Aside from choosing a location, a huge part of photography is learning how to compose a photo, which allows for a variety of different effects. Usually these decisions need to be made quickly depending on the environment you’ll be in; so, here are some common examples to fall back on when getting into photography and understanding how to make your photo look its best.
Leading Lines
This composition style is when the lines found in the composition of the photo lead to the subject of the photo–it leads the eye to what you want your audience to look at. The first photo was taken in Peoria in an industrial area, where you can see the railroad dragging attention to the back of the photo. Additionally, there is the straight railroad track, but there is also a diverging railroad that leads the eye to the interesting buildings and the water tower. The second example was taken in Mahomet-the telephone wires lead the eye all around the photo because of the different directions.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a composition style involving the photo being divided into–you guessed it– thirds. These divisions are both left and right and up and down. Where these lines are or where they cross are places to put subjects in order to create interest for the viewer. What really helps when starting photography–especially if you don’t have a camera–is setting a grid up on your phone camera. For an iPhone, you just go to settings, then camera, and turn the grid option on. The first example photo was taken in downtown Champaign with the tall part of the building being a little shifted towards the right, which makes it look a little more interesting instead of having it be in the dead center. The second photo was taken in downtown Peoria with the statue being more towards the left in order to draw more eyes and interest. Grids have been overlaid on the examples to help you understand the concept.
Repetition
This style is pretty interesting because of how many things you see day to day that repeat. It is a pretty easy composition to get depending on where you are, and it gives a sense of comfort and balance to the viewer. The first picture was taken in downtown Peoria, with the stairs zigzagging down and balancing the photo, while the second was taken on Main Street in Mahomet, showing the mail trucks parked at the post office.
Fill Up the Photo
This technique essentially involves filling up a photo all the way with your subject. This makes a very simple photograph–something easy on the eyes for the viewer and gives a calming energy due to its simplicity. This technique is especially good if you want to show the detail of the subject and have the viewer’s attention only on that. The first picture is from downtown Peoria looking directly up at a tall building: a simple photo that really brings the focus to the making of the building and the writing on it. The second is from downtown Champaign which focuses mainly on the tile surface of the building and the sun coming through the trees.
Bird’s Eye & Worm’s Eye View
These two compositions are opposites of one another–they are different perspectives. A bird’s eye view is a picture taken from a high vantage point (like a bird) to show the layout or size of your subject. While worm’s eye view is a photo taken from the perspective of the ground (like a worm). This is usually to show detail or to make your subject seem bigger. The first photo is a worm’s eye view with the insect looking bigger to show more detail, and the second is a bird’s eye view taken in Mahomet to show the size and length of the road.
Now you have some core ways to practice making photos. Go on out with your camera or phone and start practicing these techniques!
