143629 Photography from scratch 0

In this lesson you will learn: Basics of composition. Semantic and decorative layout of the frame. Compositional techniques: perspective, rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonals. Main and secondary objects of the composition. The main mistakes of beginning photographers.

What is composition? Composition (from Latin compositio) means composition, connection, combination various parts into a single whole in accordance with some idea. This refers to the thoughtful construction of an image, finding the relationship of its individual parts (components), which ultimately form a single whole - a complete and complete image.

Why is proper composition important? In order to better convey an idea in photography, special expressive means are used: lighting, tonality, color, point and moment of shooting, plan, angle, as well as pictorial and various contrasts. Reflection of living, real life will not be adequate without following certain rules. How, for example, to convey movement or the fleetingness of a moment? This requires knowledge of the laws of composition, otherwise your photos will turn into random shutter clicks and will not be interesting to others.

The general meaning of a correctly constructed frame composition is that we look at the photograph easily and naturally. At the same time, we receive aesthetic pleasure, see the logical connection between objects in the frame, and admire the details of the image. It happens the other way around, we are surprised or shocked, everything is incomprehensible to us, but even in this case, the correct - or deliberately incorrect - composition conveys the author’s creative intent through the photograph.

Plot center and balance

Any good photograph should have a main subject, sometimes called semantic or plot center. This is what the author climbed mountains for, crossed deserts, or simply took time away from having fun with friends to take out the camera and press the button. This center can be “I’m at the barbecue,” or it can be a snow-capped peak, a lonely tree, a human face, or just a graceful curve of lines in an abstract still life.

In simple home photographs, the subject and geometric center often coincide, that is, the main subject is directly in the center of the photo. Family albums are filled with such cards, and only the closest relatives are interested in leafing through them, much less looking at photographs. If a photographer strives to take something more than a “me against the background of the pyramids” shot, then one must be prepared for the fact that more time and effort will have to be spent.

Before you press the camera shutter button, decide semantic center and find it in the surrounding space, mentally highlight what is the main thing, the most interesting for you. Perhaps at first it will not be easy and you will have to work with your head (well, turn in different directions, look around), but then, as you gain experience, your eye will find interesting subjects on its own.

Let's move on. There is a very old and simple rule that allows you to almost always achieve success. Sometimes it is called rule of thirds. It allows you to harmoniously balance the image, giving it dynamics and visual naturalness. What is its meaning? The frame space is mentally divided into equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Three horizontal and three vertical stripes make up a kind of grid with points of intersection of lines.

It is recommended to place the most important elements of the frame along these lines or at their intersection points. The fact is that such an asymmetry of the image is perceived more naturally and in many cases makes it possible to effectively use the negative space around the main subject.

The rule of thirds is widely used in most different types images. For example, in landscapes, the horizon line is often placed along the upper or lower third line, and next to one of the vertical lines is an object to which they want to draw attention (a tree, a building, etc.).

When creating portraits, the face can be moved away from the center to avoid unnecessary resemblance to a “passport photo.” To draw attention to the eyes, it is worth choosing a composition so that one eye is located at one of the upper intersections of the conventional lines.

For many centuries, to build harmonious compositions, artists have also used the concept "Golden section". A concept close to the rule of thirds. It has been discovered that certain points in a painting composition automatically attract the viewer's attention. There are only four such points, and they are located at a distance of 3/8 and 5/8 from the corresponding edges of the plane. Having drawn the grid, we received these points at the intersections of the lines.

$IMAGE8-left $A person always focuses his attention on these points, regardless of the format of the frame or picture.

There are also minor lines that should “lead” the eye to the plot center. Secondary lines can be understood not only as specific lines, but also as a series of objects or parts located one after the other. That's what it is diagonal rule. According to the diagonal rule, important elements of the image should be set along diagonal lines. A diagonal composition with a direction from the lower left corner to the upper right is calmer than one built on the opposite, more dynamic diagonal.

Linear elements, such as roads, waterways, coastline, fences installed diagonally, usually make the landscape more dynamic than those located horizontally.

Balance in the photo - what is it for?]

