all the scenarios that come to my mind. I hope you enjoyed it and will share this article with your friends who own a DSLR. If you have done this, I advise you to subscribe to blog updates. There will only be more such texts in the future. Goodbye!
All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.
In the digital world, pictures taken with a camera are not properly appreciated. Most people "shoot" from their camera like a machine gun, and as a result, out of 250 photos, only 5-10 are good. During the dominance of film photography, people approached each shot with special care and brought the picture, as they say, to the correct one. The reason for this was the strict limitation of photographic film in terms of the number of frames.
Creativity is great, of course, but don't forget about the most important rules for creating high-quality photography. With the help of these recommendations, you can avoid the stupidest mistakes and improve your professional level. Craftsmanship is "honed" frame by frame, and how much joy a photo can bring to your partner, taken in the perfect way. It is professionalism that allows you to create gorgeous and expensive photographs.
There are several photography guidelines that must be followed in any situation.
Diagonals.
The photograph must permeate the entire spectrum of the painting. The lines should lead your eyes into the depth of the image, as if you are immersed in the picture. Rivers, roads, walls, etc. can be used as diagonals. When photographing a person, use body parts, poses, or clothing boundaries. The diagonal rule is created by placing objects in the frame. Draw imaginary lines extending 45 degrees from the corners of the frame. 
Rule of thirds.
I also call this concept the “golden ratio”. We visually divide the photo into nine equal parts. The subject of the survey should be located at the points of intersection of these lines. These intersections are called attention nodes. If this object were to be placed in the center of the frame, the picture would lose its dynamics and drama. "Golden rectangles" are pleasing to the eye and will add harmony to any landscape. 
The division diagram of the "golden rectangle" is shown below. 
Observe the symmetry or asymmetry of objects in each frame. With the help of some elements of the frame, you can establish a balance between objects. The presence of symmetry is necessary, but excessive symmetry can "kill" the drama and emotion in certain paintings. Due to the correct symmetry, you can draw attention to the desired object. 
Background.
The background you have chosen should not outstrip the main subject. It is very important to choose the right background to maintain the atmosphere of the frame. It is convenient to use an abstract background without the presence of distracting objects. In this case, you can successfully highlight the main subject of the photo. Some photographers use telephoto lenses, which, due to the narrow angle of view, do not allow unnecessary elements to be included in the frame. Such elements can carry unnecessary semantic load and spoil the atmosphere of the frame. 
Depth.
Foreground, middle and background are the three most important areas into which you need to break the picture. A two-dimensional photography environment will not be able to convey the full depth of a real landscape without proper preparation, which you must implement. Another option is to cover all the secondary objects with the main object. 
Depth of field.
By adjusting the depth of field, you can focus on the main subject, blurring the background and unnecessary objects. Depth of field is one of the most effective tools for isolating objects. 
Framing.
Natural frames (frames) can very successfully emphasize the beauty of the object, focus attention on it and saturate the frame with life reality. Natural framing can be found in just about any situation, anywhere. Use elements such as tree branches, a piece of a fence, a window, an archway, and more. 
Geometric pattern.
Various geometric shapes of objects carry certain emotions. Almost everything can be attributed to simple geometric shapes. At the same time, you can create the desired emotional background for each picture. Rectangular objects evoke a sense of stability, rounded ones - calmness, etc. 
Tonal perspective.
Use the correct color contrast to maximize the volume of your frame. The proximity of the object can be conveyed by the darkness of the object, and the distance, on the contrary, by a light perspective background. The sense of depth can be enhanced by the "play" of colors and shades. 
Black and white frame.
With the help of black and white photography, you can correctly convey the emotional component of the frame and the general atmosphere. In this way, you can convey hopelessness, dullness of everyday life, hopelessness, reconciliation with reality and other "dark" emotions. In black and white photography, the first thing to do is to look at light objects. Dark areas of the frame fade into the background. This trend is the opposite of the color painting. In b / w photography, light lines of objects seem to be paramount. 
Remember that by adhering to these rules, you improve your professional level. However, it is worth leaving room for improvisation. Unexpected shots can turn out much more natural and interesting than prepared ones.
