Basic Photography
Composition and Design
DTE 8455-013
Objective: At the completion of this unit, the student will have an understanding of
the basic rules of design and composition and how it relates to photography. The
student will use this knowledge to expose their second roll of black and white film.
The student will pass a written quiz with a score of 70% or better.
The way subjects are arranged in a photograph is called composition. Many factors must
be considered when composing a picture. Your main purpose is to achieve an interesting
picture. Not everyone agrees on the meaning of good composition.
Good composition is not difficult to achieve. It takes some thought and awareness. Good
composition involves the following concepts.
Selection determine the subject to be photographed.
Establish a center of interest a center of interest can be established by using:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
color
light against dark
dark against light
large object among small
small object among large
detail
Movement lines or arrangement of objects causes the eyes to move to areas of
the picture that you want people to see.
Space the space occupied by the object and the space surrounding the object
become equally important. The surrounding space is called negative space. This
space should not pull the viewers eye away from the subject of the photograph.
The space occupied by the subject is termed positive space.
A pleasing composition has a main figure, form, or area. The other parts of the picture
should not detract from the main object or area. Where you place the center of interest is
important to the composition of your picture. Generally, do not position the subject in the
center of the picture. This can produce uninteresting results. Instead, place the subject off
center using the rule of thirds. Imagine that the picture area is divided into thirds, both
horizontally and vertically. Look at the diagram in figure 1. Place your center of interest
at one of the four places where the lines cross. Try to have the subject look or move
toward the center.
Figure1. Rule of Thirds
When possible, walk around your subject and find the best angle from which to shoot the
picture. Consider the background when choosing the angle. Shooting from a low angle
can give you an uncluttered sky. If the background is detracting from your setup, consider
shooting from a high angle so that only your subject and the immediate area show in the
picture. Always try to choose an angle that provides an uncluttered background.
When composing a shot, consider the horizon line. Avoid locating the horizon in the
middle of your picture as this cuts the picture in half. The horizon should be either high
or low in the picture. Remember to apply the rule of thirds. A low horizon line gives a
feeling of spaciousness. A high horizon line gives a feeling of closeness. When using a
horizon line in the picture, make sure that it is a straight line in the picture, not tipped.
Other lines can be used to apply interest and unity in your picture. Lines, such as rows of
trees, fences, and railroad tracks, add perspective or depth to your pictures. The lines in
one object tend to unify a picture because your eyes follow the lines. Try to have the lines
run into the picture, not out of it. Think about what camera angle you are using. Many
times, by simply changing the camera angle, you can create interesting lines.
Another way of adding interest to a picture is through the use of contrast. Position light
forms or colors against dark ones for contrast. Often, light striking one side of the subject
can add a pleasing effect. This is known as sidelighting.
When choosing your background, avoid clutter. Cluttered backgrounds ruin many
pictures. Be aware of telephone poles, wires, fences, jagged shapes, and areas of bright
color in the background. A good background can help set the mood of the picture and can
add beauty. A cluttered background detracts from the subject. Try to have a solid
background if possible. Remember that you can also use depth of field to blur a poor
background.
Depth of Field
DTE 8455-010
8455-012
8455-013
Objective: At the completion of this unit, the student will have an understanding of
depth of field and how it relates to photography. The student will use this knowledge
to expose their second roll of black and white film. The student will pass a written
quiz with a score of 70% or better.
Depth of field is the area that is in focus in front of and behind the subject that is also in
focus. Depth of field is determined by two factors:
Aperture (f-stop)
Distance from the subject
The smaller the aperture, the longer the depth of field. An aperture of f/22 produces a
longer depth of field while an aperture of f/2.8 produces a short depth of field. Look at
the pictures below. Picture A was taken with an f-stop of f/16. Notice how you can see all
of the detail clearly in the background. Picture B was taken using an f-stop of f/2.8. The
tires in the background are not in sharp focus. The only difference was in the aperture
setting. Notice that in both pictures, the center of focus is the flower.
Picture A
Picture B
Distance is also a factor in depth of field. Faraway scenes have a greater depth of field than
close-ups. Since distance from the subject is usually determined by the picture you want,
the main control for depth of field is the f-stop. However, you can also control the amount
of light reaching the film by the shutter speed you choose. The slower the shutter speed, the
more light you let into the camera. You can cut down this amount of light by using a
smaller aperture. The smaller the aperture, the longer the depth of field.
On the other hand, the faster the shutter speed, the more light you need. The aperture must
now be made larger which shortens the depth of field.
f/16 at 1/60 second -more depth of field f/11 at 1/125 second,
f/8 at 1/250 second less depth of field
Notice that for each stop you increase or decrease the shutter speed, you can make a onetime increase or decrease in the f-stop. F/11 at 1/125 second can be changed to f/16 at 1/60
second. This increases the depth of field. If you want to decrease the depth of field, you can
use f/8 at 1/250 second.
You cannot always control the depth of field. If there is very little light, you must shoot at a
large aperture and a slow shutter speed to get a picture. You can only get a long depth of
field when there is enough light to use a small aperture.
Being able to choose your depth of field proves useful. You can draw attention to the
subject, blurring out everything else or you can use a longer depth of field to make most of
the picture clearly focused. Depth of field allows you to be creative in taking pictures.
Depth of field is greater behind the focused subject than in front of it. An example would be
if you set the camera at f/5.6 and focused on an object 30 feet away, the depth of field is 11
feet in front of the subject, but 36 feet behind the subject. This means that the focused
subject is located about 1/3 of the way into the depth of field. Therefore, to get the most
effect from your depth of field, focus one third of the way into your scene.
