Photography Composition - A Complete Crash Course

1. Lesson 1 Introduction: Hey, welcome to the course on image composition. So what exactly is a composition? The term composition means putting together and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing, to photography. And that is arranged using a conscious thought. In essence, composition is all about putting together objects in your viewfinder in such a way so as to emphasize the bits you want to, making them stand out in just the right way in your photograph. These objects include anything in the foreground, the background, those that frame the picture, and most importantly, the light. Put simply, competition is how the elements of the photo are arranged within themselves. So a composition can be made up of many different elements, are only a few. It's how the artist put those things together within a frame that help a photograph become more or less interesting to the view. Put simply, a good photograph will take many different paths and combine them into an aesthetically pleasing composition is how an artist tells a story within the confines of a single frame. So why do we need to learn composition in first place? One of the major problems we find with amateur photographers is that not knowing what it takes to compose a great photograph. Often a photograph or will spend long days capturing photos. Only two written with a set of images that he or she is not completely satisfied with. Sharp, the lighting, the exposure may have turned out great. Oh, composition of the photos leaves something to be desired. In short, they lack the vol factor that they see in other photographers shots. So innovate competition directs the eye of the viewer. It can create really eye-catching and pleasing images. Composition is not just about what is there in the frame, but about the visual arrangement of the elements within the frame. It brings out the story that you wish to convey through your images. It makes your photos stand out and makes it a great picture. And not just an amateur shot. Composition is the foundation on which great photographs build upon. And an eye for a good composition helps you find your style and build your confidence as a grade for other effort. Remember, a great picture is often a mixture of several ingredients, such as beautiful light, subject matter, the perfect moment, timing, mood. But most importantly, it's a personal vision and composition that matters the most. In fact, once you master the art of composition, you know exactly what element it takes to compose a great shot before you even touch the shutter button. As a result, it will free you up to concentrate on other ingredients, go into making a beautiful photograph. So what will you learn in this particular course? The course is built with an objective of making you understand the various nuts and bolts that go into creating a good composition. In a photograph, you will learn the tips and tricks professional photographers used to create a great image designed understanding the various elements that go into composing a great shot, such as types of sharp focus, center of interest, rule of thirds, colors, framing, texture, et cetera. We will cover it all. Most importantly, you will also learn how to avoid the mistakes that amateur photographers usually make. And finally, once you must have the composition, it will free you so you can focus on other ingredients that go into creating a beautiful photograph. So what are you waiting for? I'm super excited to see you inside the course. Let's get started. 2. Lesson 2 Things to Remember Beforehand: Composition. So in the introduction we understood the term composition means putting together. And that can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography. And that is arranged using a conscious thought. So composition in terms of photography, is nothing but pleasing arrangement of elements within a sea. And when we're talking about a scene, we are basically talking about three important elements. One, the main subject of your photograph. Second, the foreground and the background setting. And last but not the least, the supporting objects within your photograph. We will talk about all this as we progress through the course. But there is something very important that we need to know beforehand before we even start clicking our first photograph. So things to ask before taking a photograph and what is it that you need to keep in mind even before you hit your shutter button and click a photograph. First, do you have a clearly defined subject? Now what do I mean by that? In photography? As subject is simply the object that is shown in the image. But a single photograph can choose several things. So which one is the subject? The subject is the focus on the image, both literally as the sharpest point in the photograph and in more figurative sense. So if you're looking at this particular photograph on your screen right now, you can very well understand that the spider in this particular picture is my main subject. And therefore you will observe that it is more in focus as compared to other elements within this particular photograph. So in other words, the subject leaves the photographers decision about aspects like lighting, composition, exposure settings, and much, much more. Even the decision of keeping a particular shutter speed depends upon whether your subject is moving or still, and even the decision of what frame you will maintain while clicking your photograph will also depend upon knowing your subject beforehand. And therefore, the subject plays an essential role in shaping an entire image. What feelings are you trying to invoke? One thing that makes a great photograph is its ability to convey emotion. Emotion in a photograph or any work of art is what helps the viewer connect with a piece. If that emotion is prevalent to the viewer. Now, emotion or a feeling is what can bring a snapshot out of obscurity and make it shine. Think of a normal sunset picture from a shore of Hawaii with just the horizon and a bright orange sun dipping law. Now it is beautiful for sure and even better when viewed in person. Now Pula zoom back to