10 + One
Change the angle you are shooting from
•Shoot High
•Shoot Low
•Shoot Left
•Shoot Right
Use the Rule of Thirds
•See Right
Avoid Boring Composition
•Look for lines in the image composition.
•Avoid object that will be distract your eyes from the images subject.
•Use the squint test (squint at the subject) to see what items in the image will stand out.
•Look for natural lines in the composition.
•Look for space around your subject when there are distracters in the image. (This allows room for cropping.
•Shoot your subject from different angles… Shoot High, Shoot Low.
Pictures don't just come out looking right. If you look at some of the pictures you especially like, you will notice that the way the picture was composed probably has a lot to do with it. What we mean by composition is how you place your subject(s) on the blank canvas that's your 4x6 (or 5x7 or 8x10).
Rule of Thirds
If you mentally divide your screen into three horizontal and three vertical sections, where the lines intersect are focal points. Focal points are what the eyes naturally seek out when they look at a photograph. It therefore stands to reason that a focal point is a good place to position our main subject. It's not a hard and fast rule, so don't go bonkers trying to place your subject right at a focal point. As I am fond of reminding people who insist on others strictly obeying rules, "Rules are made to serve us, not the other way round."
The upper and lower horizontal lines also make for a good division of where approximately to put the horizon depending on whether you want more land (or sea) or more sky.
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IMT – Cholla Training Center
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