The word “composition” comes from the Latin word “compositio” and means “to put together” or “to arrange.” In the context of visual art, composition refers to the selection and arrangement of objects in a picture. Once a photographer has chosen a subject and looked through the viewfinder, they begin to work on the composition of the frame.
At this point, they may have a number of questions and concerns, such as:
- How should I arrange the subject in the frame?
- What kind of lighting should I use?
- From what distance should I shoot?
Composing a photographic image is a complex creative process. It is important to be able to not only set creative goals, but also to achieve them. When placing objects in the frame, it is important to pay attention to the unity and integrity of the composition. Avoid creating two or more separate, independent compositions. Different framing options should help to realize your creative vision when working on a specific theme or subject. The classic format in visual art is a rectangle with an aspect ratio of approximately 2:3 or 3:4. It is no coincidence that most cameras have a frame with the same aspect ratio.
Image Format and Cropping
The format of the image depends on the characteristics of the subject being photographed and should be considered when choosing the shooting point and using interchangeable lenses. Framing the image is also of great importance. Framing is the process of refining the composition of the image within the frame of the viewfinder during shooting, as well as refining the placement of the image within the sheet of photo paper during printing.
For example, when shooting with a medium-format camera that has a square frame, the resulting image is in most cases intended for subsequent framing and cropping during printing. To make it easier to compose the image when shooting with such a camera, translucent squares are placed in the corners of the viewfinder or ground glass, which help to crop the image.
In most cases, a small space is left around the captured image in order to refine the composition when making a fine art print. However, it should be remembered that the negative space is small and that large magnification of the image during printing will reduce the quality of the print. This is especially true for small-format photography.
There is a common opinion that when shooting an object with predominantly vertical lines, the image should be composed vertically, and when shooting an object with horizontal lines, the image should be composed horizontally. However, there are no and cannot be any permanent rules here that can replace a creative approach. There are many examples of deliberate violation of the usual format.
Choosing the Shooting Point
Choosing the shooting point is a critical moment in the work on the image. The composition of the frame and, consequently, the display of objects and the background depend to a decisive extent on it. The chosen shooting point is determined by three coordinates: the direction in which the shooting is carried out, the distance to the object, and the height of the camera.
Choosing the Shooting Direction
The same object can be seen and shown in the picture equally, from different directions. There are, as it were, an infinite number of shooting points, from which you need to choose one that most fully meets the tasks set.
For example, architecture can be shot from both the front and the side. In the first case, the shooting point is located on the axis of symmetry, the shooting direction is perpendicular to the plane of the building facade. Such a construction of the frame gives an idea of the width and height of the building; the third dimension – depth – is absent in the picture. On the frontally shot facade, all the proportions of individual architectural elements, paintings, etc. are clearly distinguishable.
In the second case, the same building is depicted at an angle; all three dimensions are clearly readable in the frame: width, height, and depth, creating the most complete picture of the spatial forms and the position of the architectural structure in the landscape. A person’s face can be depicted full face or in profile. The most complete picture of a person’s appearance and features of their face structure is given by shooting at an angle, when the face is turned three-quarters (trois quarts) in relation to the camera.
Choosing the Distance to the Subject
The choice of distance to the subject has a decisive influence on the composition of the image. By photographing from a great distance, you can show the entire object in a general plan. With a gradual decrease in distance, you get a medium plan, then a close-up, and finally a detail. Usually, the image of a person is taken as the basis for such a division of the frame into plans, and all other objects are compared to it in scale. Before each shooting, it is necessary to decide exactly in what scale the main object should be depicted.
When photographing from the same point with lenses of different focal lengths, the image scale changes in direct proportion to the focal length. If the same face is photographed in the same scale from different distances with different lenses, the images will produce a different impression. Taken from close range with short-focus lenses, the images will be sharper and more contrasty than those taken at the same scale, but from a greater distance with long-focus lenses. When shooting a portrait, for example, long-focus lenses allow you to avoid unwanted image distortion of the face, as well as excessive sharpness in the reproduction of skin texture.
Choosing the Height of the Camera Position
Up to this point, we have assumed that the shooting is done at a height corresponding to the height of a person. This height is the most familiar and is considered normal. But you can also shoot from a lower or higher point, for example, from the ground or the floor, as well as from the upper floors of a house, etc. Regardless of the height of the chosen point, the camera can be tilted sharply down or up, which leads to the formation of foreshortening.
The word “foreshortening” comes from the French word “raccourcir”, which means to shorten, cut, or reduce. Indeed, when using a high angle, the objects depicted in the picture become, as it were, smaller in height, flatter, and more compressed. Lower points in combination with tilting the camera upwards contribute to the exaggeration of the height of objects and emphasize their monumentality. In these cases, the objects being shot are projected mainly onto the background of the sky or ceiling (when shooting indoors).
The photograph shows an extensive cityscape shot from a high angle. Thanks to the high angle, the linear perspective is clearly expressed, and the multi-kilometer space is convincingly conveyed in the picture.
