The key to a good photo is in its composition, which is how the picture’s visual elements have been placed and arranged. Though it might seem simple, composition is deceptively tricky.
Luckily, you can get better at with practice. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you nail the composition of your next digital camera shoot.
Keep It Simple.
When you look at a scene, your eyes naturally pick out the most interesting part and focus on it. A camera, however, just takes in everything it sees without discriminating. To keep your digital camera shoot simple, move in closer to the actual subject of your photos. That way, you can keep superfluous objects out of the shot.
Apply the Rule of Thirds.
Imagine your viewfinder is divided into a three by three grid. Instead of putting your subject in the center square, try to align it with one of the squares corners. It doesn’t have to line up perfectly, like it’s in the cross-hairs. The point is to make sure your digital camera shoots the subject just off center so that it’s more dynamic. Use the rule of thirds, but don’t be slave to it.
Use the Golden Ratio.
Simply put, the golden ratio is a mathematical design principle based on the ratio of one to 1.618. Using the golden ratio in a digital camera shoot can help photographers create pictures that are perfectly balanced from a viewer’s perspective.
Though it might sound complicated, there’s an easy way to apply the golden ratio to your digital camera shoot. First, imagine there’s a small rectangle in one of the corners of your frame. Then, bisect it from one corner to the other so that the entire image has been halved. Then, envision the Fibonacci Spiral honing in on the small rectangle, and arrange your visual elements accordingly.
You might have all the information on digital cameras, read all the reviews on digital cameras, and know which photo stores sell the best equipment, but none of that will actually help you take a quality picture. What will help you, though, is knowing how to compose a shot.
If you have any questions about improving the composition of your next digital camera shoot, feel free to ask in the comments. For more about this, go here.
