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Composition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 1 Goddard Photo Club

Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

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Page 1: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Composition in Photography

Nancy Rosenbaum

President, Goddard Photo Club

February 2012

2/21/2012 1 Goddard Photo Club

Page 2: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Composition

• Components of Composition – Rule of Thirds – Leading the Eye; Lines – Framing – Focus – Depth of Field – Angle of View – Distractions

• Nature Photography • Portrait Photography • Gallery

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Page 3: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

The Rule of Thirds

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 4: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Find Lines • Lines lead the eye from one point to another

• Diagonals can convey motion and energy

• Horizontals can convey stability, calm

• Verticals can convey strength, solidity, and power

• Arcs and semi-circles can isolate, emphasize, and frame an area

• Patterns create rhythm and movement

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 5: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Lines, Continued

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 6: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Lead the Eye into the Picture

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 7: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Framing

• Filling the frame

– How near or far will be the subject appear to the viewer?

– Do you want the subject to fill the frame?

– What other objects are in the frame (e.g., foreground and background objects)?

– Do they support the visual story you are telling?

– How do they contribute to or detract from the composition?

• Arrangement of objects in the frame

– Point of view – left, right, down, up

– Zoom in or out

– Move closer or farther away

• Natural frames - use to your advantage

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Page 8: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Filling the Frame

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 9: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Natural Frames

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 10: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Horizontal or Vertical?

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 11: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Focus

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 12: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Depth of Field

• Depth of Field – the range appearing in focus

– Small f/ number = large aperture = shallow depth of field

– Large f/ number = small aperture = long depth of field

– Longer focus distance = longer depth of field

– Longer focal length lens (e.g., telephoto = shorter depth of field)

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Page 13: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Depth of Field

Focal length: 135 mm Aperture: f/5.0 Subj. distance: 6.9 ft

Focal length: 18 mm Aperture: f/3.5 Subj. distance: infinity

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 14: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Depth of Field

Focal length: 82 mm Aperture: f/8.0 Subj. distance: 4.6 ft

Focal length: 200 mm Aperture: f/5.6 Subj. distance: 41 ft

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 15: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Angle of View

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 16: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Angle of View, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 17: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Angle of View, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 18: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Focal Length

• “Normal” – Field of view reproduces what the human eye would see – Relationships between distances appears “normal” to us – Focal length = diagonal size of the film or sensor – FL = 50 mm in a 35 mm camera; 28 mm in DX sensor camera; 22 mm in a four-

thirds sensor camera)

• Wide angle – Field of view is wider than the eye would normally see – Objects appear farther away – Relationships between distances appear greater – FL numbers are less than the normal FL

• Telephoto – Field of view is narrower than the eye would normally see – Objects appear closer – Relationships between distances appear smaller – FL numbers are greater than the normal FL

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Page 19: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Focal Length

Focal length: 55 mm Focal length: 98 mm

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 20: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Focal Length, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 21: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Distractions

Train yourself to look at every element and object in the frame:

• Are there unwanted objects in the foreground or background?

• Are there places where colors or values (light/dark) are so similar that the subject seems to disappear into the background?

• Is there an extremely bright or dark spot that draws the eye away from the subject?

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Page 22: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Intrusions Unwanted objects that detract from the composition

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 23: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Intrusions, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 24: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Intrusions, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 25: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Mergers Two or more overlapping objects that appear to be joined

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 26: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Mergers, cont’d.

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 27: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Mergers, cont’d. Border merger: object(s) cut off in an awkward place

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 28: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Bright Spots or “Black Holes” • The brightest values pull our attention

• Large areas of low value can also be a distraction

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©Nancy Rosenbaum ©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 29: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Seven Principles of Nature Photography Composition

• Clarify your message

• Keep it simple

• Be patient

• Fill the frame

• Consider verticals

• Find lines

• Place subjects off-center

from the Beginner's Guide To Nature Photography by Cub Kahn

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Page 30: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Pay Attention to the Light

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©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

Page 31: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Portrait Composition

• Fill the frame with your subject

• Keep eyes in the upper third

• Use framing to concentrate all attention on your subject

• Create texture

• Use lines

• Change your angles

6 Tips for Perfect Composition in Portrait Photography by Christina N Dickson Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-for-perfect-composition-in-portrait-photography#ixzz1mB7Y82zC

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Page 32: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

©Nancy Rosenbaum

©Nancy Rosenbaum

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Page 33: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

GALLERY

Courtesy Library of Congress

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Page 34: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Dorothea Lange Migrant Mother, 1936

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Page 35: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Walker Evans Laura Minnie Lee Tengle , 1935

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Page 36: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

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Thomas Askew Weeding sugar beets for $2.00 an hour, 1972

Page 37: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

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Photographer Unknown Vietnam… A Marine walking point for his unit during Operation Macon, a marine moves slowly, cautious of enemy pitfalls… 1966

Page 38: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Thomas Askew Atlanta University, Georgia, 1899

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Page 39: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

American Colony (Jerusalem), Photo Dept. Egyptian camel transport passing over Olivet, 1918

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Page 40: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Alice S. Kandell Mount Kānchenjunga, Third Highest Mountain in the World, btw. 1965-1979

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Page 41: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Alice S. Kandell Sikkim, Oversized Melons and Fruit Grow, 1969

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Page 42: Composition in Photography - NASA · PDF fileComposition in Photography Nancy Rosenbaum President, Goddard Photo Club February 2012 2/21/2012 Goddard Photo Club 1

Abdullah Fréres Tuberculosis Ward of the Hasköy Hospital for Women, btw. 1880 - 1893

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