PAGE 1 COMPOSITION

MyPhotoSchool Guide to

COMPOSITION How to Compose Your

Photos Like a Pro

Where to Place Your Focal Point

Lens Choice for Creativity
Cropping & Framing
& Much More!

By
Duncan Heather
PAGE 2 COMPOSITION

Cover Image copyright MyPhotoSchool tutor Tony Worobiec

First Published in 2012 by MyPhotoSchool Ltd

www.my-photo-school.com

Copyright © 2012 MyPhotoSchool Ltd. (All rights reserved)

Text by Duncan Heather.

Photographs by Duncan Heather unless otherwise stated.

Acknowledgments.
Our thanks to all our MyPhotoSchool Tutors for allowing us to use their images for
the production of this book. We couldn’t do it without you and want to dedicate
this book to all of you and thank you again for your continuing help and support.
PAGE 3 COMPOSITION

Composition
By

Duncan Heather ARPS LBIPP

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor Phil Malpas

PAGE 4 COMPOSITION

Learning the art of composition, more than anything else will make a huge difference to
your photography. What to leave in and what to take out, what your focal point is and
how you frame your image could be the difference between an ordinary image, or an
extraordinary picture.

Composition isn’t complicated, and the skills are easy to learn. With a few basic rules of
thumb you will soon start taking creative imaginative and well composed photos. This
eBook gives you all the skills you’ll need to take your photography to the next level.

D Heather
Duncan Heather
MyPhotoSchool

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Taylor

PAGE 5 COMPOSITION

CONTENTS
The Basics 6
Understanding Line & Shape 7
Symmetry or Asymmetry 8

Horizontal or Vertical 9
Tall Subjects 10

Framing Your Subject 11

Rule of Thirds 12
The Golden Section 14
Centre Framing 16
To Fill or Not to Fill 18

Cropping 20
Choosing the Right Format 22
Cropping in Computer 23
Classic Cropping Mistakes 24

Isolating Your Subject 25

Changing Your Angle 28

Unusual Angles for Extra Impact 30
Getting Down to Their Level 32

Composition & Balance 34

Balancing Light 35
Odd Numbers Work Best 36

Lens Choice 39
Wide Angle Lenses 39
Filling The Frame 40
Shooting From The Hip 42
Telephoto Lenses 44
Going In Close 46
Abstract Detail 47
Keeping Your Distance 48
Soft Backgrounds 49

Course Index 50
PAGE 6 COMPOSITION

How to Build Your Images From the

Ground Up

The Basics
To see your image not just as a picture, but as a series of
lines and shapes, will mean you are well on your way to
considering the composition of an image, rather than just
taking a snap shot.

You can use lines within an image to guide the viewer to your focal
point, or take them on a journey through the photograph. Take
this shot, of a road meandering its way through the Tuscan
countryside for example.

The road leads the viewer in from the bottom left hand
corner, to the centre of the picture, and then turns to point
towards the house. These lines are then re-enforced by the
vertical Cyprus trees, orientating upwards, which help by
pointing in the direction of flow.
Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor Sue Bishop
PAGE 7 COMPOSITION

I
n this image, the river draws
you into the picture, while the
sunlight entering from the left,
with the trees and hillside, softly
illuminated, helps to give the
picture a 3D quality.

Cover the river with your hand and

the image loses all its impact. 
v
PAGE 8 COMPOSITION

There doesn’t have to be any physical lines

in the image like roads or fences. They can
be implied by the physical arrangement of
elements within the scene.

Seeing Pattern

‘Keep it simple’ has always been a golden rule in photography, but by

breaking these 2 landscape images down into their simplest components, it is
easy to see the similarity of basic shape of form, repeated in both the top and
bottom of the frame.
PAGE 9 COMPOSITION
Symmetry or Asymmetry?
Understanding Line & Shape
Lines and shapes have a dramatic effect on your emotional response to a picture.
Vertical lines add power and impact to a composition, while horizontal lines an air of
calm. Diagonal lines are dynamic and are particularly appropriate for action or moving
shots. A great way to train your eye is to try and shoot images both symmetrically
and asymmetrically, then see which you prefer best.

