Composition Techniques - Photography

Composition Techniques - Photography

To improve and reinforce composition technique skills, I have used a Cannon EOS30d to take several shots that demonstrates my use of techniques that I have developed.

Image: 028

Image: 019

Image 019 and 028: I have learnt the skills of tilting the camera to produce tilt-up or tilt-down shots. In the images provided, I have included both a tilt-up shot and a tilt-down shot. The tilt-up shot is orientated to the subject to give the model power and attitude. I have tried to reinforce the tilting skill because I tried to fix the lighting so that the bottom of the nose area wasn’t highlighted as much as the emphasis on the nose may be unattractive to a target audience. I think that the subject in this image contrasts with the background as backlight was present; therefore, enhancing the level of attitude that the subject achieves.  Within the medium shot of the tilted-down image, I have successfully reinforced my skill of achieving power for the audience as this image undermines the subject and makes her seem more venerable, inferior and less powerful. I like the tilt-down image more as it is lighter and will most likely appeal to more target audiences within the media as it is an easier image to obtain.

Image: 014

Image: 056

014 and 056: These images focus on framed compositions. The image that includes two frames is more interesting and has reinforced my ability to take camera shots that include frames within it as I had to focus on the angles of the camera and position my T-stance correctly so that both frames were within the shot. The frame in both images enhances the subject and highlights the photographical focal point (the model) for the audience. I have reinforced my skill of producing framed shots as the examples I have provided made me learn frames that are good for framed shots and which are poor; I also learnt that including two frames in a shot makes the image more interesting and highlights the subject more. The image 014 also includes a ‘super-smiley’ pose which is emphasised by the frame. 

Image: 066

066: I really like this image because the image demonstrates two composition techniques – use of line and composition of focal point. I have reinforced these skills because the subject is really emphasises and the use of diagonal line (from the shadow) creates a high level of mystery and draws attention to the dark figure that is the focal point. The viewer of this image draws their attention to the subject as the use of line gives a sense of existence and makes the audience aware that they are there; giving them excitement. To improve my skills of use of line, I could make the background all lighter as this would contrast with the subject more. This would be done by using different lighting techniques, for example raking light to add textures as well as a lighter background. The camera viewpoint was used to reinforce my camera composition technique for this image because I accurately made the shadow point diagonally to the bottom, left hand side of the image which made the image more effective as it showed the use of diagonal line to the focal point.

Image: 081

081: Within this photograph, I have reinforced and learnt the skills of eye-line manipulation of the rule of thirds. I have used the camera’s viewpoint and T-stance to position the camera in the correct place so that the eye-line of the model was roughly just below the top third horizontal line on the image. I have reinforced this technique because I feel that it gives the image a light-hearted sense and reduces the amount of seriousness that is contained in the image as the subject has lesser power than the audience.  The cheerier feel to the image conveys a happier message which appeals to some audiences more and links with the facial expression of the model. I have also focused on the rule of thirds because if the eye-line is on the top third, it suggests to the reader that they are aiming the type of media at the audience – like the model is looking straight at them. Due to this image being a medium close-up shot, the vertical rule of thirds aren’t as important as the horizontal lines. However, the model is positioned slightly more to the right hand third as images are usually put onto magazine front covers in the right hand third as text is often put on the left hand side in the UK. To reinforce my composition technique of the rule of thirds, I could have turned on a composition grid on the camera if it had one. However, the foreground in this image has been enhanced as the eye-line has been manipulated to create an open, positive feeling about the image.