Composition / The Road

Composition

Composition has been the most challenging aspect of putting a photograph together for me.  I find that I have to consciously work at making sure the photograph is framed right and lines are where I want them to be.  However, for some, like my wife, this seems to come natural.

I have been making a great effort lately to make sure I have been following one of the most basic rules of composition, the rule of thirds.  It is a very simple concept, but can be what makes or breaks a photo.

Simply put, the Rule of Thirds is to divide the framed picture into three equal vertical areas and three equal horizontal areas.  In fact, most SLR cameras now have grids imposed on the photo in the viewfinder.  This means that you will have two lines vertical through the photo and two horizontal dividing the three areas.

Now for the hard part, place the subject of the photo at the intersecting of these lines.  Then, place supporting forms, lines objects along the lines leading to the subject.  Example: In a sunset or sunrise photo, place the sun at the point of intersection of the lines and the horizon along one of the horizontal lines.  For sunrise and sunset, I find myself looking for clouds that I like and placing the horizon on the bottom of the two lines.

Today’s Photo:  The Road

I was out taking photos the other day when I ran across this bridge.  It was getting dark and some really good clouds were moving in.  I was looking for a good shot of the sunset, but that did not happen.  So, I got low and followed the rule of thirds for this one.

Here is another photo where I used the rule of third’s for the composition: The Bench.  And don’t miss last Tuesday’s daily photo.

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