a wider angle and show a couple in a silhouette sitting on the lawn chairs facing the waves and reaching to each other to hold their hands. Now, different people will connect with each photo in different ways, or maybe not at all. Those in a romantic mood will enjoy the photo of the couple. And those were only looking for a calm atmosphere without any distraction, may enjoy this singular sunset. And last but not the least, one of the most important thing that one needs to keep in mind before clicking your photograph is what is the story that you're trying to tell to your audience? People usually look at a piece of art and this CS story. A human mind is always trying to fill in the blanks. Walk to give them some clues and telling the story within your photograph. So when photographing anything, look for the emotion and the action that helps you to create a story in the viewer's mind. The subject is definitely important, but so is also everything else within the frame. The background and the foreground will help to tell that story. Is the object where you'd expect to find it, or is it in an unusual place? Is it by itself or does it stand out among the clutter? Consider everything in your photograph. And if it doesn't have a reason to be there, consider moving in closer or adjusting your angle to eliminate any distractions. And when it comes to types of shots, keep in mind that you can do a long shot, a medium shot, a close-up, and an extreme close-up when taking a picture. 3. Lesson 3 Center of Interest: In this particular lecture, we will be focusing more on something that we referred to as the center of interest. And in order to get a good sector of interest within your image, focus is something that is very important. Now one needs to adjust the distance settings on the lens so as to define the subject, which is your center of interest, Shopee. And basically one should always try to produce a sharp image with a well-defined center of interest. So if you look at this first particular image over here, you will observe that the bottle with these glitters is my center of interest, whereas everything else has been blurred out. And for that, I have used the depth of field concept. That is something that we will talk later on. If I'm looking at this second image over a year, you will observe that this particular part of my image where these letters love and this particular small heart has been positioned. That is my center of interest within an image. So what basically is a center of interests? Let's understand that. So basically the success of most photographs depend on there being one dominant aspect which is known as the center of interest and sometimes referred to as the center of focus. Focal point. Now, all good pictures have a center of interest, which is a point that draws the attention of the eyes. Now some images can have a very natural center of interest. But identifying and properly placing the center of interests is paramount to the composition of a successful picture. So let us understand some of the very important points while going ahead and defining a specific center of interests within your image. Now, each picture should have one principle, idea, topic, or center of interests to which the viewer's eyes are automatically attracted. Picture without a dominant center of interest or with more than one dominant center of interest is usually puzzling to the viewer. Now a viewer becomes confused and wonders, what does this picture all above? And when the picture has one and only one dominant point of interests, the viewer quickly understands the picture. So a photographer usually has many factors or elements that can be used and arranged within a picture area to draw or direct attention. Now some of these elements are lines, shapes, human figures don't, and texture. We will talk about this more in the coming lectures. Now here's a quick tip that you can take handy before we end this lecture. So try to avoid placing your subject in the middle of the frame because that will make the picture uninteresting to look at. Where do you go ahead and place your center of interest or your main subject is something that we'll refer to in the next topics. 4. Lesson 4 Rule of Thirds: Hey, welcome back. So in our last lecture we spoke about center of interest. And we also mentioned that in the next few lectures we will understand where do we go ahead and place our center of interest? There was a tip given which mentioned that one should avoid keeping the center of interests exactly in the center of the frame. Because that actually makes your picture looks a little uninteresting. And that is where the rule of thirds comes into picture. Now rule of thirds is an easy way to create emphasis, balance, and interest in your work. So let's understand what exactly it is. So one of the most fundamental principles of photographic composition is the rule of thirds. In fact, it's such an easy composition technique to muster and yet has a very powerful effect on any image. And once learned, you know how to properly frame your photos in the way that places your subject in one of the most appealing sports within the frame. So basically, what rule of thirds says is, it divides the picture area into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. And then you look at the center of interest at one of the intersections of the lines which are marked in green OU. Now you can then create a feeling of balance to your composition. Let's look at it through some examples over, you know, where you are on your screen is an example of the intersecting parts that make up the rule of thirds. Can you spot how the rule of thirds were used in the following example? Now let me show you that. Now if you observe that when I applied the rule of thirds to my view finder, the chair which is the subject or the center of interest in this particular image, falls at the intersection of a yield. Okay? And therefore, it makes the picture look much interesting as compared to if the chair was placed exactly in the center of the frame. Let's look at a few more examples over here and you will understand it better. Now let's look at this particular example