The Art of Composition
Lee Frost
Think of a landscape photograph as a jigsaw puzzle, with dozens of different pieces demanding your attention.
If you arrange all those pieces in the right order you'll end up with
an organised, structured image that makes sense and looks good. But if
you put them together any old way, the end result will be a muddled mess
of shapes, colours and details that's difficult to make sense of.
That, in a nutshell, is what composition's
all about - arranging the elements of a scene in your camera's viewfinder
so they form something visually interesting to look at; something that
will hold the attention of the viewer and take their eye on a journey
around the frame from the immediate foreground to the distant background.
Every time you raise a camera
to your eye you're composing a picture - the very act of deciding where
to point it is based on a conscious or sub-conscious decision about what
you want to include in the picture. The trouble is, many photographers
don't spend enough time thinking about that composition before firing
away, and nine times out of ten the end result is unbalanced and unstimulating.
Often the main subject is too far
away and marooned in a sea of empty space, or there are annoying distractions
in the frame. Many pictures have no obvious entry point, so the viewer's
wanders around aimlessly, and lack any sense of depth or scale so they
look as flat as the proverbial pancake.
Painters are one up on photographers
when it comes to composing a picture, because if the scene before them
isn't ideal they can move elements around on the canvas until it is. We
just have to accept what's there and make the best of it.
Fortunately, this isn't as difficult as it sounds because by using different
lenses, choosing your viewpoint carefully and thinking about which part
of the scene you want to capture on film, it's possible to create successful
compositions every time. There are also many compositional 'rules' and
devices that can be used to help you take more interesting pictures, and
the more pictures you take, the better your natural sense of composition
will become - until it becomes and intuitive act, rather like driving
a car does when you've been behind the wheel enough.
Step 1
Include foreground interest
Scenic pictures can often be improved
dramatically simply by including something in the immediate foreground.
Not only does foreground interest help to create a strong feeling of depth
and scale, which is vitally important, but it also tightens-up the whole
composition by pulling together the different elements in the scene, and
provides an obvious entry point into the shot - the bottom is a natural
place for the eye to start with conventional picture formats.
All kinds of things can be used as foreground interest - walls, rivers,
rocks, hedges and trees, fences, roads, paths, flower beds and so on.
Wide-angle lenses are invaluable
for emphasising foreground interest . By moving in close with a 24mm or
28mm lens you can make even small features dominate the whole shot, and
exaggerate perspective to create powerful compositions with the foreground
looming large and the rest of the scene stretching off into the distance.
Wide-angle lenses also offer the added benefit of extensive depth-of-field.
By stopping down to f/16 or f/22, everything will come out sharp from
less than a metre in front of the camera to infinity.
Step 2
Use the rule-of-thirds
This is the oldest compositional trick
in the book, and one that's used by both painters and photographers to
create a visually balanced picture.
Imagine you're shooting a landscape and there's an isolated farmhouse
in the distance or a single tree in the middle of a field, acting as the
main focal point. Most photographers would stick this subject in the centre
of the frame - which can work in some situations. However, you will generally
get a more pleasing sense of balance if you position it using the rule-of-thirds.
To do this, divide-up your camera's viewfinder into an imaginary grid
using two horizontal and two vertical lines. The focal point is then placed
on or near any of the four intersection points created by those lines.
The rule of thirds can also be used to help you position the horizon.
It's tempting to stick it across the centre of the frame, but unless you're
shooting a symmetrical scene, such as reflections in a lake, the result
tends to look very static and lifeless.
A much better approach is to place the horizon one third from the top
or the bottom of the frame, so you're emphasising either the sky or ground.
To help you achieve this, divide the viewfinder into thirds using two
imaginary horizontal lines, then compose the scene before you so the horizon
falls on one of them.
You should never force a picture to comply with the rule-of-thirds, but
when used with care it can work well and after a while you will find yourself
naturally dividing the scene into thirds to aid the position of important
elements.
Step 3
Make the most of lines
Lines just can't be beaten when
it comes to adding depth and dynamism to a picture. As well as creating
a strong sense of direction, they also carry the eye through the scene
so it takes in everything along the way.
If you keep your eyes peeled when shooting landscapes you'll see lines
appearing everywhere: roads, rivers, railings, avenues of trees, road
markings, telegraph poles and railway tracks slicing through the countryside,
raking shadows cast by the evening sun and so on. All these and many more
can be used to improve the composition of your pictures.
Horizontal lines divide the scene in layers and produce a restful effect
by echoing the horizon. The eye normally travels from left to right, and
steadily upwards through the scene.
