Frame Composition

Composition:

Anyone can point a digital camera at a subject and get a good quality snap shot. The camera will almost insure that the photo will be sharp and exposed correctly. However, the one thing the camera can’t do for you is compose the shot.

One of the major differences between average photographers and professionals is that the pros spend a lot of time thinking about composition while amateur’s just point and shoot.

Composition is important because it helps set the mood for the shot and tells a story. It can also be used to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. If you keep composition in mind whenever you look into your viewfinder, it will eventually become second nature to you.

You will greatly improve the impact of your photos and hopeful move out of the armature ranks by following these few easy tips.

The Law of Thirds

If you mentally divide your camera viewfinder into three horizontal and three vertical sections, where the lines intersect are considered ideal focal points. Focal points are what the eyes are naturally drawn to when you look at a photograph. Therefore, any one of these focal points is a good place to position your main subject.

It's not a hard and fast rule, but you should always mentally divide your viewfinder into a grid and try to place your subject at one of the focal points. The upper and lower horizontal lines represent the ideal location to place the horizon of a landscape picture. It depends on whether you want more surface or more sky in the photo.

Portraits

When taking portraits the closer you get to the subject the better. You will focus attention to the subject by cutting down on the amount of superfluous background detail.

You can also bring out your main subject by making the background go out of focus. Use your camera aperture priority mode and set as large an f/stop (about F2.8) as your camera will allow. If your camera has a zoom function you could use it to zoom in and achieve the same results. Use optical zoom only for best results.

If the subject is in shadow compared to the rest of the picture, you should use a fill-in flash to properly expose the face. In order to eliminate shadows, do not place the subject too close to a wall etc.

Recommended camera settings for portraits:

Focal length: 100 mm

Aperture: F2.8 (as large a f/stop as is available for proper exposure)

Exposure / Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority / Portrait

Flash: Fill-in, if face is in shadow

Landscapes

When shooting landscapes you usually want everything in focus all the way to infinity. Therefore, you will want to use as small an f/stop as your camera will allow.

You should use a wide-angle lens setting and consider adding a foreground object to help draw the eye into the photo. Experiment by isolating different portions of the scene using an optical zoom lens. And of course always apply the law of thirds.

Recommended camera settings for landscapes:

Focal length: 38 mm

Aperture: F16 (as small a f/stop as is available for proper exposure)

Exposure / Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority / Landscape

Tripod: Yes, for long exposures