Creating, framing, cropping, seeing, and arranging. Today, we’re talking about Composition! We all know how important composition is as a crucial element that can make or break an image. It’s the way in which a photographer arranges the elements within a frame to create balance, harmony, and visual interest, and ultimately the guide for your viewers’ eyes.
Some of us naturally have an “eye” for composition, while others struggle on the subject. The good thing is that skills in composition are much like overall health and fitness. It can be studied, taught, honed, and improved. All it takes to improve is more experience, training, and practice!
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, these tips will help you take your photography to the next level. Here’s a compilation of four online guides to help you, inspire your creativity and add impact on your next photography project!
1. Visual Storytelling
Nothing’s more engaging and captivating than a photograph that tells a story…even at first glance. A good story creates substance and evokes the emotions of your shot. In this guide, you’ll get some tips to help you produce the ability to craft a story in your composition. The contents are a little practical so make sure to take notes as you read along. Get excited! Download now →
2. Using Selective Focus for Better Images
Some photographers prefer to produce images with blurry backgrounds, while others may prefer for everything in their photograph to be sharp. Composition wise, there’s some advantage to that. Once selective focus comes into play in a photograph, you can be creative in producing better images. But not until you discover the specific techniques used by photographers to achieve what they want their viewers to see in their output. This free guide by author, Jason Little, unpacks some note-worthy tips to do just that! Download now →
3. Patterns in Photography
Author Leanne Cleaveley introduces patterns as a very profound element to incorporate when crafting a composition for your image. Leanne got to thinking about how interesting patterns are. “They always make an interesting photograph,” she said. This eBook will teach you how to spot patterns, develop techniques on how to play around them, how to shoot patterns more effectively, and a lot more essential tips to help you get familiar with this element of composition. A fun guide to try out with your camera! Download now →
4. Using Shadows to Enhance Composition
This guide sees author David Veldman explore the topic of shadows having a unique part to play in your composition. Shadows are not always undesirable. While others avoid and ignore them in certain genres of photography, it is worth noting the beauty of shadows in some compositions. As Veldman states, “Shadows are merely another tool, which a serious photographer must study in order to master their craft. If studying light will improve your photography, studying shadows is the next logical step.” If you’re ready to include shadows in your compositions and want to test a few different ideas, check out this guide. Download now →
We hope this list of guides have helped to inspire you to use shadows in photography. So next time you’re out shooting, don’t be afraid to embrace the shadows – they can be a powerful tool for creating compelling and memorable images, adding depth, contrast, and drama to your shots. Happy Snapping!