Symmetrical images are those that can be divided equally in half, either length ways

Images by MyPhotoSchool tutor Tony Worobiec

across the centre, or even corner to corner. But whichever way you choose, the image
should feel balanced. Asymmetrical images have no such line of divide. It is not
always possible to shoot all subjects this way, but look around you and you will see
plenty of opportunities. Although this bridge isn’t exactly symmetrical you can still
draw a line down the middle and it still seems to balance on each half.

Changing the camera to a landscape format and taking

the same shot with a wider angle of view completely
changes the feel of the image.
PAGE 10 COMPOSITION

Horizontal or Vertical?
Shoot in both Portrait and Landscape Format to maximize
compositional possibilities

Photographing the same scene in both portrait and landscape formats

will increase your chances of finding the best composition. Deciding
which formats will suite particular images may not always be that
obvious. So getting used to turning your camera from horizontal to
vertical will help train your eye.

LANDSCAPES
It’s all too easy to put you camera on the tripod and fire off a whole load
of shots in the horizontal format, but by taking shots in both portrait and
landscape format, you will sometimes find some surprising images which
work much better in one orientation than the other.
PAGE 11 COMPOSITION

TALL SUBJECTS
Deciding on a horizontal or vertical
format could be a matter of a
split second decision before the
opportunity passes you by.

Being able to react instinctively

could be the difference between a
lost opportunity and a prize winning
image.
As a general rule tall subjects are
made to be taken in portrait mode.

Here the pine trees look lovely with

their green foliage topping the image
but surprisingly the landscape image
(above) of the trunks looks equally
good, even though it doesn’t follow
the rules.

SOMETIMES COMPOSING A WIDE SHOT AND FILLING THE

FRAME, WILL GIVE A SURPRISINGLY ABSTRACT FEEL
PAGE 12 COMPOSITION

HOW TO FRAME YOUR SUBJECT

The impact of your image depends on how you choose
to frame it. Here are the secrets behind the technique.

Ask 100 photographers what the trickiest part of composition is, and
most will put framing as one of the most difficult decisions to make.
To be a consistently good photographer, you must have an eye for
framing, but in today’s world of multi-million pixel cameras, it is not
as difficult as you might think as you can always adjust the framing by
cropping later in post processing.

Good framing starts with your subject, and an idea of what mood
you want to reflect in your finished image. Standing too far back
from a small subject will do little to create photographic impact and
conversely filling the frame with your subject, when you want to give a
sense of space, is equally ineffective.

The key question, when it comes to framing, is where do you place

your subject? In the centre, off to one side, at the top or near the
bottom. While ultimately this boils down to personal choice, there is
a set of design rules to help you create a more professional looking
image.

Stick to these rules and you will be well on your way to becoming a
better photographer.

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Handley

PAGE 13 COMPOSITION

RULE OF THIRDS
Choosing to site your subject off-centre will create a more
dynamic image and one that feels more professional.
The rule of thirds is the photographer’s most important
compositional rule. Use an imaginary grid and divide the frame
into equal parts – This is a terrific rule of thumb.

All images can be placed off centre to create a more

interesting balanced feel. In this shot of a little girl holding
an umbrella, shot by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Handley,
he has deliberately placed her, one third of the way into
the picture, on a grid line with the main focal point – the
umbrella on the top right intersection point.

Using this technique will immediately improve your

photography and help create a sense of balance in your
images. The reason David placed her to the right of the
frame, was to show that the wind was coming from the left.
The open space on her left, helps the viewer read this and the dusty, blank background re-enforces the sudden gusty conditions, which only
adds to the composition.

