Composition and Landscape

AS PHOTOGRAPHYSPACES

Composition = arrangement of the elements of an image to make them aesthetically pleasing. Because what one person finds pleasing, someone else will not, composition is largely a matter of personal taste. However, there are certain tricks which can be used to make a good composition. Photographers rarely use all of the tricks in the making of a single image. When looking at photographs, try to be aware of where your eye travels around the image to improve your understanding of composition.

Before photographing the landscape, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of your photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.

Guy Bourdin

Viewpoint

Create Depth through Layers  Because photography is a two-dimensional medium,

we have to choose our composition carefully to convey the sense of depth that was present in the actual scene. You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. Another useful composition technique is overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure one object with another. The human eye naturally recognises these layers and mentally separates them out, creating an image with more depth.

 

Robert Capa

Leading Lines When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking about how

you place lines in your composition, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture,

towards the subject, or on a journey 'through' the scene.

There are many different types of line - Diagonal, Horizontal, Vertical and Converging lines all impact images differently and should be spotted while

framing a shot and then utilised to strengthen it.

Henri Cartier Bresson

Leading lines

Andre Kertesz

The "S" CurveMuch like it sounds, a running creek, a winding path, the curve of girls hips, anything that makes an "S" shape through your picture will add interest and action to the picture.

Man Ray

Ansel Adams

Framing The world is full of

objects which make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest.

Bressai

Gregory Crewson

Diagonal LinesDiagonal lines

Setting your subject matter on a diagonal

will almost always make for a more

dynamic picture. Even if this is an invisible diagonal that draws

your eye between two points. Move around the subject and look

for a diagonal.

Weegee

  There are patterns

all around us if we only learn to see them. Emphasizing and highlighting these patterns can lead to striking shots – as can high lighting when patterns are broken.

Imogen Cunningham Pattern

Patterns & Grid Lines

David Rayson

ColourWilliam Eggleston is well-known for adding shades of red to his works

Texture

Texture particularly comes into play when light hits objects at interesting angles

Depending upon the scene – symmetry

can be something to go for – or to avoid completely. A symmetrical shot with strong composition and a good point of interest can lead to a striking image. Another thing to try is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene.

Symmetry

Edward Steiglitz

Henri Cartier Bresson

Rule of ThirdsImagine that your image is divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines intersection. The most important elements are placed on or around the lines and points of intersection.

Rule of ThirdsAnother guide in composing is the "rule of thirds". Simply put, look for naturally occurring divisions of thirds in a scene. Try to avoid splitting your painting top to bottom, or side to side in half. It is more interesting to have a low or high horizon for instance, with one third at the top, two thirds at the bottom (or visa-versa) than splitting an image right down the middle.

Rule of Thirds

Cartier-Bresson

Robert Doisneau

 

The Golden Mean 

Since the Renaissance, many artists have proportioned their works to approximate the golden ratio- especially in the form of the golden rectangle, in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter one is the golden ratio- believing this proportion to be aesthetically pleasing.

Cartier-Bresson

Robert Frank

Rule of Thirds and The Golden Ration

Anselm Adams emphasized the use of small apertures and long exposures in natural light, which created sharp details with a wide range of focus

Henri Cartier-Bresson