over here where you can see a ship sailing to the sea. And if you observe, my center of interest is exactly placed at the center of the frame. And because of that, I feel that this particular image looks a little uninteresting to me. Now let's go ahead and expand this frame a little bit and apply a rule of thirds. And let's understand how much difference does it make to this particular image. So I will take you to this next image over here, and you will observe that rule of thirds has been applied over a year. And because of that, my subject now falls at the intersection of one of the green lines over here. And that is something that puts a more life into this particular picture. It looks much more interesting and engaging. Now let's look at this particular example. There are vast has been played somewhere within my frame. And you will observe that there is a lot of empty space within this particular image. And that is because I have gone ahead and specifically applied the rule of thirds over year, which goes ahead and places my subject at the intersection point of the green lines. Are you? Okay? Let's look at a few more examples over here. Okay, Now we're over here. You can see that there is a small inset over year, which is actually ruling a small stone or some object within the sand. And then on the right-hand side, I can see that there is a ship that is ceiling. And you will observe that if I go ahead and apply the rule of thirds over a year, once again, my subjects are placed at interesting intersecting points. So now you must have understood that by simply sliding your subject over to one of the intersecting lines of the rule of third grid, your photo immediately becomes more appealing because it's unpredictable. Aligning your subject in this manner enhances the visual tension in the photo, making it more interesting to the viewer. And visual tension tends to make for better photographic composition. And this is why a rule of thirds is so powerful. It's amazing how making such a simple adjustment within your frame can take a potentially boring photograph and make it more dynamic to look at. 5. Lesson 5 Emphasis Techniques: Hey, welcome back. So in the world of photography now let's talk about emphasis. Emphasis is defined as an idea or object within the artwork that draws attention and becomes a focal point. The focal point refers to an area in the composition that has the most significance and idea that the artist wants to draw attention to as the most important aspect. Emphasis is one of the principle of Art and Design, which of course also includes photography. A principle sounds complicated, but actually it is just a framework for composing an image. And that is something that we will emphasize more on and get a good understanding in this particular lecture or you. So in photography composition, we use principles of design to help us create a cohesive image which actually tell the story, draws the viewer, holds attention of the viewer, and most importantly, looks good. And any photograph are in the world will decide to do this through various techniques. Let's understand what these techniques are in detail. So first of all, we'll understand how can one go ahead and create emphasis using color? So let's look at these two images over a year. Now you can emphasize the focal point of your photo by limiting the colors of your background so that only the subject of the photo is bright in color. And you can also emphasize the focal point by using complimentary colors as well, such as in the example to the left, you can observe that the entire background is actually black and white in color. But my main focus is on these donors. And therefore you will observe that day only ones which are appearing in a colored format or wheel. And similarly, if you look at this particular image towards the right, it is a completely black and white image, but I want to go ahead and put the emphasis on the umbrella OU, and that's the reason I have gone ahead and given it the pink shade. So what I have done over here is I have gone ahead and limited the colors within my photographs so that the bright colors become more prominent and are more visible to the naked eye. A shift in color can create a focal point in a design. The more contrasting the change, the more the point demands the viewer's attention. Softer contrast can gradually draw attention from one area to the next. Your choice of colors should be in keeping with how you want your users to proceed on your page. Let's look at the next 0 year. Now if you go ahead and look at these images on your screen, you will understand that I have gone ahead and made use of the color value over year in order to go ahead and create an emphasis on certain elements in these photographs. Now when a light and dark contrast is used to create a focal point within a composition, we usually refer to it as an emphasis. Using value. Value defines how light or dark a given color or you can be. Values are best understood when visualize as a scale of gradient from dark to light. The more tonal variance in an image, the lower the contrast. When shades of similar value are used together, they also create a low contrast image. Now here we can go ahead and look at a few examples where we can go ahead and create emphasis using the framing method. Now framing in photography refers to the technique of drawing focus to the subject in the photo by blocking other parts of the image with something within the C. Now frames can be located in the center of the picture, are alongside its edges. So in other words, framing is a technique that photographers would use to direct the viewers attention to the main subject of the picture. As you can see in these two images over you and position around the subject a tree and archway, or even people, for example, can create a frame within the picture area. So for example, if you look at this particular image, you can see that the cave is actually creating a framing effect within my photograph. Whereas if you look at this particular image over a year, you can see that the entrance to Taj Mahal has actually used to go ahead and create a frame wherein I can see my