ALL SUBJECT MATTER CAN BE PLACED

OFF-CENTRE FOR A MORE
PROFESSIONAL FEEL.
PAGE 14 COMPOSITION

SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

Even the smallest detail benefits from being placed

off centre. This single yellow leaf surrounded by a
sea of red maple leaves, stands out in the image
not just because it’s a different colour, but because
of where it was placed within the composition.

AVOID BULLSEYE SHOTS

So many photographers create what are known as

‘bull’s eye’ shots. By placing the leaf in the centre
of the image it loses much of its impact. Your
eye goes straight to the middle of the frame and
ignores much of the rest of the composition.

“All rules were meant to be

broken! But you first you have
to understand them, before
you can break them” 
PAGE 15 COMPOSITION

The Golden Section

A
related compositional device is the golden section. The golden ratio
involves starting with a rectangle with the proportions of f 1:1.618.
By removing a square from a rectangle of these proportions, another
rectangle with the same proportions is formed.

Then the process is repeated in the new, smaller rectangle and then repeated
again and so on.

You then draw quarter circles in each of the squares, which form a spiral
shape. As with the rule of thirds, placing important elements in the photo
along the lines and intersections formed in this manner creates a pleasing
composition.

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Taylor

PAGE 16 COMPOSITION

ACTION IMAGES
Action Images and photos with movement in them
always have a direction of flow. Leaving space for the
subject to move into, helps tell the story about which
direction the subjects are traveling. Placing the subjects
to the right of the frame, as if they were just about
to disappear, would leave the viewer feeling cheated.
Showing the viewer where the subjects are heading
leads to a more satisfying composition.

If you are shooting fast action images, always leave a

space into which the subject can appear to move. This
will give a much more pleasing composition.

IN IMAGES WITH MOVEMENT

ALWAYS ALLOW SPACE IN
FRONT
OF THE SUBJECT
PAGE 17 COMPOSITION

CENTRE FRAMING
Rules were meant to be broken, but before you can achieve this, you must first understand when and under what circumstances you can
successfully go ‘AWOL’. The rule of thirds is probably the most important compositional rule you can learn, but there are times when going
for a central composition works.

CENTRE FRAMING IS USUALLY

THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE BUT
IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES CAN WORK WELL

ZOOM BURST
Zoom bursts by their very nature, demand a centrally framed position. Shot with a long
exposure, the photographer zooms in or out of the image while the shutter remains open.
This action, by its very nature creates a circular streaking pattern in the image, leading from
the centre to the outside frame.
This image wouldn’t have been so successful if it had later been cropped off centre, as the
blurring of the image pulls you to the middle and holds you there.

STRONG SHAPES
This image is a good example of how some strong shapes have a natural leaning towards a
central composition. These pylons naturally lead the eye to the centre of the frame and any
other placement would feel uncomfortable.
PAGE 18 COMPOSITION

SELECTIVE DEPTH OF FIELD

T
he chess piece in the middle of the board, acts as the focal point of this image and the fact that it has been positioned centrally,
helps to define the composition by highlighting the point of sharp focus. This image was taken with a zoom lens and an aperture
of f/2.8. Both the foreground and background are out of focus leaving just the bishop and the pawn as the main focal points.
PAGE 19 COMPOSITION

To Fill or Not to Fill?

WHAT SIZE SHOULD
MY SUBJECT BE?

The rule here is that the size of your

subject or any of the components in
the picture should be balanced within
the image.

Showing the surroundings of a

subject, within an image, and
therefore putting that subject into
context, can be just as important as a
subject that dominates the frame.

