6-Composition-Rules of Composition for high school students
- 2. What is composition? • The relative arrangement of the elements of photography within the frame of a photograph. • Composition is what separates TAKING from MAKING. • Anyone can take a snapshot and post it to social media, composition is one of the things that separate the photographers from the rest.
- 3. TAKING: • Snapshots • Recording a moment, not a lot of preplanned thought. • Common, everyday
- 4. MAKING • Artistic and conscious control over the process. • Pre-visualization: • “To visualize an image…to see it clearly in the mind prior to exposure and continuous projection from composing the image through the final print.” -Ansel Adams • Waiting for the right moment, knowing when the right moment is. • Planning out the composition before taking the photograph and enhancing the composition in the editing process.
- 5. RULES OF COMPOSITION: • Rule of thirds • Balancing elements • Leading lines • Viewpoint • Inclusion and Exclusion • Experimentation https://www.maxpixel.net/Uzaklar-Composition-Travel-Scully-Trip-Portugal-1852682
- 6. RULE OF THIRDS: • Moving the focal point out of the center and into one of the “third” sections of the photograph frame. • If you’ve ever used the crop tool on Instagram, this exact diagram pops up over your image. Even social media tools recognize this is a good rule of composition. Focal Point should be positioned at one of these points.
- 10. BALANCING ELEMENTS • Although the rule of thirds creates a more pleasing and interesting image, it runs the risk of creating an unbalanced image. • Consider the weight of your objects. If one thing feels too heavy, balance it with another element. • There are two types of balance: formal, or symmetrical, and informal or asymmetrical. • Asymmetrical balance pairs well with the rule of thirds. Dark, heavy feeling building. Light sign. Airy feeling tree.
- 11. FORMAL BALANCE
- 12. FORMAL BALANCE
- 13. INFORMAL BALANCE
- 14. INFORMAL BALANCE
- 15. LEADING LINES • Our eyes naturally follow lines. • By strategically placing lines, you can draw the viewer’s eye around your photograph. • You want the viewer to jump to the focal point then have lines move the viewers eye around the rest of the composition.
- 18. VIEWPOINT • Consider what the best position is to capture your subject. • Would it be more interesting to capture it from above? • What about getting low to the ground? • Will a straight on shot create more impact? • How do you want your photograph to come across?
- 19. Side Shot vs. Overhead Shot:
- 20. VIEWPOINT • A straight on shot is important in this instance. • Without a perfectly centered archway, you wouldn’t get the repetition and depth created by the arches going down the hall.
- 21. INCLUSION & EXCLUSION • What needs to be included to create a successful image? • Are there elements that would be better cropped out? • MERGERS are important to avoid. • MERGERS are background elements that compete with the subject.
- 23. There were too many mergers in the first photograph, so the photographer changed viewpoints, excluded background people, and reshot the image.
- 24. EXPERIMENTATION • Although there are “rules” in photography, all rules in art are meant to be bent and broken. • Don’t be afraid to try something new or that goes against the rules. • The beauty of digital photography is you can take hundreds of pictures and select the best one.
- 25. Your assignment… • Research artist, Ciro Totku, and see if you can identify the rules of composition used in his artwork. • Complete part 2 of the scavenger hunt, focusing on the rules of composition. • You will capture 7 photographs. The photographs need to be titled with the rule of composition it reflects and save them in a folder titled: Your Name/Rules of Composition. • You will get a participation grade for completing the artist research sheet and a partial project grade for completing the scavenger hunt.
- 26. THE END