An introduction to composition

What is composition?

Composition in photography is the way all the elements in an image are arranged within the frame to form the final image. You can alter the composition by moving around, zooming in or out, changing lenses, or even crouching down and looking for a new viewpoint.

Why is Good Photo Composition Important?

Picture composition is one of the most important aspects of a great photograph. What you include in the image (and what you don’t), and how you arrange the elements within the frame, contribute significantly to the overall success of the image. Will it have impact? Will it convey your message?

Some different composition ideas (we will go through composition in more detail when we look at landscape photography)

TO DO:

  1. Add a slide to your Visual Diary write your own definition of composition.
  2. Check if you complete the composition notes from the week we started on elements and principles, move that slide next to this one!
  3. Choose a couple of the techniques above and write some notes on them – in your own words!
  4. Complete the following composition exercises to get you thinking about what this looks like practically – https://www.ultimate-photo-tips.com/photograph-composition.html
  5. Look through these examples of same subject different composition – https://learn.zoner.com/improve-your-photo-composition-this-simple-exercise-will-help/
  6. Now get a camera, for a walk pick one subject and take minimum 10 different photos. Think about the different composition techniques we have looked at, the elements of art and how you can emphasise them!
  7. Upload and edit your photos, add to your visual diary, label the composition techniques and elements where you can.
  8. Add a reflection. use the template below as a guide!
Suggested template for reflection:
  • What did you learn from this task? (Use “I can…” as a sentence starter)
  • What did you like about this task?
  • What was difficult? (Use “I am struggling with…” as a sentence starter)
  • How did you solve problems?
  • Is your image successful, if so, why?
  • What adjustments (edits) did you do to your image? (include before and after and camera settings if available)
  • What else could you change if you had more time or resources?