MEDIUM SUBJECTS
Composing images that are neither frame filling nor dot images can be quite tricky as they can lack impact.
However in this image of an abandoned cart I wanted to put it into context with its surroundings, but still wanted the cart to be the main
subject. This image was shot with a wide angle lens to bring the cart into the foreground, but still show the surrounding countryside and
abandoned mining shacks to help set the stage for the picture.
PAGE 20 COMPOSITION
v

FILLING THE
FRAME

This old car in Havana

Cuba was crying out to
be a frame filling image.
You can still see the
speed of the car from
the blurred background
and the spinning of the
wheels, but you can also
tell that it was raining,
which you might not
otherwise be able to
make out, if the shot
was taken from a wider
perspective.
PAGE 21 COMPOSITION

SMALL SUBJECTS
Keeping this man fishing in a boat quite small instils a sense of
scale in the picture even though you can’t see the whole of the
lake.

The fact that you are unable to see land although you do
see the reflections of trees in the top gives you a feeling of
isolation and vastness.

The grey tone gives a sense of cold and loneliness and the
stillness in the water a sense of calm

Deliberately tilting the camera, has added dynamism to the

image, as everyone is aware water should be flat and level.
 PAGE 22 COMPOSITION

Cropping: What to Leave In

C
ropping both in-
camera and during
post processing can
dramatically change your
image. Follow our advice and
take your photography to the
next level.

10 years ago, when I bought

my first DSLR camera, 6MP was
Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Tipling

considered large. Today with 20

million + pixel cameras on the
market, cropping has opened
up a wealth of photographic
possibilities.

Cropping; possibly more

than anything else, can have
the greatest impact on your
image. It is the first phase of
post processing and with this
decision making process, you
decide what to include and
what to leave out.
PAGE 23 COMPOSITION

S
ome of these decisions more images you can make with
will have been taken when just one subject. This Springer
composing your image in- Spaniel called Chester was a studio
camera, but when you get back portrait for a friend. Cropping
home and download your work, in close and only capturing
you have another opportunity to one half of his face has given a
transform your work and redefine contemporary feel to the image
how people interpret it. and a different slant on a pet
portrait.
CROPPING WITH A
LONG LENS CROPPING WITH A
Focusing on only a small part of WIDE LENS
your subject can lead to some Cropping in and shooting detail
very interesting compositions. can create more interesting shots
Cropping in on some detail can than a simple snap of the whole
feel a little strange especially when object. In this shot of a 1930’s
photographing people, but use a Lagonda the headlights look like
long lens and get in really tight and the car has two eyes.
you will be surprised how many
PAGE 24 COMPOSITION

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FORMAT

The shape of your frame can have a dramatic effect on your emotional response to an image. The
Panoramic Portrait Format

most common orientations are the landscape and portrait format, but in addition to these, you
will also see the square format and panoramic format used regularly.

Experimenting both in camera and using the cropping tool

can dramatically alter the shape and feel of an image
Panoramic Landscape Format

Square Format 3x4 Portrait Format

PAGE 25 COMPOSITION

Cropping in Computer
W
ith camera sensors Post-process cropping is one of
getting larger and larger the most underused compositional
every year and file sizes tools we have. You can transform
increasing, most of us still don’t a dull picture into a stunning print,
print our image much larger than by creatively cropping the image
A4 or letter size. This leaves us to focus on a smaller part of the
the option of being able to crop subject.
in computer and still be left with
file sizes easily big enough to print
from.

SELECTIVE
CROPPING
This technique works particularly
well with portraits. Filling the frame
and even rotating the crop can lead
to some exciting and much more
interesting compositions.
PAGE 26 COMPOSITION

CLASSIC CROPPING MISTAKES

Wonky Horizons
A sloping horizon line when it should be absolutely straight is one of the most common errors in
landscape photography. Crop in camera to correct the problem, but try and to avoid the mistake in
the first place by using a tripod with a spirit level.

Too Cramped

Cropping in too tight can spoil a picture particularly when the image needs to be put into context.
You either have to go in really tight for a more abstract look or make sure you give your image
enough space to properly tell the story.

Too Tight
A common problem particularly with moving images is to crop in too tight and not allow enough
space to one side for the subject to ‘move into’.
See the earlier chapter on action images.