The composition can be balanced or unbalanced. What does it mean? Imagine that you are carrying a heavy bag in one hand. Your body will be an unbalanced composition. By holding an equally heavy bag in your other hand, you will make your body composition balanced. The fact is that any unbalanced composition looks random, but a balanced composition is harmonious, and it seems that no change is possible. In balance, everything is important, even the direction of movement of objects or their visual weight.

The easiest way to balance your composition is to center your subject in the image. However, as we just discussed above, this is not the best solution. If you move an object to the side, the balance is disrupted. One part of the photo becomes heavier and visually outweighs the other. The frame seems to want to rotate clockwise.

To correct an unbalanced composition, you need to introduce an object into the empty part of the photo. It should be taken into account that in photography weight is replaced by volume (DOF), color or associations with heavy or light objects. The colors in which objects are painted also have different effects on their pictorial “weight”: red and its shades are heavier than blue, bright colors are heavier than dark ones.

You can also balance, from a compositional point of view, the model's figure through a variety of movements. If, for example, a model makes a hand gesture in one direction, then compositionally it can be balanced by a foot gesture or a head turn in the other direction. That is, a gesture in one direction of any part of the body is balanced by a gesture in the other direction of the arm, leg, head, or bending of the body.

You can use one of the most amazing composition techniques - developing movement that balances the photo. This psychological effect suggests the presence free space in the direction of movement or gaze. All you have to do is leave free space in the frame where the movement is developing, the composition immediately levels out.

In addition, the developing movement can be replaced by the direction of gaze. However, views are also different, and they require different free space in the picture. A calm, good-natured or half-asleep look requires a little free space. But furious, fatal, enticing - much more. A gaze directed at oneself requires no space at all.

Do not forget about the psychology of the viewer: for example, human faces with pronounced emotional states, like a magnet, attract our attention.

ADVICE. Moving from left to right seems faster to us than from right to left, and an object placed on the right side weighs more than one placed on the left. An object located at the top of the frame “weighs” more than the exact same object at the bottom of the frame. A single small element at the edge of the frame, located outside the main lines, compositionally “weighs” more than a large object that is in the center or located on an axis passing through the center of the composition. We can say that the “leverage” rule applies: the further from the center of balance, the greater the “weight” of the element in the composition.

An important element is the background . Our gaze is selective, and often an inexperienced photographer sees only his main subject, but does not notice many distracting details in the background or near the center of the plot. Clear the frame of unnecessary details! Look around and choose a suitable background. Perhaps these random people passing by will now move off the edge of the frame. Tree branches that “grow” from behind people’s heads and interfere with the perception of an object can be removed by slightly moving to the side, etc.

In fact, choosing a background is one of the main tasks of a photographer, and if you didn’t have any problems choosing an object at first, then the background can be anything. Look around, perhaps those bushes in the back are not as good as you think, the bright flowers are very beautiful, but distract attention, and the carpet above the sofa where the guests are sitting is too colorful (by the way, a traditional mistake of amateur photographers, like the trash can in the back plan).

The camera, unlike the eye, impartially records everything, and as a result, instead of an important event or fact in the picture, you may end up with a kind of vinaigrette of secondary, insignificant and, most importantly, distracting details. Background objects should not distract the eye from the main thing, and if your main object is dark, then it is advisable to choose a lighter background, and vice versa: a light object stands out well against a dark background. At the same time, we must not forget about exposure corrections.

Perspective. A photograph in which you can feel the depth of space immediately attracts attention. Such pictures look better and are more interesting to look at. The alternation of plans - foreground, middle and distant - gives the photograph a natural look.

For tourist photographs, try to choose objects that are not too colorful or bright as a background; pay attention to how the background is lit. If your subject is in the shade, the background should not be brightly sunlit walls of buildings or architectural monuments. It is better if the background is slightly darker than the main subject.

Try to mentally distribute the plans of your composition; note that in addition to the foreground, the lens will see objects located behind your subject center and even further on the horizon. Pay attention to all intersecting lines and background objects. Very often, deliberate manipulation of the background is used by photographers as a separate expressive technique.

