Composition in photography is the right balance between perspective, geometry and the game of lights. If you want to be a good landscape photographer, you need to implement some advice. The compositions of the picture can of course be “composed” with intuition, but knowing these 22 principles of composition will improve and simplify the composition of the frame.
1. We are looking for interesting light. We focus on compositions with “stains of light. Colors dance during the day indeed.
2. We find contrasting elements in nature. There is nothing worse than the fading colors of the landscape. The proximity of the appropriate colors gives the image a more interesting character.
3. The rule of third + geometry: we should look for a horizon line at 1/3 or 2/3 of the image. The tri-band line on the LCD or viewfinder will help us to produce such compositions easily. It is not a rule of thumb that such a arrangement of items always makes the best picture. There are situations when this particular layout can be skipped and where the horizon can be set at 1/2 of the picture. A classic example of such an image can be the symmetrical display of the reflection on the water surface. What is very recommendable is to look for geometrically and symmetrically interesting objects. What seems to be absorbing for the human eye is of round and triangular shape.
They simplify the photo by making it more understandable for the recipient. It is also important to plan the boundaries between objects in pictures.
4. We are looking for strong points of odd numbers: There can be neither too little nor too many Photo must be balanced giving an impression of order and balance. odd numbers like 1 or 3 is always better than showing odd numbers , eg 2 or 4. Odd elements are always more effective in photography, especially triangles. These can be 3 round stones in the foreground or 3 trees on the horizon.
5. It is also useful to implement elements of continuation and components that capture our attention. This technique gives the recipient the better picture of what you wanted to convey. This way you can easily avoid chaos and mayhem in your picture. For example, 3 stones on a diagonal planet move along the diagonal. In general, Repeated objects or sequences of objects create a rhythm. When it comes to incorporating interesting components, we should look for prospects in the form of: paths, fields, streams, rivers, etc. These are leading lines that lead our eyes to some point. It triggers our attention. They also affect the space and dynamics of photography. 9. by introducing very strong points.
16. Golden hours are the best time to capture our favorite landscapes. The pictures captured in the afternoon are typically flat because they are lost in space. Sunrise or sunset gives better focus on details whereas the light flying from high angle introduces very black shadows and thus sharp contrast. Moreover, we should pay attention to change in the light temperature during a day. At dawn or dusk, the color of light is blue. At noon the color of the clear blue sky is of around 10000-15000 K giving a slightly yellow light. The afternoon sky is of a salmon shade making its way to the sunset and sunrise light that create a spectacle of colors on the sky shining in gold, purple, violet, pink, strongly orange or even red.
14. We should introduce so called “linear composition”. The multitude of the lines in the photo introduces the order, but it also establishes some boundaries between strong points. The most eye catching are diagonal lines. We should limit the importance of verticals and levels in the composition.
- Avoid photo distractions such as unnecessary branches, road signs, railing or crowds as I spoil the photo.
11. To emphasize the dynamics or even exaggerate certain focal points, we introduce a vertical frame to the image.
12. We take pictures not only from the perspective of the person standing but also from the frog, lying down, from above, etc. The scope of the experiment is quite wide in this matter.
17. We are looking for large depth of field and proper exposure time. Although sharpness is a relative aperture of f / 7.1-8 gives a good effect. At f / 16-22 diffractions start to appear that distort the image. Research at the microscopic level has proven that image softening diffraction occurs at very low aperture values.
- 18. Simplified or lonely touches in the picture often introduce an interesting solution. Sometimes the simpler the composition, the better the picture. We do not cover much in photography. We introduce a slight understatement, allowing the photo to “breathe”.
19. An interesting solution in the perspective is to present a certain scale. So let’s make smaller objects to show the relationship between the sizes of the objects in the image.
21. Additional: Interesting patterns and texture are also an important element of composition. Moreover: We are looking for natural frames for the photo. Branches, flowers, exits from caves etc. can be used as a natural border. The principle of “vanishing point” should be applied. A good example of this is a tapering bridge, which becomes narrower when we look at the center of the image. This makes it three-dimensional.