subject actually entering through that particular entrance and moving towards the Taj Mahal. Now subjects enclosed by a frame becomes separated from the rest of the picture and therefore are emphasized. Now let's look at emphasis using perspective. Now, Perspective in photography is important because it creates an illusion of a three-dimensional scene. Perspective makes an object look further away, are very closer relative to. Elements in your scene. Perspective in photography is defined as the sense of depth or spatial relationship between objects in a photograph along with their dimensions with respect to what the viewer of the emit sees. So in order to go ahead and create an emphasis using perspective, get closer to the subject for a more dramatic perspective, which will also create emphasis. Now put the camera at a low or a higher angle near the focal point of the photo. You, for example, if you look at these two images, you can understand that I have gone ahead and created an emphasis using perspective by putting the camera lens very, very close to my subject. And by taking the camera at a higher or a lower angle near the focal point of my photograph. And if you go ahead and look at these two particular images, you can see that there are repeated elements within my photographs. And if you have a repeated element in your image such as night lamp staircase or anything that is being repeated at a regular interval. Then you can go ahead and create emphasis using the perspective by capturing the elements that are larger and closer to the camera perspective. Now we can also go ahead and create an emphasis in our photograph by making the best use of a negative space. Negative space is the area surrounding the main subject in a photograph which is left unoccupied. Put simply, it is the space around the subject itself that helps define the positive space. When you use creatively together, negative and positive space can communicate the composition of your photograph. In other words, using negative space greatly enhances the sense of isolation of the subject from the background. Negative space emphasizes and defines the main subject of the photo and helps to draw the viewer's eye to it. By de-cluttering the composition, you provide the image with space for the subject to breed and engage with the view. One can also go ahead and create an emphasis using the texture within your photograph. Now humans are very curious to the contrast of rough and smooth textures within a photograph, and it will draw the eye purely because of the difference. Now a good photographer can show emphasis using texture by showing a contrast between different texture within the photograph. In the examples above, the focal point, have more textures, band the backgrounds. In the examples that you can see on your screen, you can observe that the focal point that are these girls have more texture than the backgrounds which are either smooth, reflective or rough surfaces. When using texture for emphasis, bear in mind that a textured surface caries more visual weight than the smooth surface. And to balance out these areas, make the textured area a smaller part of the photograph than this other pot. Now, as you can see in this photograph, over year, the texture of the wall in the background contrast with the models, smooth skin and shiny here. The shallow depth of field further serves to create an emphasis on the model as our eyes are drawn, the focus of objects. And it also separates her completely from the background. However, if your aim is to go ahead and create an imbalancing your photograph, then, by all means, allow the textured surfaces to dominate with smaller smooth areas. One can even go ahead and create an emphasis using shapes and forms within a photograph. Now the word shape and form in photography are sometimes used interchangeably. However, the terms are usually two distinct visual characters. In basic terms, a shape describes a flat, enclosed area of space. Now shapes can be constructed with colors and lines. All shapes are limited to two dimensions, width and length. Now goes. And other irregular flowy shapes are known as organic shapes, while angular shapes like squares and triangles are known as geometric shapes. Now forms in a visual art differ from shape because they are perceived as three-dimensional. They operate on width, length, and depth. Forms can be either geometric or free form with no specific delineation or visual boundary. The difference between shape and form is simply light. When you light a subject, it appears more three-dimensional because of the contrast of the light and shade on the subject. Without cheating the subject, it is purely two-dimensional in appearance, and it is therefore only a shift of silhouettes and a great example of using shape in photography. The reason silhouettes are so engaging is because we don't normally see objects like these are ice can take in far greater dynamic range than our cameras. So aside from the novelty factor of a silhouette, the contrast of a very dark shape against a brighter background draws and die. So in other words, difference between shape and form is simply light. When you light the subject, it appears more three-dimension because of the contrast of light and shade on the subject. And without shading a subject, it is purely two-dimensional in appearance and is therefore only a shape. So while shape and form in photography plays different roles, each cultivates a distinct level of impact and engagement within your photography. 