Composition

Andy O'Neil · August 2, 2004

What are other techniques in addition to the Rule of Thirds that can yield good composition?

David Mullen ASC · August 2, 2004

There's balance and symmetry versus imbalance and asymmetry. Use of negative space. Playing colors against other colors, light against dark, vice-versa. There's perspective compression versus expansion. There's "leading" the look or direction of movement versus "short-siding" the look or direction of movement. There's the guideline when shooting tight close-ups that it's better to crop the forehead before you crop the chin. That's all I can think of right now.

Andy O'Neil · August 2, 2004

Thanks, David. This helps.

Michael Nash · August 7, 2004

David has hit some of the highlights. There are lots of little things you can do, depending on your objectives. Not every frame allows you to employ every concept. The idea is to build up a vocabulary of compositional elements that you can use selectively.

The rule of thirds really only addresses balance. To that end, you can go past the rule of thirds and put things on the quarter or even within quadrants or sections of the frame to create an order or balance. Lately I've been studying Edward Hopper a lot and picking apart his use of negative space, headroom (half the frame) and "counter point" (lots of things mirrored and echoed in his compositions). You might also want to read up on Wassily Kandinsky's theories in "Point, Line and Plane."

Line, shape, and pattern also factor into composition. To gloss over it, horizontal line tends to feel neutral or calm; vertical line tends to fell stiff or rigid; curved line tends to feel organic and soft; and diagonal line tends to feel more dynamic. Look at any stylish action movie and notice the amount of low angles with prominant diagonal lines in the frame. Look at Woody Allen's Interiors to feel the constricting and limiting power of vertical line.

There is also "open form" vs. "closed form." Lots of connotations to which you choose. Closed form (forming a more complete circle of elements) tends to feel more staged and portrait-like. Open form (letting subjects extend past the edges of frame) feels more natural and "slice-of-life."

Aside form the graphic aspects of compositions, there are also the scenic considerations. Many good compostions make use of the juxtaposition of subject and context. Mother holding a child in her arms is the subject; bombed out houses and soldiers in the background are the context. The combination of subject and context tells the story of the shot.

There are some good books about composition in the still photography and art sections of better boookstores.

Rob Belics · August 7, 2004

A very interesting art book that is also a quick, easy read is "The Simple Secret to Better Painting" by Greg Albert.

Throughout the book he says the secret is never having two intervals the same. By that he means, as you go across the scene, you can go from, say, light to dark but the next interval shouldn't go back to dark but, perhaps, mid-tone.

Placement in the scene can go from 1/3 but the next placement should be 1/2. Colors should be earth tones to cool to something else as you scan the scene.

I'm not describing it as well as he does, of course, but it's an interesting concept.

Ype Poortinga · August 7, 2004

another good one to read is "picture composition" by peter ward, which coveres everything mentioned above

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

Andy O'Neil · August 8, 2004

Thanks everyone, this really helps.

Morgan Peline · August 8, 2004

I would add 'The Visual Story' by Bruce Block and also a great book I found in a second hand bookstore called 'The Image' by Michael Freeman, it's part of the Collins Photography Series...very, very good as it's all explained visually.