Rhythm. Another important means of expression is rhythm, that is, the image of the same type of details, figures or silhouettes in the photograph. Our whole life is an alternation of days and nights, seasons, so rhythm helps to understand the non-randomness of choice, and the gradual decrease in identical or similar figures - from large ones in the foreground to small ones in the background - again emphasizes perspective. A large number of objects: houses, silhouettes, trees, with similar or even identical shapes can form an imaginary line, which will also lead the eye to the plot center and give it greater meaning.

Composition mistakes of beginning photographers

Everyone gains invaluable experience by overcoming difficulties and failures. Everyone makes mistakes. This is what teaches you not to step on the same rake in the future. But, naturally, no one wants to get into trouble, so the best thing to do is to learn from the mistakes of others and use the experience of professionals.

Let's consider typical compositional errors, which were admitted by everyone who has ever held a camera in their hands. These mistakes occur both among beginning photographers and among those who have some knowledge and experience.

Cropped parts of people or landmarks. To frame a photo correctly, you just need to get used to your camera and carefully ensure that the entire subject is included in the frame.

Violation of the proportions of the human body. The wrong angle can distort the natural proportions of the body. When photographed from above, the person will appear to have a large head and short legs. When shooting from below, everything will be the other way around. If getting such a shot is not your goal, watch the angle and proportions.

Collapse of the horizon. Many people make the mistake of holding the camera slightly tilted while shooting. The horizon line in the pictures should be parallel to the bottom and top edges of the picture. Many cameras can display a grid on the screen to help you line up the frame.

There is a foreign object in the frame. This error often occurs because the frame is not lined up. Before taking photographs, you need to think about what exactly should be in the picture and evaluate the surrounding space.

Unbalanced composition. An inexperienced photographer is not aware of the existence of the rules of the golden ratio, thirds, leading lines, etc., and why they need to be known, especially. Positioning in the center of the frame is perhaps the most famous and most common mistake. There is nothing wrong with placing the object in the center, but such a frame is simply boring, it has no dynamics, plot, or movement. Of course, sometimes such a composition is justified.

Unnoticed details in the background. Portrait with an arrow sticking out of the model's ear tower crane, and a flag flutters on top of their head, have every right to exist, moreover, they are original. But in many cases this is not the originality that you expect from the photo. Sometimes after shooting you wonder how you didn’t notice in the viewfinder that this pillar (garbage can, apple core, bottle, cigarette butt...) really spoils the shot. But it’s too late, and not everything can be corrected with the help of an editor.

Empty composition. There is too much empty space in the frame that does not convey any meaning. useful information. The viewer's gaze darts around in this emptiness, not knowing where to stop. This shot is reminiscent of the famous picture of the best Carlson in the world - “A Very Lonely Red Rooster.”

Overloaded composition. There are a lot of objects in the frame - photo trash; it is not clear why they are needed, but the variety is sometimes impressive. The subject itself is lost against their background, and it is almost impossible to keep attention on it.

There are still many mistakes that photographers make, but to start learning the correct photography technique, you need to remember the basic rules and always pay attention to the little things.

Lesson results: composition helps the photographer to correctly arrange the frame, in accordance with the plan, convey his idea to the viewer through visual images and tell something about the world around him in photographic language. We got acquainted with the basic rules of framing a frame and typical mistakes of novice photographers.

Practical task.

1. Almost all cameras have a grid in the viewfinder (on the screen) that shows the lines of the rule of thirds, and allows you to preliminary assess the correctness of the composition, but most often it is mistakenly turned off by beginners. Turn on grid display. Please refer to your camera's manual.

2. Look through your photos taken, for example, on your last vacation. Evaluate the correctness of their composition and find errors. Reframe these images in the editor, if space allows, to improve the composition.

The "rule of thirds" is an important photography technique that can be applied to any scene to improve the composition and balance of an image.

The "rule of thirds" is one of the most useful compositional techniques in photography. It is important to understand how the "rule of thirds" applies in different areas of photography in order to take more interesting and harmonious photographs.

Of course, rules should never be applied blindly, especially in art, so you should treat the "rule of thirds" as practical advice, not dogma. However, in most cases this technique will allow you to get nice photos and will serve as an excellent Starting point when constructing a composition.

What is the "rule of thirds"?