6. Lesson 6 Angles and ViewPoints: Now years a small photograph or secret that I'm going to share with you. Camera angles and photography have a major impact on how a photo makes the viewer feel and the message that it galleries. You'd be amazed at how a simple I just meant in your angle to a subject can transform your photo entirely. And in this particular lecture, we will learn how this works and help you learn how to choose the best camera angles for your photographs. So various positions of camera may be high, medium or low, left, right or straight, can give a different viewpoint, perspective or a visual effect to your photograph. A proper viewpoint or camera angle is an important factor in a good composition. And repositioning your subject within the viewfinder frame and changing the camera view point. Our camera angle are two simple ways of controlling that composition. Let us know about that a little bit in more detail. So camera angles are a reference to be the shots are composed. Although interpreted differently by different people. Camera angle, in simple terms, is defined as the angle in which the camera is facing in relation to the subject. Now, camera angles can give an audience and emotional information due to the fact that camera angle is essentially the relationship between the camera and the subject. So let us understand the different camera angles in detail. So first one, we'll talk about the eye level camera. But this is the most common type of short used, as it is the real-world angle that we're all used to. It chose the subject, as we would expect to see them in real life. And is that either a neutral shot? High angle, a high angle shot shows the subject from above to gamba is angry downwards towards the subject. And this angered has an effect of making the subject appear less powerful or even submissive. Low angle. This shot is taken from below the subject and the camera is angered up at the subject. It can give the subject a sense of power and dominance in a shot. A bird's eye view. This shot shows the subject from directly above it. This view is unnatural and is very different. So it can be used to create a dramatic effect, are for showing a different spatial perspective. It can also give the audience a godlike feeling, which can make things included in the sharp seem small and sometimes even insignificant. A slanted or a Dutch tilt view. Now this is where the camera is. Bug was really devoted to one side so that the horizon is on an angle. Now this can create both an interesting and a dramatic effect. Now the shots that you can capture within a frame can be of various types. Let's understand them as well, a little bit in detail. So the first one is an extreme long shot. Now in extreme long shot can be taken up from up to a quarter of a mile away from what you're photographing. And is generally to establish a setting, often called as establishing shot when capturing a moving image, It's distance means that very little detail is shown. Thus, this type of shot is used to give a general impression rather than giving any kind of specific information within a year of joining. A long shot. A long shot is perhaps the most difficult type of short to categorize. But it is generally defined as a life-size chart, which includes a full sharp, full shorts show an entire human body from the head to their feet. However, long shots are not limited to fool short. Medium shot. Medium shot often involves a subject being a person. And the shot includes parts of their body that had a mafia beast that can be more than one person in a medium sharp. But if there are any more than three people, it tends to turn into a long sharp. So the sharps with more than one person are classified as variations of medium shot. A close up shot. A close-up shows very little background and often focuses on face are some specific details within a scene. Everything as is very often focus in the background. Now this type of shot is often used to magnify something. Our show its importance. It can be used for anything from letters on papers to animal faces, a photograph or a may use a close-up to make us feel more or less comfortable with someone with the intimacy which is created by the short. A zoom lens is often used in order to get the required framing for these kind of shots. And extreme close-up shot. Extreme close-up, as its name suggests. This type of his shot is an extreme version of the close-up short. Generally aiming to magnify the subject are something within the frame to an extent that the human eye wouldn't be able to experience that in reality. For example, an extreme close-up of a face would only show a part of the face like a mouth or eyes with no background details whatsoever. It is a very artificial shot. So it can be used to create diversity and a dramatic effect. The focus must be very sharp with this short. So it is important that the sharp is set up properly with the correct lighting and angle. And then the photograph is taken with extreme care. 7. Lesson 7 Lights and Shadows: So let's talk about lights and shadows now. Now you probably don't think about them that much while shooting. But shadows and lightings can make a scene more dramatic if you know how to use them in the right way. Lighting is an important creative element of composition. And by controlling the light and directing it wherever you want. You can subdue the objects or distracting elements in the scene to give more emphasis to the main points of interest. So it's all about the light to photograph is to write with light. Photograph was devote so much time and discussion to the subject of light that it's easy to misunderstand its emphasis. Light and shadow photography is using strong lights and shadows to create abstract or anonymous silhouette, especially in monochrome with high contrasting lights. The images can create very unique perspectives. And when you have harsh lights are bright light sources. You can create really great light and shadow images. Light and shadows can be used in composition to create a mood, to draw attention to an area, to modify or distort a shape, or to bring out form and texture in a subject. Shadows, on the other hand, are a key to apparent form. In photographs. Without shadows, the subject records without form, curvatures or texture, which means that it appears extremely flat and at times even lifeless. While quantity of light is an important factor in creating photographs, there's more to making an interesting image that shining even light at your subject. In most cases, even light falling across the subjects eliminates all shadows and leaves the person or object in a photo looking flat. However, subtle shadows on one side of the person's face provide a sense of shape. And a beam of light shining into the room to a small passageway, leaving