I find that I can take lots of shots of the same scene or subject and just be reframing and taking the object from a slightly (or completely!) different angle can give a vastly different effect or final image. Zoom in a little, move slightly to one side or up / down and your image can (and likely will) change a lot.
Purists of photography will tell you that there are all sorts of methods of deciding how to compose an image. The rule of thirds. Minimalism. Fill the frame. Diagonal lines. Leading lines. Scale. Look up. Look behind. Reflections. And plenty more. Then some would say you should go out an break them all! Of course, every one of these is useful to learn and consider and you should be aware of as many of these as possible so you have a good choice when considering the desired image. Personally, I don’t see these as rules but more as guidelines. Have them in your toolbox and pull them out when you need them. Or don’t and break them all.
Let’s look at some of them.
The Rule of Thirds
When you look through the viewfinder consider that the image is made of up a 3×3 grid of rectangles rather like a tic-tac-toe grid. The main theory of this is that you should place the main element of your image at one of the four intersecting points of these lines. You should never stick the main element right in the exact middle of your viewfinder. Unless you’re breaking this rule and you do it on a purpose! When deciding sky and land elements for a landscape image, place the horizon at one of the two horizontal lines so the either is either one third or two thirds ratio of sky to land. Most cameras will have some method of allowing you to see this grid either through the viewfinder or on the image preview screen at the rear of the camera.
The image above from the coast of Kao Lack in Thailand uses the rule of thirds to position the subject – the washed up bottle (perhaps with a missing message?) lying on the shore – at exactly where two of the lines converge. This forms the main focal point for the image and good depth of field gives the huge monument / lighthouse in the background lesser importance and blurs it out. This image also works well as it’s shot directly into the setting sun which gives strong black and white tones especially with the reflection of the water.
Now let’s break that rule. This image shows the aforementioned lighthouse as the focal point of the image but right in the middle and not where any of the lines converge. The late afternoon tones from the setting sun provide a stark silhouette highlighting the monument from behind to make the eye drop straight onto it.
Frames
Using a frame within an image can help to isolate the main element or draw the eyes into it. When you are composing your image, is there something that you can use to frame the subject within the viewable angle. The simplest example of this is a window – what about taking an image of the outside from inside? The window will frame the subject (no pun intended) to draw the eye in and through the image to the subject.
Leading Lines
In an element utilising this concept there will be some physical form of line or edge that guides the eyes through the image to the main element. Consider the image below capturing a moment of toddler trauma. The bars of the cot bed lead the eye straight to the toddler and ensure that you are guided to him first before taking in the rest of the image.
There are plenty of other photography rules that people say shouldn’t be broken, and there’s the same rules that others say you should go out and deliberately break. At the end of the day (or whatever time it actually is) the photograph you are taking is yours, the creative decisions are yours and what the final outcome is, is…you’ve guessed it…yours too.
Rules are there to be broken. Or not. It all depends really.