Ansel Adams Photography

Digital cameras have become increasingly sophisticated that one day it may be able to take photos and may be brew coffee as well. Photographers and hobbyists should thank technology because the more advanced the digital camera gets the more time photographers have in concentrating on areas such as composition. However this is still not the case.

Photographs are negatively affected by factors such as unwanted intrusions which often confuse and distract the eye. Backgrounds which are irrelevant or dominating, overpower the subject and makes for a bad photograph. A foreground should help lead the eye into the picture and should not occupy too great an area or it would appear as incorrect framing.

Photographers must prepare their digital cameras, open their eyes and train themselves in the art of composition. Once a lens enthusiast gets used to focusing on the composition aspect of a photograph then shooting amazing pictures will be easy.

Key Areas to Be Considered in Composition:

1. What’s the centre of interest? – Decide what the central subject of the photograph is so you can choose the most effective background.
2. Cropping is a talent – A good photographer knows when to edit the photo. Possible distractions or intrusions must be avoided. Examine carefully the subject, background and foreground to ensure picture will not be spoilt by an unwanted object. It is too easy to mar a holy temple with a traffic sign in the foreground or produce a portrait of some friends complete with a poles coming out of their heads. The most practical way to for an intruding object to be removed from the composition is by simply moving slightly to one side. Be patient, wait for moving vehicles to pass by before taking that shot.
3. Enhance the foreground- It’s vital to decide if there is anything that might add to the foreground without distracting from or obscuring the centre of interest.

4. Apply the famous ‘Rules of Thirds’ concept- Ah, the rules of thirds, it’s a century old composition technique used by painters, photographers and artists. The rule says for you to imagine a photo divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. The intersecting point between imaginary ‘third’ points in an image and you’ll help give your image balance and help those focal points to really capture attention.

5. Frame it! – A picture has more meaning if the framing is well thought of. A frame for your picture could be anything from a leafy tree to a quaint doorway.

6. Think differently- Photography is awesome because it isn’t like an elementary test paper. You don’t create a great picture by copying. Try to capture a subject the way it’s never been captured before.

For more photography lessons turn to our digital photography tips .