much of it in shadow, makes it look like a three-dimensional image. It's the way the light is used in combination with shadows that makes the subject come to life. And here's a quick tip. Aside from adding depth to images, shadows themselves can be the subject of a photograph. The something mysterious about this dark form. The viewer is left wondering about the person or thing that is casting the shadow. And the shadows can be used to artistically fill in an otherwise empty space in a frame as well. 8. Lesson 8 Lines and Patterns: Lines are an element of design. And so they add to the composition of an image. The direct the viewer's eye into and along the photo to the focal point. They also impact the mood of the photo depending on the type of line and how it is used. Lines can actually give a structure to your photographs. They can unify composition by directing the viewer's eye and attention to the main point of the picture. Or lead the eyes from one part of the image to another. They can lead the eyes to infinity, divide the picture, and can even create patterns. So paying attention to the impact of lines in photography and using the lines to add to the viewer experienced can take your photographic composition to the next level. Through linear perspective. Lines can lend a sense of depth to the photograph. Parallel lines appear to converge, creating an illusion of depth. These straight and parallel lines phenomenon. And one of the finest element in photography, always overlooked onto vertical, diagonal, horizontal and curved lines create different moods. Vertical lines communicate a sense of string, rigidity, power, and solidarity to the viewer. On the other hand, horizontal lines will represent peace, tranquility, and quietness. Diagonal lines represent movement, action, and speed. A picture with diagonal line conveys a feeling of dynamic action even when the subject is static. Let's look at them one by one. So let's look at horizontal lines first. The horizontal lines are usually interesting and they provide a stability and rest to your image. And also the subject that is involved in your image. It is more of a defined permanency and consistency to your photograph. And they also serve as a dividing line, creating an anchor to the subject or the object with it. On the other hand, if we look at vertical lines, vertical lines are nothing but mood. They make the photograph even more powerfully. Try holding your camera vertically while you spot one. Tried to shoot these lines. This creates more length to your scene. Trying to convey or portray the Haydn it. You can also feel free to break the rule. And a horizontal framing can make one sense the strongest in your photograph. Diagonal lines on the other hand, when we look at them, did draw the attention of the viewer very quickly. And trust me, they look very attractive in an image. They usually work by creating a point of interest within the frame plus lines of intersection within them to the photograph has advantage, creating stunning perspectives. There is a sense of dynamics to the image as if something is always moving within it. Illusion is the advantage of diagonal lines. Many studies have revealed that people often emphasize an image by stating the subject travels from left to right, hence working to its favor and can create some really memorable pictures for you. So there are always several factors including these lines inside your frame. It always occurs in combination of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines. When we tried to line up with the viewfinder and make it straight and parallel. That is always important to them. Creating a strong flavor to your photograph. That is no disturbance, any unwanted illusion that is caused. As some might think that might happen. It does not create any distraction taking away to the viewers that always tried to balance these lines and make them look straight. Like how we balanced the horizon. Doing this will make the subject inside the frame look much prettier. Now let's understand patterns. Patterns are all around us, but we rarely think to photograph them. It's as if we are pre-programmed to only photograph certain subjects like people, beds, scenery, etc. Now if that sounds like you, then you're definitely missing out one very important element in your image composition. Pattern photography utilizes elements that are repeated. The repetition of lines, shapes, tones, or colors can actually go ahead and create interesting images that are photographers who used a pattern as the main subject of an image file. Other use it to enhance the overall composition and look of your photo real. Now patterns can be both natural and man-made. Now both will actually bring a sense of visual rhythm and harmony to your photographs. And if we start looking for a pattern in and around us, we will observe that venomous, strong graphic elements like lines, colors, shapes, or forms are repeated. That are factors that are created in and around us. Creating your pictures around repeating elements or pattern. Width provide a picture of good unity and a structure. Mapped and reputation creates a rhythm that eyes will definitely enjoy looking at. When lines, shapes, and colors within a picture occur in an orderly way, they create a pattern that often and answers the attractiveness of your photographs. So tried to use lines and patterns more often in your photograph because they are always around. You. Just look around yourself and you will always find them. They're just add them to your photographs and see the composition of your photograph going on to the next level. 