Applying the "rule of thirds" involves mentally dividing the image with two horizontal and two vertical lines, as shown below. Then you should place the key elements of the scene at the points where the lines intersect.

A grid based on the "rule of thirds". Important elements (the barn and the boundaries between the ground and the trees) are located along the lines and at their intersections. Photo by Martin Gommel.

The essence of the rule is that such a composition is easier on the eye and looks more natural than photographs in which the subject is located directly in the center. The "rule of thirds" also forces us to be creative in our use of "negative space" - empty areas located around the subject.

How to use the "rule of thirds"?

When composing a photograph, mentally divide the scene as described above. Think about which elements of the photograph are the most important and try to arrange them along the lines and at their intersections. This does not mean that they must be exactly inscribed at these points; it is enough if they are located nearby.

Horizon line and key object in this photo, they are placed in accordance with the “rule of thirds” close to the lines in order to make the photo most effective. Photo by K Praslowicz.

You'll likely have to move around to find the best composition. This will help you think through your shot better, which is a really good thing whether you use the rule of thirds or not.

To assist, some cameras have a grid of thirds lines. Thanks to this, you don’t have to estimate by eye and you can more accurately select the correct location of objects.

Examples

The "rule of thirds" is quite universal and can be applied to most areas of photography. The following are some examples of how it can be used in filming.

When photographing landscapes, photographers often place the horizon in the center of the frame, which creates a feeling of fragmentation in the photo. Instead, the horizon should be positioned along one of the horizontal lines, following the "rule of thirds."

Try to complement the photo with other interesting objects, such as the tree in the photo above, and also place them according to the rule of thirds. Thanks to this, an “anchor” appears - a natural point to which the attention of the audience will be riveted.

Placing people closer to one edge of the photo gives good result. Thanks to this, free space appears, the photograph becomes lighter, the surrounding interior becomes visible, and the photograph no longer looks like just a snapshot of a face.

Viewer naturally draws attention to the eyes of the model in the photo, so it is worth placing them in accordance with the “rule of thirds” at the points of intersection of lines to give the photo the correct compositional basis.

In the image above, the main subject was placed at the intersection, along one of the vertical lines. The branch approximately coincides with one of the horizontal lines. White space in the bottom left corner provides balance and keeps the photo from looking too crowded.

Vertical objects, like this lighthouse, can split (similar to a horizon line) a photograph into two parts. In order to prevent this unwanted effect from appearing, when forming a composition, place the subject outside the center of the frame.

When shooting moving subjects, follow general rules placement, but take into account the direction of movement. General rule is to leave more space in front of the object than behind it to show the direction of movement.

Using photo processing programs

You can easily adjust your photos to the "rule of thirds" using frames. This feature allows you to change the location of key objects in a photo, moving them to better positions.

Framing using the "rule of thirds" will allow you to improve your composition. Photo by Jenn Forman Orth.

To make the process easier, programs like Photoshop and Lightroom have a built-in crop tool guide that follows the "rule of thirds." The tool overlays a grid with lines of thirds, helping you get the composition right.

Breaking the rules

The application of the "rule of thirds", as well as any others (at least in photography), is not necessary in every situation. Sometimes by breaking it you can get much more exciting and interesting pictures. Experiment and try different compositions, even if it goes against all the rules you've learned so far.

However, you should learn to use the useful features of the "rule of thirds" before you try to break it. This way you'll always be experimenting meaningfully, trying to improve your composition, rather than just experimenting for the sake of it.

A common mistake novice photographers make is placing the main subjects in the center of the frame. There is nothing bad about this if you do not strive for artistic photography, but if you want to make your pictures beautiful, then you simply must know and apply (the rule of thirds in photography) and don’t forget about other techniques either.

When cropping photos in Adobe LightRoom or AdobPhotoshop, you may have seen a grid divided by two lines horizontally and two lines vertically - this is actually the topic of our discussion.

Rule of thirds in photography.

Rule of thirds in photography

The principle of the golden ratio states: if you choose side A as a unit of length, then side B = 0.618*A, the frame is divided into three parts horizontally and vertically.

When a horizontal and vertical line intersect, a special point is formed - an “attention node”. As you already noticed there are four of them.