How unusual it is to give money for a wedding. 23 original ways
Chapter 7. Taking pictures of people. Portrait photography rules
Taking pictures of people. Portrait photography rules
Very often we have to photograph various people, be they friends, acquaintances, relatives or completely strangers. Many photographers become professional photographers of people, and what can we say about the role of a good, high-quality photograph of a person in a family album ... In order to photograph people the way it should be, you need to know some rules and tricks of portrait photography, which we will master in this chapter.
As you study this chapter, you will immediately notice some similarities with the previous chapter where we studied. In fact, the previous chapter was, as it were, basic, preparing for the next step in the formation of professional photographing of people. In addition, in this part we will mainly touch on portrait photography, and further, in the following chapters, we will take apart group photography or weddings.
To get started, you must master both studio and outdoor photography, as both of these types of photography have their own advantages. Photographing people in a studio requires a little more space than a studio designed for macro photography of small objects. Tip: The fabric for the background now needs to be chosen much larger in length and in width (always choose a piece of fabric slightly longer than you planned), also make sure that the chosen fabric is easy to wash, as people will constantly walk on it and thereby get dirty ...
Say good morning to your friend and please her with a beautiful verse. Only the most beautiful love poems.
Camera support.
As for the support of the camera (tripod), when photographing people, it is not so important and can even be harmful. In order to take a good photo of a person or a group of people, it is advisable to walk around, see how the object will look from different angles and at different distances. The exceptions are when you know exactly how to photograph a person (a photo for documents or a photo of several persons for a company).
Lighting for portraits.
When working with portraits, take the time to experiment with multiple light sources. This technique will give you a lot more freedom to be creative. Several light sources can also be the combination of a lighting fixture, light from a window and a reflector.
There are actually many ways to attractively illuminate a person for portraits. We'll break down a few.
The main light source.
If you are using a single source of light for photographing people, then it will be useful for you to know that one source is most often installed opposite the object, on the side where the camera is located, slightly above the subject's eye level. If you place the source behind the person, you get a silhouette effect that will frame the person. Next, let's look at the basic techniques that are achieved using a single light source:
Fill light
Fill lighting is usually complementary to your main light source, such as natural outdoor lighting or home lighting. The fill light is set so that it illuminates or removes those shadows that remain from the main one. The contrast with which the portrait will turn out depends on the intensity of both lighting. If both sources are of the same power, then the contrast will turn out to be weak, but if the fill light is weaker, then the contrast of the object will be quite high. The fill light is most often placed next to the camera.
Hair lighting.
A special rule in photographing people. Do not forget about hair lighting, as separate lighting directed at some angle to the subject's hair can further emphasize the person and make the picture more attractive. Such lighting, if you use it, must be carefully controlled so that too much light and attention is not given to the hair, which will distract from the main subject.
Now let's look at various lighting techniques. There are a lot of them, but we will analyze the main ones that are used very often.
Short lighting... It is also called narrow lighting. In this case, the main light source illuminates the face half-turned away from the camera. It so happens that a part of the face with a shadow comes out in the foreground, the source illuminates the other part of the face. This method is intended to emphasize the interesting contours of the face. Also, in this way, people with large or plump faces are photographed in order to make them narrower.
Wide illumination... This lighting is the opposite of the previous one. Here, the main light source illuminates the part of the face facing the camera. Also, unlike the previous lighting method, wide lighting makes narrow faces look wider.
Lighting, with an interesting name Butterfly... So, what is this method of lighting. The main light source is placed in front of the subject's face above the level of his eyes. Thus, the light illuminates the face from above and casts shadows downward from everything below the level of the nose. With this kind of lighting, it is worth mentioning that it is not advisable to photograph people with open ears, as they will be strongly emphasized. Basically, women are filmed in this technique.
Rembrandt lighting... This method, on the contrary, is more suitable for men. The main light source is set high, above the face or head, and illuminates the side of the face that is turned away from the camera. Thus, the part that is turned towards the camera will be partially in shadow, besides, because the source is at the top - a shadow will be thrown down from the convex areas, a small triangular area will be darkened under the eye, which will give a very interesting effect.