9. Lesson 9 Contrast, Balance and Other Factors: So let us look at some of the more elements that go into a good image composition and contrast being one of them. Now if I have to define contrast in very simple terms, it is nothing but the difference in the bright and the dark areas of the image. If the contrast is very high, the image looks lively. And conversely, if the contrast is low, the image may look flat and monotone is. However, there is a small flip side to that as well, because we will use both type of contrast as and when needed. Now, contrast is a key element to convey certain moods through your image. So high contrast photos will pop out. They will show textures in the subject and give a feeling of edginess, high-energy and strength. So high contrast is basically used in street photography or nature photography. Low contrast images, on the other hand, tend to have a very dreamy feeling. So low contrast works well for outdoor portrait. And especially if you're trying to go ahead and create a gloomy or a vintage look. So before you take any photograph, think about what more you want to convey and then look for the type of contrast that will make it stand out. So in very simple words, contrast is the range of difference between different tones in a photograph. In black and white photography, contrast describes the difference between the darkest and lightest tone, but it also defines the grayscale. In color photography, contrasts applies to how sharply the colors stand out from one another. Contrast as an effective means of directing the viewer's attention to the center of interests. So positioning of the subject elements to create a contrast gives them an added emphasis and direct the viewers attention to it. Now, although there is much debate on what does just write in terms of contrast, you want your tones to go from dark to very bright with every color in-between shown in the photographs earlier. Now this can be best seen in black and white photographs as you want, true black to white and every shade in-between. Now, essentially, a good contrast is whatever allows your colors to pop your subjects to be well-defined. So when shooting, always try to imagine what your contrast options will be before you even take the shot and go wild when you finally make it to the computer or to the dark room. As with everything, practice is something that will make you perfect. Now let's talk about something called as visual balance. Now, visual balance actually brings a certain stability and how many to an image. Whereas in certain cases and unbalanced composition can make an image look really dynamic and energetic. Because visual balance imparts a certain field to an image or a photograph or can, and will choose to make the scene balanced or unbalanced based upon his is so as to express the meaning behind the photograph. Now, Vigil balance is something that brings a certain stability and harmony to an image that is in certain cases and unbalanced composition can make an image look really dynamic and energetic. Because visual balance imparts a certain field to an image or a photograph, or can they choose to make the scene balanced or unbalanced to help express the meaning behind the photograph or what is the intention behind him going ahead and clicking that photograph. Now a perfectly balanced image is the one where the arrangements of elements are such so that no one area overpowers each other. Balance includes how all the elements are arranged so as to create a stability in a piece of work. In AP, balance is dependent on the size and number of objects within a scene. In one side of the painting or a photograph has a great number of large objects, and the opposite side has few small objects. The peace may look unbalanced to the viewer. Objects of the same size and number on opposite sides of the image tend to produce a balanced composition. The subject placement within the picture area is the factor that must be carefully considered. Composition is kept in balance by two different methods, symmetrical as well as a symmetrical. Let's understand them both in detail. Now, while not all balanced photographs are symmetrical, all symmetrical photographs are definitely balanced. The symmetry, also known as the formal balance, is achieved when both sides of the image hold equal weight. Now photographers have created license to take this cemetery as literally are as Forget it terribly as they please. As you can see by the two examples that I have shown below. Now, each photograph is equally balanced if split down the middle. Yet one is literally symmetrical and the other uses different elements of composition. Appears in metric known alternatively as informal balance. Asymmetrical balance is a bit more difficult to achieve. The more you are consciously aware of asymmetrical balance in your personal composition, the easier it will become in your daily practice. So basically, symmetry conveys balance and proportion in a photography. And it is a form of pattern that illustrates patient awareness, often through reflection and rotation. Using symmetry or a symmetry as an artistic tool allows one to fully explored different composition reflections. One of the best examples of this. Now let's talk about colors. And there are two main reasons for that. Colors can help us tell stories and it can be used to communicate on an emotional level. The emotion part is what I find really, really important. I would go so far as to say that color is the primary factor that is responsible for making a photo feel exciting, lively, mysterious, or perhaps even melancholy or little somber. Looking at the image at the top of the page, you can see that something as simple as clothes on the line against a wall look really dramatic and feel exciting just because of the colors. So colors can help tell stories and it can be used to communicate on an emotional level. Colors can make a photo feel exciting, lively, or even sad. Colors may also simply be used as an element to focus on when taking lively photographs. And now let's talk about rhythm and movement in your composition. Now read them. A critical component of music, dance, and poetry is also a quality of great significance in visual arts. Rhythm may affect the quality of the viewing experience for your audience and help to draw and keep the eye within the frame. Pattern can be thought of as a subject of rhythm. And that the pattern will always have a rhythm, but rhythms not necessarily will have a pattern. And while talking about movement, having a reputation of elements in your photo can produce the look and feel of a movement. Now, movement is the path the viewer's eye takes through the work of an odd, often to focus areas. Such movements can be directed along lines, edges, shapes, and color within the work of the art. So there are many ways in which a rhythm or a movement can be created in a photograph. But the standard pattern most often used is a reputation. This standard rhythm involves the same or similar elements repeating at regular intervals. Now, think of this equally spaced boats in this particular image. Over here are a series of windows on the side of the city apartment building, or the series of trees that you can see in the second image out here. In both these images, that reputation is something that is giving the rhythm and the movement to this particular images. So try adding these small flavors to your image composition and try and see the difference that it makes in the kind of photographs that you take in future. 