PHOTOGRAPH BY CLANE

GESSEL

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES AND

TERMINOLOGY
Compare the pair
Compare the pair
COMPARE THE PAIR
 PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREI D.,
W H AT I S C O M P O S I T I O N ?

• The term ‘composition’ applies not only to visual arts, but to music, dance,
literature and virtually any other kind of art. Composition describes placement of
relative objects and elements in a work of art and is a key aspect of any successful
piece of art.
• Basically in photography, successful composition is arrangement of elements within
the frame, in a way that suits the core idea or goal of your work best.
 PHOTOGRAPH BY FELIPE
W H Y I S I T I M P O RTA N T ?
CARRANZA

• There can be many reasons to apply or ‘break’ the photographic theories. These might be to create visual balance, to enhance the story, to create
contrast, the draw the viewers eye around the image, to enhance the size of an object or scene, to show the atmosphere, to draw attention to
something etc. It’s important that you can recognise these techniques so that you can use them to your advantage when taking your own images.
 RULE OF THIRDS

• Imagine that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2
horizontal lines. The rule of thirds says that you should position the most
important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they
intersect.
Additionally, a horizon line should be placed along either the top of bottom
horizontal divide depending on what the photographer is choosing to be the
focal point (land or sky).
Sky as Focal Point (2/3 of image)

Word Bank: Intersect, balance, grid, placement, composition, aligned, horizon, Land as Focal Point (2/3 of image)
focal point, subject, elements, dominant feature, etc.
 LEADING LINES

• Leading lines refers to a composition technique

whereby the viewer's eye is attracted to lines that
lead directly to the principle subject in the image.
They can be literal lines or invisible shapes that
draw the eye. They can also be curved or straight
but the principle is that they draw the viewers eye
around the frame or to the subject.

Word Bank: Draws the viewers eye, geometric, straight, diagonal, curved, radial, rhythm, pattern. Dynamic, perspective
 BALANCE

• Balance is a compositional technique in photography that places the subjects within a frame so that the objects are of
equal visual weight. When different parts of a photo command your attention equally, perfect balance is achieved.

Word Bank: Harmony, symmetry, patterns, texture, weight, contrast, colour, bold, proportion, simplicity, minimalism, focus
 FRAMING

• Framing immediately brings attention to

your subject. Whether it be a very literal
frame, environmental, or structural
framing, colour, framing with light or lack
of light, they all work well to bring the
viewer’s eye to your subject.

Structural and Light Framing Structural Framing

< Natural/ Environmental Frame

Word Bank: Draws the viewers eye, balance, contrast, context, vignette, foreground/background, focus,
 VIEWPOINT

• Showing the perspective and camera angle that the

photographer is choosing to shoot the shot from. It can
be used to emphasise and manipulate size/dominance
etc.

Word Bank: Dominance, focal point, birds-eye-view, worms-eye-view, eye level, enhances, proportion, scale, distort
 CENTERED COMPOSITION/
SYMMETRICAL COMPOSITION

• Centred composition is when the focal point is placed

in the centre of the frame.
• Symmetry refers to a line that splits an object in half
and, if both sides of the object are a mirror image of
each other, then this object is said to be symmetrical.
The line that splits a symmetrical object is called the
line of symmetry.

Word Bank: Balance, symmetry, structure, eye-catching

 TERMS

FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND – FOREGROUND IS THE PART OF A VIEW THAT IS NEAREST TO

THE OBSERVER, ESPECIALLY IN A PICTURE OR PHOTOGRAPH. BACKGROUND IS THE PART OF A
PICTURE, SCENE, OR DESIGN THAT FORMS A SETTING FOR THE MAIN FIGURES OR OBJECTS, OR
APPEARS FURTHEST FROM THE VIEWER. MIDDLE GROUND IS THE TERM APPLIED IF THERE IS AN
OBJECT OR FEATURE BETWEEN THE FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND (E.G. HORSES IN LEFT
IMAGE)
 TERMS
BOKEH – LIGHT ORBS CREATED WHEN
LIGHTS ARE OUT OF FOCUS, USUALLY
THROUGH WIDE APERTURES (E.G. F1.4)
EXPOSURE – GENERALLY REFERS TO HOW LIGHT
OR DARK AN IMAGE IS IN RELATION TO THE
NATURAL LIGHTING OF THE SCENE. IT’S
CONTROLLED THROUGH APERTURE,
SHUTTERSPEED AND ISO
 TERMS

RULE OF SPACE– THE RULE OF SPACE IS SIMPLY A

NEGATIVE SPACE – NEGATIVE SPACE IS
TECHNIQUE THAT CREATES A SENSE OF MOTION,
THE AREA BETWEEN AND AROUND
ACTIVITY OR CONCLUSION IN YOUR COMPOSITION.
OBJECTS IN A PHOTO. IT IS USUALLY THE
STATES THAT THERE SHOULD BE GREATER SPACE
SHAPE CREATED IN THE ABSENCE OF
INFRONT OF THE SUBJECT (DIRECTION OF THEIR VIEW
SOMETHING
OR MOTION)
 TERMS

DEPTH OF FIELD –REFERS TO

HOW MUCH OF THE IMAGE IS IN
FOCUS. THE CAMERA WILL FOCUS
ON ONE DISTANCE, BUT THERE’S A
RANGE OF DISTANCE IN FRONT
AND BEHIND THAT POINT THAT
STAYS SHARP—THAT’S DEPTH OF
FIELD. PORTRAITS OFTEN HAVE A
SOFT, UNFOCUSED BACKGROUND
—THIS IS A SHALLOW DEPTH OF
FIELD. LANDSCAPES, ON THE
OTHER HAND, OFTEN HAVE MORE
OF THE IMAGE IN FOCUS—THIS IS
A LARGE DEPTH OF FIELD, WITH A
BIG RANGE OF DISTANCE THAT
STAYS SHARP.
 TERMS

FOCUS – SOMETHING THAT IS IN FOCUS IS FOCAL POINT – SOMETHING THAT IS IN FOCUS

SHARP, WHILE AN OBJECT THAT IS OUT-OF- IS SHARP, WHILE AN OBJECT THAT IS OUT-OF-
FOCUS ISN’T SHARP. FOCUS ISN’T SHARP.