I’ve thrown around the idea for a while of offering photography classes to moms, dads and anyone else interested in taking better photos of their kids, dogs and family. Later this week I’ll announce the details on these workshops. To lead up to that, this week I’m sharing some basic tips on how to take better pictures. It doesn’t matter what style of camera you have … how expensive that camera is … or what brand of camera it is. These tips are for anyone looking to take better photos. Stop by each day and learn something new.
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Today’s lesson is all about composition. I could actually spend a lot of time on composition, but I’m just going to offer a few basic pointers to get you started.
#1 Look at Your Subject From a Different Perspective
I touched on this briefly last time with my recommendation of getting down on the level of your kids and dogs when taking your photos. This could also mean you get in close to your subject. Look at it from above. Look at it from below. A good exercise is to pick one subject and photograph it from 2-3 different perspectives … then pick which one you like best.
At first glance this was just a old door in a Savannah alleyway. But, when I got in closer I was pleased to find the heart shaped hole above the knob.
I love Southern Oak trees. My favorite way to photograph them is to stand at the base and look up.
Getting in close to the subject makes this photograph stronger.
#2 Learn the Rule of Thirds
One of the popular “rules” in photography … and art, in general … is called the Rule of Thirds. How it works is that you draw imaginary lines through your photo, dividing it equally in three sections horizontally and three sections vertically, making 9 squares. You would place important parts of your photos in the intersection of these lines.
Some real life examples include:
By composing this image with the huddle of young baseball players in the lower right corner follows the Rule of Thirds.
Again, the Rule of Thirds was used again when the boat was placed in the lower right corner.
#3 Remove Visual Clutter
I promise this next rule is not a comment on anyone’s housekeeping skills — trust me, we have a lot of clutter in our house. However, you can apply this rule both literally and figuratively. The goal of “removing clutter” is to allow the focus of your photo to be on your intended subject … and only your intended subject. Applying this rule literally means to take photos in spaces that are not filled with clutter. When I offer to photograph at a client’s home, I often are met with … “Oh, no. Our house is a mess!” Well, you can actually move the mess out of the field of view of the camera. Or, pick spots where it is not messy. Applying this rule figuratively means to use whatever “tools” you can to isolate your subject. It might mean to get in close to the subject. Or, it might mean to use your aperture to apply some blur to the background.
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If you like what you see in this week long series, you might be interested in taking one of my workshops. Stay tuned for more details on the workshops as the week goes on.