Side lighting. With side lighting, the source illuminates only one side of the face. This method is often used when photographing a portrait in profile, it turns out that the face is surrounded by a contour of light, in painting it is called so - contour light. Can also be used when the person is facing the camera in full face.
Background highlight... In this case, the light is not directed at the person, but at the background behind him. It turns out that he is, as it were, emphasized by the fact that the background behind him is very bright, or not very illuminated.
Creating your first portrait.
So, let's start the long-awaited portrait shooting. Now we will take a step-by-step look at the rules on how to shape the poses of people and set the lighting correctly. It is assumed that you have already set up the lights and background and you are now ready to shoot the portrait.
Try to relax the person you are filming, a relaxed person is much easier to work with, almost like with soft plasticine. Many people go to film with E Zigarette (cigarette) in their fingers or lips. If you do not take him off to his full height, then you should not make him stand, it will be better if he sits down on a comfortable stool. Photographers often use stools because they tend to make people not slouch and do not have a back that will fit into the frame.
If you are shooting several people at once, then try to form a dynamic shot. For example, slightly change the line of the heads, for example, make the central line slightly higher than the rest. Here, as they say, is a matter of taste and imagination. In any case, people standing on the same line, exactly like a ruler, will create an unusually boring portrait photo for you.
Try different levels of the camera. For example, shoot from waist level, but point the lens at people’s face, and have them all look at you. It is easier to work with one person, since you only need to adapt to his anthropometric structures of the face and body. Mono raise the camera above the level of his eyes, in this case, the nose will lengthen and the chin will decrease, on the contrary, the forehead will appear wider. If you want to do the opposite, then lower the camera below his eye level.
To list all the ways of setting people and arranging lighting devices, for portraiture or any other shooting, you need a huge bunch of chapters, and even that will not be enough, because people are not soulless objects or static statues, but living people, all different, all special. It is best if you have difficulty posing people, study photographs of famous photographers or browse magazines that have many photographs of people posing and try to apply that to your subjects.
Small but very important tips and rules for portrait photography.
In the case where the hands enter the frame, it is better to photograph the edges of the hands than the palms or the backs of the palms. Be very attentive to the soles of your feet, it will be better if they do not enter the frame at all, since the feet are not entirely graceful for a beautiful shot.
If the person you are filming is bald and not entirely happy about it, raise his head and slightly lower the camera.
If a person has an unattractive nose, angular or too large, shoot such a person with their face straight at the camera.
Prominent ears are best shot in low light, so that the ear is in the shade.
Scars, wrinkles, poor complexion can be smoothed out with soft, diffused light or photographing from the waist level.
If the subject is wearing glasses, make sure that when the light is on, the glare from the glasses will reflect at an angle and not directly into the camera.
Placement of lighting fixtures when photographing people.
So now we will arrange the lighting. It is worth choosing the lighting that was indicated earlier in this chapter, but do not forget that your luck companion is experiment. Feel free to experiment. Next, we will briefly discuss lighting placement techniques.
Short lighting... With this lighting, the main light source illuminates the side of the face that is facing away from the camera. For example, if the object is looking towards your right shoulder, then the main source is to your right, the fill source is to your left. The filling source should be located twice as far as the main one, thus it will be 4 times less intense, if it is taken into account that they are both of the same power. Make sure that the shadows on the subject are not too dark.
Wide illumination... Wide lighting is the opposite of short lighting. The main light source illuminates the side of the face facing the camera. In this case, we arrange the lighting devices in the opposite way than in the previous method.
Butterfly... Everything is easy here. The main light source is located in the same place as the camera, only rises above eye level to create a shadow under the nose. Do not raise it very high so that the shadow falls to the very mouth. Fill light can reduce the intensity of shadows.
Rembrandt lighting... In this case, you need to position the lamp, as in short lighting, so that it illuminates the side turned from the camera, only above eye level. Remove or reduce filling capacity.
Side lighting... With this kind of lighting, the lamp is placed so as to illuminate one profile, or one part of the face. It is also possible to expose the main light slightly behind the person to soften or minimize the amount of light.
