Rules? Really? I know what you’re thinking… you don’t like rules. Well guess what? Neither do I. In the words of Pirates of the Caribbean‘s Barbossa, they’re more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.
This is part one of a series of articles I’ll be writing to make you a better photographer. If you like them—or even if you don’t—let me know using the comments below.
Now it doesn’t matter what type of camera you’ve got, whether it’s a simple point-and-shoot, or the latest Nikon with a top-of-the-range lens; you’ll become a better photographer by following these guidelines.
Guideline 1: The Rule of Thirds
Simply put, the rule of thirds helps you get maximum impact in your photos by making sure you fill the image with interesting things. It consists of a 3×3 grid, and the aim is to put your subjects at the intersections of the grid lines and try to really fill the frame.
Now I’m not saying there absolutely has to be something going on in every single part of the grid but as a general rule it will make your photos better.
“Sognsvann” captured by Rino
A simple technique I use is to get a photo I’ve taken and overlay it with a 3×3 grid. I then count how much of the grid I’ve filled up.
Guideline 2: Balancing
Balancing can be used alongside the Rule of Thirds to produce photos that are just that little bit different. We’re all used to taking photos where we try to get the focus in the center of the image. The balancing technique puts this focus somewhere else, and at the same type adds some other interesting elements to the image.
“llocos” captured by John Sacriz
Guideline 3: Viewpoints & Angles
You might have heard the quote “fail to plan, plan to fail.” It’s normally used in business to demonstrate the importance of planning.
Take a car manufacturer. It doesn’t just build cars—a lot of design, development, and testing go on in the background before it even gets to the production line. Those same principles apply to photography.
Photo captured by Kameron Barney
Before taking your shot, take a quick look around. Think about your audience and how they’ll see the photo. Do you want a shot taken at eye-level, down below, from the left or right, or from an elevated viewpoint? Each angle or viewpoint will give the audience a completely different perspective of the photo.
Guideline 4: Backgrounds
Backgrounds can make or break a photo. You can have the most amazing focal point, but something distracting in the background can cause the whole photo to fail. I’ve seen many a photo fail because of an exit sign or other distracting element in the background.
“On the edge” captured by Alexei Demin
If you can move around, do it. If you can get your subject to move, even better. Some people prefer to Photoshop the bad bits out later. My advice to you is concentrate on getting the perfect photo the first time every time. I can guarantee you’ll become a better photographer for it. Only if you’ve tried your best and it’s impossible because of something outside your control should you turn to Photoshop.
Guideline 5: Depth
What is depth? It’s a way to make photos look more real—to make them stand out a bit. Our eyes can make out objects at different distances quite easily, but in photos it can be quite challenging.
Photo captured by jeffrey campbell millar
The trick is to take a photo that has objects or elements at different distances and make people believe what you saw when you took the photo.
Guideline 6: Framing
Framing lets you to take a photo where you have so much going on but the focus is on just one or two areas of the photo.
“Autumn Sunrise” captured by Sherry Slabik
Final words (for this article at least): don’t be afraid to experiment
In the age of digital photography you can click away without thinking about huge photo developing costs. Compare photos taken at different angles, with different depths and different backgrounds to become the best photographer that you can be.
Happy snapping!
About the Author:
Mo Azam is a professional photographer (iamfoto dot co dot uk) based in the UK.
Go to full article: How to Compose a Photo
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Article from: PictureCorrect
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