The psychology is that it is at these points that it is most pleasant for a person to see the main object or element of the frame; it is at these points that the gaze stops, regardless of the format of the frame or picture.

A split second is enough for the human eye to examine an image, and if it doesn’t immediately please (there is nothing for the eye to catch on), then we will no longer look at it, let alone think about it.

Let's move from theory to practice - image analysis.

Rule of thirds in photography - examples.

Rule of thirds in photography

Positioning the object in the center of the frame – typical mistake novice photographer.

Rule of thirds in photography

In this case, the horizon line is located along the horizon line - this is already good, but the main one is right in the center. The photo looks static. Let's apply the rule of thirds.

Rule of thirds in photography

For cropping it is convenient to use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom(I like Lightroom better). Place the main object on one of the attention nodes or on one of the vertical lines.

Here's what happened:

Rule of thirds in photography

Rule of thirds It also works in the next photo - the blade of grass is located along one of the vertical lines, nothing needs to be changed here.

Rule of thirds in photography

And a few more shots taken using this principle.

Rule of thirds in photography

When looking at the picture, the eye first falls on the stone (the attention point is located precisely at this point), then along the shoreline it goes to the grass, and then to the horizon. The photograph is dynamic – you want to look at it.

Rule of thirds in photography

When cropping an image, it is more advantageous to place the horizon line along one of the vertical grid lines.

Rule of thirds This is also true when photographing portraits.

In the next photo, the focus is on the eyes (or rather glasses) of the model and cotton candy.

Rule of thirds in photography

Without the grid it would look like this

Rule of thirds in photography

Before you start cropping the image, you need to, and then start “fitting”.

Laws are made to be broken =) Do not blindly obey this rule, otherwise your work will be predictable...

Today we talked about the artistic component of photography, but we must not forget about the technical side of the moment -

It turns out that a professional camera is not the key to high-quality photography. It turns out that Photoshop is sometimes not enough to correct errors when shooting. It becomes known that the work of a photographer is no less easy than any other, since it requires huge amount knowledge, skills, abilities. The rules of thirds in photography are just one aspect, but every self-respecting photographer must take them into account. What are they and how to use them correctly?

A little about...

The rules of thirds in photography come under It is a kind of photographic art.

As an important component, the rule of thirds in photography, examples of its use will be discussed below, is applicable to almost any chosen genre. It is well suited for both landscape and landscape painting. This makes it a versatile weapon for hitting high-quality targets straight to the top.

Is it worth following blindly?

Definitely not. Strict and strict adherence to the rules does not lead to good things in art, but the three-thirds rule in photography can always be the starting point for creating a masterpiece.

And in order to use it correctly, you need to properly understand what it is, what advantages it gives the creator, what is its appeal and how with its help it achieves that ideal balance that any photographer strives for.

Balance in everything!

Balance is something that is everywhere in nature. Everything natural strives for balance, therefore it should also be achieved in the artificial. Ultimately, everything that a person does is just a reflection of what already exists in nature. He draws his ideas from her, she is his best assistant and adviser.

The term “photo artist” was already used a little higher. Everything is clear from the photo, but why was this second half of this definition chosen? Well, a photographer, in a sense, is also an artist, holding a well-known instrument in his hand instead of a brush. To get a good result, it is not enough for him to simply press the shutter button and capture the moment: before that, he must evaluate the composition of the future frame. It is a pity that not everyone understands this, but nevertheless it is so.

What is composition?

Roughly speaking, composition is a whole set of different techniques that help to correctly place objects. The correct arrangement will allow the individual particles to assemble into a whole picture, which, in fact, will be pleasant to look at. The rule of thirds is the main component of the composition along with diagonals and so on.

Essentially, the rule of thirds is a simplified version of the golden ratio. The original version uses more complex calculations, closely related to Fibonacci numbers. The golden ratio is one of the principles that any photographer must also know, but this article is about thirds.

What is the rule of thirds?

Mentally dividing the image into nine parts (3 x 3 - three vertically, a similar number horizontally), moreover, they must be equal - this is a description of the rule of thirds. It's important in photography. The division described is a grid of two horizontal and Objects should be placed at or along their intersections.