A little tip: When shooting portraits, or a group of people, there is a danger that some of the people will blink and the frame will not work. Tell the people or person you are shooting to watch the flash and tell you whether it was white or red.
146379 Photography from scratch 0
In this tutorial, you will learn: Basics of composition. Semantic and decorative arrangement of the frame. Compositional techniques: perspective, rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonals. The main and secondary objects of the composition. The main mistakes of novice photographers.
What is composition? Composition (from lat. Compositio) means composing, combining, combining different parts into a single whole in accordance with any idea. This refers to the thoughtful construction of the image, finding the ratio of its individual parts (components), which ultimately form a single whole - a complete and complete image.
Why is the right composition important? In order to better convey the idea in photography, special expressive means are used: lighting, tonality, color, point and moment of shooting, plan, foreshortening, as well as pictorial and various contrasts. The reflection of living, real life will not be adequate without observing certain rules. How, for example, can you convey the movement or the fleetingness of a moment? This requires knowledge of the laws of composition, otherwise your photos will turn into random shutter clicks and will not be interesting to others.
The general meaning of a well-formed composition of the frame is that we easily and naturally consider the photograph. At the same time, we get aesthetic pleasure, see the logical connection between objects in the frame, admire the details of the image. It happens, and vice versa, we are surprised or shocked, we do not understand everything, but in this case, the correct - or deliberately incorrect - composition conveys the creative intention of the author through photography.
Story center and balance
Any good photograph should have some main object, sometimes it is called semantic or plot center... This is what the author climbed into the mountains for, overcame deserts, or simply distracted for a while from having fun with friends in order to take out the camera and press the button. This center can be "I am on the barbecue", and maybe a snow-covered peak, a lonely tree, a human face, or just a graceful bend of lines in an abstract still life.
In simple home photography, the subject center and the geometric center often coincide, that is, the main subject is right in the center of the picture. Family albums are full of such cards, and only the closest relatives are interested in flipping through them, and even more so looking at photographs. If a photographer wants to do something more than a picture of "me against the background of the pyramids", then you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to spend more time and effort.
Before pressing the camera shutter button, decide on the semantic center and find it in the surrounding space, highlight in your mind what is the main thing, the most interesting for you. Perhaps at first it will not be easy and you will have to work with your head (well, turn in different directions, look around), but then, as you gain experience, your eyes will find interesting plots by itself.
Let's go further. There is a very old and simple rule of thumb that you can almost always be successful. It is sometimes called rule of thirds... It allows you to harmoniously balance the image, giving it dynamics and visual naturalness. What is its meaning? The space of the frame is mentally divided by two horizontal and two vertical lines into equal parts. From three horizontal and three vertical stripes, a kind of grid with intersection points of lines is obtained.
The most important elements of the frame are recommended to be placed along these lines or at the points of their intersection. The fact is that such an asymmetry of the image is perceived more naturally and in many cases allows you to effectively use the negative space around the main subject.
The rule of thirds is widely used in a wide variety of types of images. For example, in landscapes, the horizon line is often placed along the top or bottom line of thirds, and next to one of the vertical lines, an object is shown to which one wants to draw attention (tree, building, etc.).
When creating portraits, the face can be removed from the center to avoid unnecessary resemblance to a “passport photo”. To draw attention to the eyes, it is worth choosing such a composition so that one eye is located at one of the upper intersections of the conditional lines.
For many centuries, to build harmonious compositions, artists also use the concept "Golden section"... Close concept to the rule of thirds. It has been found that certain points in a picture composition automatically attract the viewer's attention. There are only four such points, and they are located at a distance of 3/8 and 5/8 from the corresponding edges of the plane. Having drawn the grid, we got the data points at the intersection of the lines.
$ IMAGE8-left $ A person always focuses his attention on these points, regardless of the aspect ratio or picture.
There are also minor lines that should "lead" the gaze to the plot center... Secondary lines can mean not only specific lines, but also a series of objects or details located one after another. That's what it is diagonal rule... According to the diagonal rule, important image elements should be set along diagonal lines. A diagonal composition with a direction from the lower left corner to the upper right corner is calmer than that built on the opposite, more dynamic diagonal.