Vertical lines are far more active
so they give a picture tension and a strong sense of vertical direction
- think of the towering trunks of coniferous trees reaching for the sky.
Diagonal lines are more energetic because
they contrast strongly with horizontal and vertical elements and carry
your eye through the whole scene. By suggesting perspective they also
add depth. Lines moving from bottom left to top right work the best because
that's natural way for the eye to travel.
Converging lines created by roads, crop rows, avenues of trees and railway
lines are ideal for adding a strong sense of depth, scale and perspective
due to the way they rush away to the horizon and seem to move closer together
with distance. To make the most of this effect, look straight down the
lines and use a wide-angle lens to exaggerate perspective. Include the
point where the lines meet - the 'vanishing point' - is also a good idea
as it brings the composition to a satisfying conclusion.
Finally, lines don't actually have to be straight to work in a composition.
The graceful curves of a meandering river will carry the eye through a
scene just as effectively as a arrow-straight canal.
Step 4
Use your feet
The late photojournalist Robert
Capa used to say, "If a picture's not good enough, you weren't close enough".
He was talking mainly about war and conflict, of course, but in the landscape
his words still ring true.
Many photographers seem to have a pathological fear of getting close to
their subject, regardless of what it is. They see something interesting,
snap away without a care in the world, then wonder why the final picture
has enough wasted space to drive a Chieftain tank through.
So, the next time you're about to take a landscape photograph, stop for
a second, have a last look at the composition and ask yourself if it could
be improved by walking further into the scene, getting closer to foreground
interest or finding something more suitable to fill the foreground. You'll
be amazed at the difference this can make.
While you're feeling energetic it's
also worth having a general look around your subject. That landscape might
look rather nice from the lay-by at the side of the road - and it's a
known fact that some of the most stunning viewpoints in the UK are close
to roads - but what about if you walked around the corner, or up the hill
behind you? The fact is you'll rarely get the best picture from the first
viewpoint you find, but unless you make the effort to explore your subject
from different angles you'll never know the alternatives.
Sometimes all it takes is a slight change of viewpoint to completely transform
the composition. Walking a few metres in any direction could give you
a far clearer view, get rid of unwanted distractions or provide important
foreground interest.
The height from which you shoot should also be considered. Most photographers
take every picture with the camera at eye level, but by kneeling down
or standing on a wall you'll get a totally different view of the same
scene. Many professionals even carry a step ladder for this purpose (ask
Charlie Waite) so they can gain a slightly elevated position and see much
more of the scene they're trying to capture.
Using your feet is a vitally important part of composing a picture, so
never be afraid to wear out a little shoe leather.
Step 5
Choose the right format
Although it's natural to shoot
landscapes with the camera held horizontally in the 'landscape' format,
turning the camera on its side can totally transform the composition.
Upright pictures are far more energetic because the eye has further to
travel from bottom to top. You can also emphasise vertical lines and height
to add tension and excitement, or capture rivers and roads snaking away
into the distance The horizontal format is much more restful to look at
because it suggests repose, and echoes the horizon itself - that's why
it tends to be preferred by landscape photographers.
Step 6
Make the most of frames
Using manmade or natural features
to frame your pictures is a great way to tighten up the overall composition,
get rid of annoying details and direct attention towards your main subject.
All sorts of things can be used as frames: archways, door and window openings,
a hole in a wall, a gap in dense foliage or between trees, the overhanging
branches of a tree, bridges, even the play of shadow on a scene.
To make best use of frames you will usually find that a wide-angle lens
works best, allowing you to include the frame without obscuring the scene
beyond. Set your lens to a small aperture such as f/11 or f/16 if you
want the frame to come out sharp. Alternatively, blur it by setting a
wide aperture and focusing carefully on your main subject.
If the frame casts a shadow over you, step beyond it to take a meter reading,
otherwise the main scene will be overexposed. In bright conditions the
frame itself will record as a silhouette, which can look stunning.
Step 7
Break the rules
Throughout this feature we've looked
at numerous guidelines and rules that can be applied to improve the composition
of your pictures. However, they're only there as a guide, and should be
used as such.
Actors are often told to learn their lines so they can forget them and
improvise. It's exactly the same with composition. Once you know how these
rules work, you can happily commit them to your subconscious and follow
your instincts.
Often you'll get a far better picture by intentionally breaking the rules
- placing the horizon across the middle of the picture, or your focal
point in the centre. The thing to remember is that whatever you do, make
sure you have a reason for doing it. But most important of all, make it
count.
