Composition

Right Image: Minolta Maxxum 7, 300mm f-2.8 lens, 2X APO Teleconverter, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head. Spot Metering (rock), at f-5.6 and 1/250 sec on aperture priority and autofocus.

Every person has a unique vision. Photography allows us to share our vision with other people and in the process of taking pictures we learn to see everything around us differently, and learning to see is the key to a good composition. Composition is a way of creating order and balance. You can create balance by first deciding where to place your subject. Many beginning photographers place their subjects in the center which is fine in some cases but off-center subjects make more pleasing photographs. In the photograph above I placed the Inland Bearded Dragon to the right of the frame. The animal is looking into the frame. If I had placed it in the center the left and the right side would have been empty and distracting, taking the attention away from the main subject. Placing it to the left would have made a huge and unnecessary empty space behind the animal.

When taking pictures, look at the scene for shapes and colors. Then try different angles. Check to see what you can find to place in the foreground or background. Many photographs are taken at eye level. Try lowering your tripod for a different view. This is especially important when photographing children and small animals (see photograph below).

Change lenses to control perspective and don't try to include everything in front of you. Crop your subject by isolating it from its surroundings or include what you think will add interest to the photograph.

When we first see a beautiful landscape for example, we want to include everything. All the flowers, trees, mountains. This can be very distracting. Many great photographs are very simple in design and to the point. This is another key to a good composition. Having a point of interest to bring the viewers attention to the photograph.

 You must also decide on taking your picture in horizontal or vertical format. Setting your camera and tripod for a vertical shot takes more time than horizontal. This is why many people avoid taking pictures in vertical composition. Try shooting in vertical especially if you intend to sell your photographs as many markets such as magazine covers and posters are made in this format. You can also use the rule of thirds when composing your photographs. Divide the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically like tic-tac-toe-grid and place your subject in different sections of the grid. Finally, a tripod is a great tool for well composed pictures as they allow you to check all the surrounding area for unwanted objects. See also Composition Part 2

Minolta Maxxum 9xi, 200mm f-2.8 lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head.
Spot metering face and opening up 1/2 stop.  f-5.6, shutter speed not recorded. Aperture priority and manual focus.

By lowering my tripod all the way down to the ground I photographed this mallard duck at eye level. The viewer can make eye contact rather than looking down at the bird.