Head Coach Chuck Amato gives cornerback Marcus Hudson instructions between plays. By filling the frame and using a long lens with a low numbered f/stop, the photographer was able to capture this intimate moment between player and coach without interfering. Rob Bradley		Senior gymnast Leah Sabo tapes up as she prepares for the NCAA Regionals held in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday. Placing the subject in the top left corner made it easy for the viewer’s eye to go straight to the subject. Tim Lytvinenko

Photo Composition
Pay attention to everything in the frame

By Bradley Wilson ©2006

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Composition
A perfect exposure can make a good photo, but for a great photo good composition is needed.

Getting Close
Always get close to the subject and fill the frame. It’s the single most important thing you can do to improve the quality of your photography. If you think you’re close enough, try getting closer. Fill the frame. Sometimes you can’t get physically close to the action. In those situation, you’ll need to use a long lens (such as a 300mm) to fill the frame. By getting closer to the subject and/or by using a longer lens, you will inherently have lower depth of field, helping to isolate the subject from the background.

Rule Of Thirds
This is the simplest of all composition rules and will always strengthen a photo. Divide the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically (making a tic-tack-toe board). The subject goes at the intersection of any two lines. When using the Rule of Thirds make sure that any visual line created by the subject leads into the photo. For example, if a subject is looking down and to the left, place the subject in the upper-right corner to draw the reader into the photo. The same subject placed in the lower left corner may unintentionally lead the reader out of the photo.

Layers
Layers help create a three-dimensional feel to the photo by adding something in the foreground and something in the background (three layers) to add depth. Layers also add meaning to the photo by adding information.

Leading lines
Just as a sidewalk leads people from one area to another, a strong line or S-curve can pull a viewer from one area of a photo to another. To be successful, the line should pull the viewer into the subject, not out of the frame.

Repetition of shapes
Repetition can be a powerful composition device. People are drawn to repetitiion. But to make a photo really interesting requires a break in the repetition, one sousaphone player in the band marching in the wrong direction, for example.

Framing
Just as a picture frame isolates the picture from the wall, a framing device in a photo helps isolate the subject from the background. Windows, doors, arms and even legs serve as functional framing devices.

Use of odd angles
All people see most of the world at eye level. By changing the angle at which a shot is taken, you change the way a viewer sees the subject. When shooting something routine such as a speaker, people throwing the frisbee, or a person walking a dog, get down low and look up at the subject. People rarely lay on the ground to look up at things. Shoot things people see every day from new angles. Get up high and look down. Get down low and look up. Look around.

Clean background
Keep the background clean, free of distracting objects such as trees or poles growing out of people’s heads. A distracting background can pull a viewer away from a subject and can ruin a great shot. Using low depth-of-field isolate the subjects from the background by keeping the subject in focus and rendering the background out of focus.

Anna Zylicz, a junior in Graphic Design, focuses on perspective as she works in the deign studio for a project due the next morning. The use of frames helps to draw attention to the subject. Nathan Bullen		Ben Davis and Amy Treece, both seniors in microbiology and boyfriend/girlfriend, take a break together between classes on the bench outside of the CALS building, Gardner Hall. An odd angle can offer the reader a perspective on an everyday subject. Rob Bradley
Two trombone players perform for the 2003 convocation ceremony in the RBC center. Lines can create a powerful lead in to a subject by drawing the reader down a path ending at the subject. Austin Dowd		Hays Larks host brother Thomas Clay, 9, lines up with his team during the National Anthem at Lawrence Dumont Stadium. Larks players said Clay traveled with them all summer. Repeating shapes can lead a reader into the subject — a break in the repetition. Mike Shepherd