Amputation
Another common problem when composing a photo is to crop off arms and legs.
A head and shoulder shot is acceptable but cutting people off below the knee or cutting off a hand
just looks weird and should be avoided.
PAGE 27 COMPOSITION

ISOLATING YOUR
SUBJECT
Avoid Busy Backgrounds.
Take on board the following advice
to help clean up your images.
Busy backgrounds and cluttered images
don’t allow the eye to settle on one subject.
Keep it simple and allow the subject to speak
for itself without getting lost in the image.

Keeping it Simple
Distracting busy backgrounds ruin many a
photograph. But even seasoned photographers
make the mistake with lampposts or branches
growing out of people’s heads.

One useful habit to get into is to scan your eye

round the edge of the viewfinder before you
press the shutter button. This simple exercise
will help eradicate unwanted elements from your
images and help slowdown the photographic
process, allowing you more time to think about
your composition.
PAGE 28 COMPOSITION

P
eople’s attention are drawn
to bright colours or highlights
and learning to spot these
distracting elements, before you take
the photograph is always difficult,
especially when you are in a hurry.
Here are a few a few tips and advice
for keeping things simple.

Zoom-in For Detail

Getting in close to some subjects
automatically gets rid of distracting
backgrounds.
In this image of rowing boats moored
up for winter in Oxford, England you
can see the overall scene is cluttered,
distracting and has no focal point,
while the close up image of just the
boats gives a much more interesting
abstract shot with the bows of the
boat acting as a zigzag lead-in line
In the overall image your eye is drawn
from bottom to top.
to the white boats and then the
bright patch of sky in the top right
hand corner.

Whereas the close-up image holds

your attention and although it
doesn’t tell you as much about where
the shot was taken, it does make a
much better composition.
PAGE 29 COMPOSITION

Portraits
P
ortraits can be easily ruined by busy backgrounds. Get in close with a head and shoulder shot. Avoid small apertures like f/16 and f/22
which will keep the background in sharp focus. Instead used your lens wide open at f/4.5 or larger and use a zoom lens to help throw
out the background.
Always focus on the eyes as these are the most important parts of the face and the area we humans tend to focus on first. They don’t call
them the windows to the soul for nothing!
Try and to make sure that both the tip of the nose and the eyes are in focus. I used f/2.8 on a 70-200mm lens for this shot and the depth of
field isn’t quite long enough.
PAGE 30 COMPOSITION

Always focus on the

eyes as these are
the most important
parts of the face
One of the simplest ways to
improve an image is to change the
camera angle. By cropping out
unwanted distractions from your
backgrounds you can create more
dynamic, contemporary images
with more punch and drama.

Changing Your Angle

C
hanging your camera angle can also add variety to a set of images based on a similar theme
for example, when shooting travel portraiture or a documentary theme. All it takes are small
shifts in your viewpoint up or down, left or right to make a big difference. Not only does this
allow the photographer to eliminate distracting backgrounds, but it can also lead to some unexpected
compositions.

“Shifting your Angle will often lead to a more contemporary

composition”
PAGE 31 COMPOSITION

WATCH YOUR HORIZONS!

T
ry and avoid placing the horizon centrally in the frame. It can
lead to empty space in the sky or boring foregrounds with little
or no interest.
It is natural to
want some sky
and foreground,
but this can be a
distraction in itself.
Try shooting higher
up and minimising
the sky or even
eliminating it
altogether.

Try and place your

horizon either 1/3rd
from the bottom or 1/3rd from the
top of your image using the rule of
thirds.

This decision will be based on how

much interest there is in either the
foreground or the sky. If there is a
fantastic cloud pattern, then shoot
for the sky.