Linear features such as roads, waterways, shoreline, and diagonal fences tend to make the landscape more dynamic than horizontal ones.
What is balance in the picture for?]
The composition can be balanced or unbalanced. What does it mean? Imagine carrying a heavy bag in one hand. Your body will be in an unbalanced composition. Taking the same heavy bag in your other hand will balance your body composition. The point is that any unbalanced composition looks random, but a balanced composition is harmonious, and it seems that no change is possible. Everything is important in balance, even the direction of movement of objects or their visual weight.
The easiest way to balance your composition is to center your subject. However, as we just discussed above, this is not the best solution. If you move the object to the side, the balance is disturbed. One part of the picture becomes, as it were, heavier and visually outweighs the other. The frame seems to want to rotate clockwise.
To correct an unbalanced composition, you need to introduce an object into the empty part of the photo. It should be noted that in photography, weight is replaced by volume (depth of field), color, or associations with heavy or light objects. The colors in which objects are painted also affect their pictorial "weight" in different ways: red and its shades are heavier than blue, bright colors are heavier than dark ones.
You can also balance, in terms of composition, the model's figure through a variety of movements. If, for example, a model makes a hand gesture in one direction, then compositionally it can be balanced with a leg gesture or by turning the head to the other side. That is, a gesture to one side of any part of the body is balanced by a gesture to the other side of the arm, leg, head, or bending of the body.
You can use one of the most amazing composition techniques - the evolving movement that balances the shot. This psychological effect suggests the presence free space in the direction of movement or gaze... One has only to leave free space in the frame where the movement develops, the composition is immediately aligned.
In addition, the developing movement can be replaced by the direction of the gaze. However, views are also different, and they require different free space in the picture. A calm, good-natured or half-asleep look requires a little free space. But the furious, fatal, enticing — much more. Self-directed gaze requires no space at all.
Do not forget about the psychology of the viewer: for example, human faces with pronounced emotional states, like a magnet, attract our attention.
ADVICE... Moving from left to right seems faster to us than from right to left, and an object placed on the right side weighs more than one on the left. The object at the top of the frame "weighs" more than the exact same object at the bottom of the frame. A lonely small element at the edge of the frame, located outside the main lines, compositionally "weighs" more than a large object, which is in the center or located on an axis passing through the center of the composition. We can say that the rule of "leverage" is in effect: the farther from the center of balance, the greater the "weight" of the element in the composition.
An important element is the background ... Our gaze is selective, and often the inexperienced photographer sees only his main subject, but does not notice the many distracting details in the background or near the center of the subject. Clear the frame from unnecessary details! Look around and choose a suitable background. Perhaps these passing random people will now move off the edge of the frame. Branches of trees that “grow” in people from behind their heads and interfere with the perception of the object can be removed by slightly shifting to the side, etc.
In fact, choosing a background is one of the main tasks of a photographer, and if you didn't have any problems with choosing a subject at first, then the background can be anything. Take a look around, perhaps these bushes in the back are not as good as you think, bright flowers are very beautiful, but they distract attention, and the carpet over the sofa where guests are sitting is too colorful (by the way, a traditional mistake of amateur photographers, like the trash can in the back plan).
The camera, unlike the eye, impartially captures everything, and as a result, instead of an event or fact that is important to you, a certain vinaigrette of secondary, insignificant and most importantly distracting details may turn out in the picture. Background subjects should not take your eyes away from the main one, and if your main subject is dark, then it is advisable to choose a lighter background, and vice versa: a light object stands out well against a dark background. In this case, one should not forget about exposure adjustments.
Perspective. A photograph in which you can feel the depth of space immediately attracts attention. Such pictures look better, they are more interesting to look at. The alternation of foreground, middle and long-range shots gives the photo a natural look.
For tourist photography, try to choose a background that is not too colorful or bright, pay attention to how the background is lit. If your subject is in the shade, the background should not be the walls of buildings or architectural monuments that are brightly lit by the sun. It is better if the background is slightly darker than the main subject.
