Digital Super Deals

The composition of an image will strongly affect the impact it will have on its viewers. Below, you’ll find some tips and techniques to help you give your digital photos their maximum impact.

The Rule of Thirds (the “Golden Grid”)

Ancient Greek artists used the Rule of Thirds when composing their paintings. To use this rule, divide your camera’s viewfinder into three vertical and three horizontal sections. A static subject should be placed at one of the points where these sections meet. If your subject is oriented horizontally, place it on a horizontal line. Likewise, a vertical subject should be placed on a vertical line. Your photographs will improve significantly simply by applying this rule.

Other factors can also give impact to your digital photos, including: framing, depth, focus, viewpoint, and color.

Framing

Skillful photographers utilize a technique called “framing” to pull a viewer’s eyes in and direct them at the photo’s subject. Once you start looking for things to frame your subjects, you’ll begin to see them wherever you look. Framing objects can be man-made or natural. Doorways, tree branches and windows all make great frames for subjects. Don’t make the common beginner’s mistake of placing your subject too far from your frame, however. Doing that will just make your subject disappear in the frame – it will seem too small.

Depth

Depth is an illusory effect which results from the presence of a noticeable distance between the image foreground and background (your subject will be positioned between the two). Creating depth in your images will pull your viewers’ eyes into your photos, similar to framing. You create depth in your image when two items are objectively about the same size, but one looks smaller than the other. A viewer’s eye will “see” the smaller object as being farther away than the larger object. Haze, fog and certain other atmospheric conditions can contribute to the illusion by making the color of the smaller object seem to be a lighter shade.

Focus

The eye is drawn automatically to an object in focus, and selective focusing can turn this tendency to your advantage. When your subject is in focus but the remainder of the image is slightly out-of-focus, you’re using selective focusing. Simply use a low f-stop setting (like f/4, for example) and put some distance between the background of the image and its subject. You’ll ensure your subject is within the small plane of focus by focusing there. Distance between the background and your subject is important, because the farther away you move from the plane of focus, the more out-of-focus objects will seem.

Viewpoint

Viewpoint is the relationship between where you place your DSLR and your subject. Before taking a picture, look for other viewpoints. Try shooting from a position higher than the subject, a position lower and finally, from a different lateral position. See how these positions change the way your subject appears in the viewfinder. Many times the perfect viewpoint is only a few steps away.

Experiment with these compositional factors the next time you shoot digital photos. If you are visually aware of compositional elements these factors, your digital photos will improve and have impact.

Don’t trust important photographs to just anyone. Come visit Melanie Acker photography at St Louis Senior Photographer and experience the difference professional photography can make. At www.melanieackerphotography.com they capture emotions and personality that makes the photos come to life.