If there is more foreground interest,

such as this boat’s reflection, then
shoot the foreground.
PAGE 32 COMPOSITION

Unusual Angles for Extra Impact

Add a fresh perspective to your images and
get creative with your angles
Shooting a birds-eye view or even a worms eye view, can dramatically affect
people’s emotional reactions to an image. If you want to block out an ugly
building in the background consider getting higher and cropping out the
skyline. Conversely, get down low to shoot portraits, and give the viewer an
exaggerated perspective of the person you’re are photographing.

Shooting Straight Up
This worm’s eye view gives a very different slant to a woodland composition
and one that is guaranteed to give impact to your images.

Getting Low
This unusual shot was taken from a standing position looking up at the
giraffe. It creates a very unusual
look but tilting the camera at 45
degrees bringing the neck in from
the bottom corner has added a
comical feel to the image. 

“Use a right angle

view finder to
help you compose
your worms eye im-
ages

Image by Heather Angel

PAGE 33 COMPOSITION

Tilting Your Camera

Sometimes tilting the camera,
when you would not normally
expect to see a leaning image,
can add drama and impact to an
image.
In this photo, you see the man
looking at the art and can image
him almost seeing his own
reflection.

Exaggerate
Perspective
Shooting a portrait using a wide
angle lens can dramatically
distort the facial features and
give a rather comical, amusing
slant to a holiday snap or party
photo.
PAGE 34 COMPOSITION
 

Getting Down to Their Level

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor Paul Walker

99% of our photography is
taken standing up, but one of
the most important rules of
composition is to get down
to the same height as your
subject.
PAGE 35 COMPOSITION

M
yPhotoSchool Tutor Paul Walker is
a specialist pet photographer and
nobody knows better than him the
importance of getting down to the same
level as your subject. Not only to avoid
unsightly shadows but to make contact
with your subject and see the world the
way they see it. Avoid looking down onto
your subject unless you deliberately want
to create the impression of smallness and
insignificance.

Better to be on the same eye level, and in

doing so, obtain a stronger relationship with
your subject.
PAGE 36 COMPOSITION

Achieve a Balanced Composition

Balanced images make powerful pictures

I
f composition is about the arrangement of elements within an image, then balance is about the placement of those elements.
Focus Points. The aim of any image is to capture and draw the attention of the view, both to the image and to specific elements within
it. Focus points are areas where these centres of attention appear and there are some useful rules of thumb to help you compose your
images.

Whenever you place an element within a photograph, it creates a sense of tension and energy. By adding more than one element, you
increase the number of lines of tension. By placing elements at focal points or in focal areas, (see rule of thirds) in principle you strengthen
the composition. However there is a risk that these elements may compete with each other and their placement therefore has to be in
balance within the composition.
 
PAGE 37 COMPOSITION

Balancing Light
I
t is as important to balance light and shade
in a scene, as it is to balance compositional
features. The contrast between light and
shade will make or break an image. Paying close
attention to the two extremes when composing
and framing your picture will result in better
photographs.

To balance a scene you need both light areas and

dark areas. Highlight or bright areas are referred
to as light (as in weight) and dark area described
as heavy. Try placing these dark and light areas
according to the rule of thirds. 
PAGE 38 COMPOSITION

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor Tony Worobiec

Odd Numbers Work Best

I
n almost every aspect of design, from architecture to art, odd numbers appear more pleasing to the eye. One reason for this is that the
human brain likes to visually divide things in half, so by using odd numbers we prevent this.
If you want to shoot better photos, try reducing your subject matter down to three. Three colours, three people or three focal points.

Harmony has been achieved by shooting 3 three grain silos, allowing the eye to focus on the central silo giving the image a central focus.
 
PAGE 39 COMPOSITION

O
dd numbers work well because they fit better in a frame that
is symmetrical and has four sides. By using odd numbers,
it leaves you one central figure on which to focus with a
balanced composition on both sides.