Try to mentally distribute the plans of your composition, note that in addition to the foreground, the lens will see objects that are behind your subject center and even further on the horizon. Pay attention to any intersecting lines and background objects. Very often, deliberate background manipulation is used by photographers as a separate expressive technique.
Rhythm... Another important means of expression is rhythm, that is, the image in the picture of the same type of details, figures or silhouettes. Our whole life is an alternation of days and nights, seasons, so the rhythm helps to understand the non-randomness of the choice, and the gradual decrease in identical or similar figures - from large in the foreground to small in the far - again emphasizes the perspective. A large number of objects: houses, silhouettes, trees, with similar or even the same shapes can form an imaginary line, which will also lead the gaze to the plot center and give it more meaning.
Compositional mistakes of budding photographers
Everyone gains invaluable experience overcoming difficulties and setbacks. Everyone makes mistakes. This is what teaches us not to step on the same rake in the future. But, of course, no one wants to get big, so the most correct thing is to learn from other people's mistakes and use the experience of professionals.
Consider typical compositional mistakes, which was admitted by everyone who has ever held a camera in their hands. These mistakes are found both among novice photographers and those who have some knowledge and experience.
Cropped parts of people or landmarks... To properly frame a shot, you just need to adapt to your camera and be careful to ensure that the entire subject is in the frame.
Violation of the proportions of the human body. An incorrect angle can distort the natural proportions of the body. When shooting from above, the person will appear to have a large head and short legs. When shooting from below, everything will be the opposite. If getting this shot is not your goal, keep an eye on the angle and proportions.
Filling the horizon. Many people make the mistake of keeping the camera slightly tilted while shooting. The horizon line in the pictures should be parallel to the bottom and top edges of the picture. Many cameras can display a grid on the screen to help align the frame.
There is a foreign object in the frame. This error often occurs due to the fact that the frame is not aligned. Before taking photographs, you need to think about what exactly should be in the picture, evaluate the surrounding space.
Unbalanced composition. An inexperienced photographer is unaware of the existence of the rules of the golden ratio, thirds, guide lines, etc., and why you need to know them - even more so. Positioning in the center of the frame is perhaps the most famous and most common mistake. There is nothing wrong with placing an object in the center, but such a frame is simply boring, there is no dynamics, plot, or movement in it. Of course, sometimes such a composition is justified.
Unnoticed details in the background. The portrait, in which the arrow of a tower crane sticks out of the model's ear, and a flag flutters at the top of the head, have every right to exist, moreover, they are original. But in many cases, this is not the originality that you expect from the picture. Sometimes after shooting you wonder how you didn’t notice in the viewfinder that this post (trash can, apple stub, bottle, cigarette butt ...) spoils the frame very much. But it's too late and not everything can be fixed with the editor.
Empty composition. There is too much empty space in the frame that does not carry any useful information. The viewer's gaze rushes about in this emptiness, not knowing where to stop. Such a shot reminds of the famous picture of the best in the world Carlson - "A very lonely red rooster".
Overloaded composition. There are a lot of objects in the frame - photographic trash, why they are needed is not clear, but the variety is sometimes impressive. The actual subject is lost against their background, it is almost impossible to keep your attention on it.
There are many more mistakes that photographers make, but in order to start learning the correct photography technique, you need to remember the basic rules, and always pay attention to the little things.
Lesson summary: composition helps the photographer to correctly build the frame, in accordance with the intention, through visual images to convey his idea to the viewer and to tell something about the world around him in photographic language. We got acquainted with the basic rules of frame construction and typical mistakes of novice photographers.
Practical task.
1. In almost all cameras in the viewfinder (on the screen) there is a grid showing the lines of the rule of thirds, and allows you to preliminarily assess the correctness of the composition, but most often it is mistakenly disabled by beginners. Turn on the display of the grid. Follow the instructions for your camera.
2. Review your photos taken, for example, on your last vacation. Assess the correctness of their composition, find mistakes. Re-frame these shots in the editor, if space permits, so as to improve the composition.