What's the idea?

When using this principle, usually the rule of thirds, the photo becomes more pleasing to the eye and more natural, because its important elements are not located directly in the middle of the frame. It also gives more space for imagination and fantasy.

The photograph does not change dramatically, but it adds significance to the subject. What is this based on? When a person looks at the picture as a whole in reality, focusing on one thing, he at the same time needs that the surrounding elements do not interfere, but are combined with the object. Of course, such a description is not suitable for a momentary glance, but a long gaze into the distance suggests exactly this. The photographer's task is to express what the viewer should pay attention to (what should have been focused on will be focused on the frame, because using the focus of your own eye on the final result will no longer work). In this case, placing the object directly in the center, which comes to mind first, is a very crude solution to the problem and, as mentioned above, very unnatural, like a lie sewn with white thread.

How can it be used?

You should mentally imagine a grid, highlight important elements of the future frame and place them near the lines. It is worth remembering that there may not be a perfect match, but an approximate one must be achieved. The grid is the supporting component for shooting. This is art, and therefore there cannot be any “exactly on point”. You can “play” with the lines and arrange the composition at your discretion. If time and technique allow, you can take several different shots to compare the results and see the difference. Without understanding the idea itself, nothing will come of it, and blind adherence will lead to the fact that all the photographs will be taken as if according to the same pattern. But that's the beauty of the rule of thirds in photography: it's so simple, so universal, and yet so many ways to use it. Everything ingenious is simple. The same comparison with nature: it’s like a sunset, the beauty of which is so undeniable that people have been admiring it for thousands of years, but it’s different every day. But from metaphors let's return to reality.

It may be necessary to change the position from which the photograph will be taken. It's nothing. Taking a balanced and thoughtful approach to photography is a great habit. Yes, modern technology allows you to “click” up to a hundred frames in a minute, but at such moments it will be very useful to remember the photographers who worked with film, when each frame was incredibly valuable, and you had to calculate its parameters at random, never knowing what would happen in the end. in the end, and whether it will work out at all.

Help for the photographer

Manufacturers of some cameras stand up for their users by adding to the device the ability to turn on and substitute a grid. This is a visual representation, and a photographer can master the three-thirds rule in photography without imagining the lines in their minds.

By the way, interesting fact: The rule is common as the three-thirds principle. This is not entirely true. In fact, this is the two-thirds rule in photography. But it doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s important how you apply it. The tips below for each type of photo will help with this.

As mentioned just above, versatility is the rule of thirds. Portrait or landscape, or macro photography, or moving objects - it is applicable everywhere.

For a landscape, it is better to place the horizon along one of the grid lines, and not in the middle, so as not to create the feeling of splitting the photo frame into two equal halves. The foreground object sets the focal point and should also be placed according to the principle of the rule. If the object is large, it is better to move it to the side so that it does not break the picture in two.

When a person looks at a portrait, he always pays attention to the eyes of the man (or woman, child, etc.) depicted in the photo. That’s why the focus should be on them, and it’s best to place them on the top horizontal line of the grid.

For a moving object, it is good to leave space on the side that is the direction of movement.

When photographing a person in full height It would be a good idea to place it along one of the vertical grid lines.

Power points

Despite the fact that the principle of the rule itself is based on equal division, it is known that the lower right point has a stronger impact than the lower left. This means that if a photograph has multiple objects, the most important one should be placed near the first named intersection.

Cropping as a way to improve your photography

Common people are accustomed to removing unnecessary details from the overall picture. Masters remove them in Photoshop using their secret techniques, since cropping (the same cropping, in essence) gives an advantage in a different way. After all, thanks to it, you can force the frame to inherit the rules of thirds. “Photoshop” or another can improve the overall picture in this simple way by moving the subject to a more suitable place in accordance with the rule.

Rules are made to be broken

And the rule of thirds is no exception. Yes, it is the basis of the composition, but if you feel it, this very composition, intuitively, then by violating the principle described above, you can get something interesting, perhaps even brighter and more expressive than what would have happened with it. No one forbade experimenting! It's even useful.

But here's the thing: in order to break a rule to your advantage, you must first learn to follow it.