Compositional tools2

Yearbook Sections &

Compositional Tools

How to plan & put together amazing photos

YEARBOOK SECTIONSHow is it organized…

Student Life• Student Life– Anything students participate in outside of school– SCHOOL APPROPRIATE ;-)

Academics & Clubs

• Academics can make for boring pictures, so find the teachers that have students: – Up and moving– Working together– Creating projects– Doing experiments

• Attend club meetings and put activities on the calendar!

Sports• Action shots are important• Don’t forget about school spirit and the fans!

People/Mugs• This is the section with the school photos or “mug

shots” • Spice it up with profiles and student

surveys/quotes.

COMPOSITIONAL TOOLS/RULESCreating the photo…

What are Compositional Tools/Rules?

• Rules or ideas you use to assemble your photographs

• This DOES NOT MEAN you pose photos

• Instead, learn to see these elements/tools through your lens and use them to your advantage!

Rule of Thirds• Think of putting a tic-tac-toe board on your photos– Place your subject on intersection points

• Visually interesting when subject isn’t centered

Framing• Using other elements in the photo to frame your

subject naturally• This will help draw the viewers eye to your subject

Leading Lines• Using natural lines to draw viewers eye to subject• The lines should lead viewer right to the subject or

main object in your photo

Lighting• Look for special or

unique lighting opportunities

• It will be difficult with your point-and-shoot cameras but give it a try

Birds Eye View• Shoot from above• Look down on your subject• Still try to get their face and what they’re working

on but not a must

Worms Eye View• Get down on the

ground and look up• Don’t be afraid to get

close to the action and your subjects

Dominant ForegroundContributing Background

• Main subject is in the foreground and that is where the viewers eye goes first

• Secondary subject/content in the background– Adds to meaning of photo– A little something extra

Pattern & Repetition

• Look for repeating patterns and use them to your advantage

• Filling the frame with repeating objects can be visually interesting

Breaking Pattern• Also look for places where your subject breaks up

the pattern• Viewers eye will automatically go to the subject

because it is different from the pattern