Keeping the middle tree central has created a symmetrical feel. By

keeping the rest of the composition simple and uncluttered you
focus your attention on just the three trees and cars.
PAGE 40 COMPOSITION

Patterns
When patterns become the subject, it
is important to find balance within the
frame. Fill the frame and zoom in tight.
Avoid blank areas that will distract from
the overall pattern and unbalance the
composition
PAGE 41 COMPOSITION

Creative Lens
Choice
Y
our choice of lens is vital when composing your
image. We explain how to find the best lens for the
right job. Buying a lens often takes second place to
buying a camera but the lens is the part of the camera that
actually records our image so therefore should in theory be
more important than the camera body. A good lens should
last a lifetime or at least 2-3 camera bodies so it’s worth
investing in the best you can afford.

Choosing the right lens for the job is probably the most
important compositional decision you will make. Lenses can
be divided into three main types. Wide angle, standard and
telephoto. Most cameras come with a standard type lens but
for show stopping images go extreme! In the next few pages
we look at wide angle and zoom lenses and how to push
your composition to the max.

WIDE ANGLE LENSES

Wide angle lenses have a huge angle
of view and can therefore capture large
amounts of detail.
A 50mm lens (35mm digital equivalent)
gives approximately the same angle of
view as the human eye. So by using a
24mm (17mm digital equivalent) lens or
smaller you shoot creative images the eye
would never normally see.
PAGE 42 COMPOSITION

T
he other advantage of wide angle lenses
is that they have a long depth of field;
perfect for landscapes providing front to
back sharpness.
Shooting with a wide angle lens means you can
get up close and personal with your subjects,
because most have a very short focusing
distance. This is what really makes them stand
out from the crowd. And wide-angle portraits
can create some amusing effects such as the
shot on the previous page of my cocker spaniel
‘Dudley’ asleep with his head on a pillow.

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor Tony Worobiec

FILLING THE FORGROUND

One of the golden rules for landscape images is to fill your foreground with as much detail
as possible.

Using a wide angle lens will help get close to the foreground creating an almost three
dimensional feel. This image shot by MyPhotoSchool tutor Tony Worobiec used a 24mm
lens on a full frame camera to create this beautiful image that leads you from bottom left
out to the top left of the image.
PAGE 43 COMPOSITION

W
hen out shooting landscapes, remember to include
as much foreground interest as possible. Using
a wide angle lens, will help you get close to the
subject for an almost 3D feel to your photograph.

Turn your camera at 90 degrees and shoot portrait mode for

even more foreground interest and try and get down to the
same height as your subject for real frame filling action.
PAGE 44 COMPOSITION

Shooting From the Hip

Y
ou don’t always have to see what you are going to shoot. Because of their large
depth of field, you can experiment with a wide angle lens by either shooting
from the hip or holding the camera above your head. There is no better place
to try this style of photography than carnivals, concerts, parties or processions, such
as the image above, taken in Havana, Cuba to celebrate the 80th birthday of President
Castro.
You may need to pre-focus for a couple of feet/1m to ensure sharp results, but by their
nature, wide angle lenses give great depth of field even when the aperture is wide
open. You can get action filled images by shooting without looking.
PAGE 45 COMPOSITION

“Wide angle lenses, because of their nature

give incredible depth of field with pin sharp
focus from front to back”
PAGE 46 COMPOSITION

Telephoto Lenses
Z
oom lenses or long lenses aren’t just the mainstay
of the sports or wildlife photographer. Nearly 90%
of my images are taken with a 70-200mm lens (28-
135mm digital equivalent) and I would go so far as to say
it’s one of the most versatile lenses you can own.

However, if you do need to get up close and personal to

your subject, where access may be restricted, or is likely to
flee in terror, then you can’t beat the super zooms which
start from 300mm and go up to 800mm+. All telephoto
lenses, to a greater or lesser extent, have the effect of
foreshortening a view, known
as ‘picture compression’, where
objects look closer in the
picture than they are in reality.

This is very useful when

shooting compositions with
repeating elements. While
another effect is their limited
depth of field capabilities,
which can be a creative
technique in its self.