When shooting with foreshortening, even with the use of a lens with a normal focal length, not to mention a short-focus lens, there are distortions of the perspective convergence of vertical lines, which is especially noticeable when photographing objects with regular geometric shapes (“leaning” of the building forward or backward). These distortions become more noticeable the more the camera deviates from the horizontal position, the shorter the distance to the object, and the shorter the focal length of the lens used.
Main Subject Placement in the Frame
Many amateur photographers center their subject in the frame when taking a photo, with the intention of cropping it precisely when editing or printing. This approach is not ideal. For one thing, there are far more possibilities for cropping when you are photographing than when you are printing. The more precisely the image is composed during shooting, the easier and higher quality it will be to print.
The photo shows an example where the subject – a sailboat – was photographed in a hurry, without a specific compositional decision (a). Several framing options of this image are shown nearby: with a low horizon (b) and a high horizon (c), and in a horizontal format (d). However, not every image can be cropped so freely. It should be noted that if a part of the negative image is significantly increased in size (with significant cropping), the quality of the final print deteriorates noticeably: the graininess of the image increases, the sharpness of the contours decreases, and other defects appear.
Static and Dynamics in the Frame
Taking a frontal shot conveys a sense of static and stillness, even if the subject is moving (for example, a cyclist riding toward you appears to be standing still in the frame). Shooting from an angle and placing a moving subject diagonally in the frame increases the dynamics of the image and conveys movement.
Composing movement along one of the two diagonals produces different results: movement from the lower left corner to the upper right corner appears faster than movement along the opposite diagonal. An image constructed at the intersection of two diagonals results in static – both directions cancel each other out. Following movement in the frame maintains the effect of dynamism, even if it’s something like slanting grass or tree leaves swaying in the wind. When there are verticals and static objects in the frame, counter movement neutralizes, slows down, and reduces the illusion of movement in the image.
When capturing dynamics and movement, much depends on the choice of the moment of the photo (capturing the most characteristic phase of the movement), the presence of free space in the frame in front of the moving object, the use of partial blurring of the contours of the moving object or blurring of the entire background, etc. Each of these techniques should be justified by the content of the image.
Visual Emphasis
Emphasis in photography refers to the use of visual techniques to highlight the most important part of an image and draw the viewer’s attention to it. Emphasis is essential for ensuring that the content of an image is clear at first glance, and that the main subject is easily distinguishable from the background. It helps to express the photographer’s idea concisely, showcase the most important elements, and guide the viewer’s attention to the key elements of the composition.
There are several ways to achieve visual emphasis in a photograph:
Scale and Placement
- Choosing a suitable scale for the main subject and placing it prominently in the frame can draw attention to it.
- Using a shallow depth of field can render the background out of focus, further emphasizing the main subject.
Selective Sharpness
Even a small part of the image that is in sharp focus (e.g., a hand, a flower, a tree branch) can be perceived as important, while the background can be blurred to varying degrees.
Lighting
- Lighting can be used to create a visual accent by concentrating the brightest areas on the main subject and darkening the background details.
- The viewer’s attention is naturally drawn to the brightest and most illuminated areas in the frame, as well as to contrasting light combinations between the subject and the background.
Space Visualization in a Photograph
The representation of space in a photograph is achieved through linear and tonal perspective, as well as the use of multiple planes in the image. To achieve the desired linear perspective, the photographer should select the appropriate shooting point and lighting, define the frame borders, use a particular lens, choose the most suitable moment for for taking the photo, and so on.
Linear Perspective
- Parallel lines receding into the distance appear to converge at a single point on the horizon.
- Objects and figures appear to decrease in size as they move further away from the observer.
- Due to light scattering in the atmosphere, objects lose contrast and become lighter as they move further away from the viewer.
To create a sense of depth and space in your photo, try including objects that contribute to linear and tonal perspective. For example, you could use road lines, streets with a dark foreground and a foggy distance, or building facades.
The expressiveness of the linear construction of the frame is related to:
- The choice of shooting point.
- The focal length of the lens.
- Using a short-focus lens, which has a wide field of view and can reproduce a significant depth of field sharply, helps to convey the illusion of space in the image.
Multiple Planes
- Enhance the sense of depth by using a multi-plane composition, where large objects in the foreground are contrasted with distant objects in the background.
Tonal Perspective
- Another effective way to reproduce depth is through tonal, or aerial, perspective, which is especially noticeable when shooting against the sun, as well as during fog, rain, or snowfall, i.e., in the presence of a light-scattering medium that tonally brightens distant objects.
The effect of aerial perspective
- Is related to the scattering of short-wavelength light by atmospheric particles as sunlight passes through the atmosphere.
- Is particularly noticeable when comparing a dark foreground with a lightened background, where the objects are located at a great distance.
In landscape photography, tonal perspective can be emphasized by using smoke in the depths (e.g., smoke from a campfire) and by using fog filters (“step and gradient”). When shooting against the light, the effect of airy haze can be enhanced by using blue and dark blue filters (in black-and-white photography).
