The principles of visual art are the rules, tools and guidelines that
artists often use to organize the elements of art in their work. Of
course, not everyone follows these rules but most of them does because
it is more pleasing for the human eye. Let's take a look at some of
these principles and a few other tips to take better shots.
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The Golden Ratio and the Rule of thirds
In
mathematics and the arts two quantities are in the golden ratio if
their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to their maximum. Many
artists have proportioned their works to approximate the golden
ratio—especially in the form of the golden rectangle in which the ratio
of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio—believing this
proportion to be aesthetically pleasing.
We use this ratio to
draw imaginary lines on a rectangle image. The lines cut the image in 3
vertical and 3 horizontal identical parts. (red lines on the image)
If the subject is in the middle of the image it seems too static. It is
always better to try to place your subject on one of these imaginary
lines or intersections.
Move your subject away from the center to achieve a visual balance.
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Give your subject space on the side that he is looking
For
portraits do not put the eyes in the center of the image (also follow
the rule of thirds) and compose your portrait so that the subject's eyes
are positioned 1/3 of the way down from the top of the frame. It is
better if you keep the eyes in the upper third. To help you do that try
to place the neck in the center.
Also give your subject some room
to look into. If the subject is looking in one direction (or if his
head is pointing in one direction) it is best to place him on the
opposite side of the frame.
- Vertical or horizontal?
Spontaneously
we take "landscape" images (horizontal) because the images seem more
balanced and more accurate in comparison to our vision. Our eyes scan
space from left to right. It is the obvious choice for landscape images
and all the actions that require width.
For portraits we usually
use "portrait" or vertical framing. But because a vertical framing is
called "portrait" everywhere doesn’t mean you have to use it when
shooting portraits. Change your framing for every shoot to add variety
to the type of shots you take.
Photo Sandrine Hermand-Grisel:
All about Sandrine Hermand-GriselShoot vertically to enhance tall objects or to accentuate height. Shoot horizontally to accentuate width.
- Use diagonals and leading lines
When
we look at a photograph our eyes are naturally drawn along lines. The
use of lines can help direct the viewers attention to a specific part of
an image. They can be straight, diagonal or wavy, intentional or
unintentional. They affect the way we view the image, dragging us
towards the subject or leading us away from it. Lines should enhance
your composition not the opposite.
Most of the time they start at
the bottom of the frame and guide the eye upwards and inwards, from the
foreground to the background of the image to guide your eyes toward the
main subject. The roads are a good example of lines that can help us
achieve that. They give us a feeling of motion.
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A few tips about lighting
Lighting is very important and can be sometimes tricky. Here are a few quick facts to help you.
*
Check where the lights come from if you want to avoid dark pictures.
The sun for example should be in your back or on the side but not just
in front of your lens unless you want to make a special effect.
* The broader the light source, the softer the light. The narrower the source, the harder the light.
Hard light comes from a source that's small compared to the subject. In this case it casts hard shadows and has high contrast.
Soft
light falling on the subject from a source that's large compared to the
subject, wraps light around the subject, filling shadows and lowering
contrast.
A large source will wrap light around a small subject
filling shadows and lowering contrast. A small source will direct light
onto a large subject creating hard shadows and high contrast.
*
Diffusion makes the light source broader and therefor softer. Think
about clouds or fog. We usually use reflectors to diffuse harsh lights
but you can also use a white fabric.
* Light gets dim fast when
you move it away. The rule says that light falls off as the square of
the distance. You can use it to vary the light of your background.
*
Front lighting de-emphasizes texture but lighting from the side, above,
or below emphasizes it. Which means that if you want your model for
instance to have less wrinkles, keep the light close to the axis of your
lens.
* Light has a temperature. Depending on the time, sunlight
can be warm or bluish. You can modify the white balance of your digital
camera to play with the tone of the light. If you are using film,
filters are a good option.
* Shadows create volume, play with the light, try different things.
*
If you don't have enough light, your subject will be blurry if it
moves. Use a tripod and increase exposure time. Don't hesitate to play
with shutter speed.
- Pay attention to the background and depth of your image
Photography is a two-dimensional medium, so we have to choose our background carefully to convey the sense of depth.
Photo Alain Laboile:
All about Alain LaboileFor depth play with
*
Aperture size: the smaller the size of the lens aperture (the larger
the f-number), the greater the depth of field. The larger the aperture,
the shallower the depth of field.
* The distance between the subject
and the camera. If you move further from the subject you increase the
depth of field. If you move closer to your subject you decrease it.
* Lens focal length. Zooming out to a wider angle of view increases depth of field. Zooming in on the opposite decreases it.
You can also create more depth by including objects in the foreground, middle ground or background.
Background:
Sometimes you want your background to be as minimalistic as possible
and sometimes you want the background to increase the
context/story/drama of your image. In any case try to pay attention to
your background. Many images are ruined by not paying attention to what
is going on.
- Importance of view point
The view point is very important, it has an impact on the composition and as a result it can modify your message.
If
you shoot down on subjects you either diminish them or make them look
less imposing. It is usually more flattering to shoot a person slightly
below his eye-line. For example if you take a picture of a child you
should bend your knees so that your camera is at the eye level of your
subject otherwise he/she will appear to have a big head and small legs.
If
you shoot up from ground level for example you will make your subject
look more imposing. It can be a good view point for fashion shots
because the model will seem to have much longer legs.
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Fill the frame and frame your shots
Especially
when you shoot portraits the rule is to fill the frame so that you are
not distracted by the background. The image seems more powerful and
intimate. Get closer to your subject or zoom in. Don't hesitate to crop
your images afterwards if you have too much wasted space on the sides
of your subject.
Photo by Lee Jeffries:
All about Lee JeffriesIf you are shooting landscapes don't hesitate to
frame your image. You can find natural frames almost everywhere like
trees, archways, windows, branches, walls... By placing some of these
elements around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main
subject from the rest.
The result is a more focused image which
draws attention to your main subject. Of course your frame doesn’t need
to go completely around the edges of your image. Your frame can also be
out of focus (or not) depending if your frame is in the foreground,
middle or background and your choice of aperture.
- KISS or keep it simple series
Less
is more. Simple images tend to have more impact because the message is
usually clearer and our attention more focused on what is important: the
primary subject.
- Rules are not laws.
Composition
in photography is not a science. All the rules that you can find here
and there are just tricks that might help you but it is not the recipe
for success. Some photographers respect these rules while others don't.
But it is always better to comprehend the basics in order to understand
their properties if you want to bypass them later. We could take Picasso
as an example to make our point. He studied all the classical
paintings, rules, guidelines at art school and he knew very well how to
draw. But it is because of his knowledge that he was able to make
balanced fragmented paintings later in his life. Don't hesitate to break
the rules but always keep in mind that they might help you.