The Effects of Compression

Compression is an optical
illusion created by the effects
of the longer zoom lenses.
You can see from the image
on the left, how the pillars
have been brought together
compared to the wider angled
shot seen below.
PAGE 47 COMPOSITION

Compression can also be used to foreshorten

more intimate views such as market places
and even a set of sun loungers.

In fact, you can use this anywhere where you

might get repeating patterns. 
PAGE 48 COMPOSITION

Going in Close
One big advantage of a long lens is being able to get in close and pick
out ‘abstract’ details within an overall composition.

Find the smaller parts of the bigger picture and use your zoom to get
in really tight. This shot of a flamingo at a zoo is a good example of this
technique
PAGE 49 COMPOSITION

.
 

Abstract Detail
A
nimal print or close-ups of eyes make great abstract shots.
For the best results use F/11 for the best quality image and get
as parallel to your subject as possible.
Keeping your subject parallel to you, will give you pin sharp focus
across the whole image.
This abstract image of a tiger would have worked better had I been
‘straight –on’ as the limited depth of field of the long lens, means I was
unable to get sharp focus from top to bottom.
 PAGE 50 COMPOSITION

Keeping Your Distance

Image by MyPhotoSchool tutor David Tipling

P
robably the most important aspect of the telephoto lens is its
ability to get in close without interfering with your subject.
This makes the super zoom ideally suited for the wildlife and
nature photographer, as it allows intimate portraits of birds and
mammals without putting yourself or your subject in harm’s way.
PAGE 51 COMPOSITION

Soft
Backgrounds
Z
oom lenses can also be useful closer to
home when photographing the more timid
subjects around us. Garden birds are a very
popular photographic subject and the ability to
throw the background out of focus so your eye is
drawn to the subject is one of the key advantages
of using a long lens.

Zoom lenses have a very small depth of field which can

be used to good effect when you want to isolate your
subject
PAGE 52 COMPOSITION

Online An Introduction to Digital Photography

• Tutor: David Taylor

Photography •
•
•
Skill Level: 1
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Sample Course Index Bird Photography Course

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You get exactly the same photography lectures delivered

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classroom. Capturing Color
You can listen to your tutor, ask them questions via • Tutor: Phil Malpas
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Over the coming months and years we’ll be adding new Travel Photography Course
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PAGE 53 COMPOSITION

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Black & White Photography Course Backyard to Big Game Photography

• Tutor: John Beardsworth • Tutor: David Tipling
• Skill Level: 3 • Skill Level: 3
• Category: Digital Darkroom • Category: Specialist Courses
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PAGE 54 COMPOSITION
Architectural Photography
HDR Photography & Beyond Course
• Tutor: Gavin Philips • Tutor: Jim Lowe
• Skill Level: 3 • Skill Level: 4
• Category: Specialist Courses • Category: Pro Photo
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Stock Photography Course

Pet Photography: How to Shoot Cats • Tutor: David Taylor
& Dogs • Skill Level: 3
• Tutor: Paul Walker • Category: Specialist Courses
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Natural Light portraiture

Light & Exposure Course • Tutor: Paul Walker
• Tutor: Nigel Hicks • Skill Level: 2
• Skill Level: 3 • Category: Specialist Courses
• Category: General Courses • Start Date: 1st Saturday of the
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Wedding Photography
Nature & Wildlife Photography Course • Tutor: Paul Walker
• Tutor: Heather Angel • Skill Level: 2
• Skill Level: 2 • Category: Specialist Courses
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Cost: £145.00 (US $232.00) • Cost: £145.00 (US $232.00)
PAGE 55 COMPOSITION

First Published in 2012 by MyPhotoSchool Ltd

www.my-photo-school.com

Copyright © 2012 MyPhotoSchool Ltd. (All rights reserved)

Text by Duncan Heather

Photographs by Duncan Heather unless otherwise stated