10. Lesson 10 Depth of Field: Now before we go ahead and end the series on composition, I want to touch base a little bit on the depth of field. Because depth of field is something that can really add life to the composition of an image. And anybody who has ever handled a camera and understand what an aperture is also knows what the depth of field is. Now, depth of field is nothing but the amount of distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. So for example, if you're looking at this photograph of a year, which is of a pool table and it has some balls on it. And you will observe that the ball which is very close to the lens, appears in sharp focus. While the second one, which is a slightly far away from the lens, is out-of-focus. And then the third one, which is our year, is completely out of focus. Now that is something that one can achieve by managing the depth of field within an image. Now controlling the amount of depth of field in a photograph is one of the most important thing you can do. It's how you can control what is in sharp focus and what is not in focus. And this is vital because it makes it possible to emphasize certain parts of your photograph and de-emphasize certain parts. Now, depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject. Now let's touch base a little bit on this so you get a better understanding of what depth of field is all about. Now if anyone wants to understand what is depth of field, he needs to have a fair understanding of what a camera aperture is. Now, the aperture is the hole that allows the light to enter through the lens. And it is a size of opening in the lens. When the picture is actually taken. Each aperture has an f-stop number. Now, I'm not going to go into much details of this because aperture F-stop is a big topic and a separate lecture series in itself. But one needs to understand that the depth of field refers to how much of the scene is in focus, both in front of and behind the focus subject. For example, if you're looking at this cube over Europe, by changing the f-stop, I can go ahead and make the background blur or sharper within an image. Now large depth of field means that most of your image will be in-focus. And a small or a shallow depth of field means that only part of the image will be in focus and rest will be fuzzy. Now how is this related to the f-stop number of your aperture? As the f-stop number increases, the sharpness also increases. And the smaller the f-stop number, the narrower the depth of field will be. The larger the f-stop, the wider the depth of field will be. So if you look at this particular image over year, you will observe that as and when my f-stop number is increase, the sharpness increases in the image. On the other hand, the smaller the f-stop number, the narrower the depth of field I get within this particular image. One can always go ahead and control the f-stop number on the camera by using the exposure triangle. Now why understanding depth of field is important because by understanding this important facet of digital photography, it will make your photograph is stand out more than other photographers in some of the scenes you want to photograph, you would want everything to be in sharp focus. While in other scenes, you will only want a part of the subject to be in sharp focus. And that's why it's important to understand the concept of depth of field in photography. And it is also vital that you realize that you can affect the depth of field when using any given Canada. Now years AS much div that I want to go ahead and share with you. The larger lens opening that is maintaining an f-stop of 1.8 to 3.5 will offer the following advantages. It will allow you to shoot more with just natural light. And it will help you to reduce harsh shadows and red eyes which are caused by flash. It will allow more light to pass through the camera and you will be capable to choose a slightly higher shutter speed. It helps you reduce the motion blur as well. And last, but not the least, it helps you to reduce the depth of field for effect. Let us go ahead and look at some of these images that will give you a better understanding of how just changing the depth of field and making your background blurry or shop, can actually change the entire composition and the way the viewer looks at your photographs. Now with that, we come to the end of the lecture series on art of image composition. Now remember, practice is something that will make you perfect. Now whatever you learned in this lecture series, does it sound like too tall and order and one that you will never fulfill. Don't worry. Everyone thinks that at the beginning, that theory is more daunting than putting it in practice. As you practice and get used to it, it will become second nature to you. You will find yourself almost automatically and quickly identifying the center of interest. Locating it properly in the frame, composing for balance to the viewfinder and taking an effective and well composed picture provides the emphasis you want without even thinking about it. The key word is, however, practice, when you practice doing something right often enough, then you begin to do it right all the time without even having to think about it. So let's go ahead and let's start clicking some wonderful images and take your composition skills to the next level.