5 règles simples de composition Aujourd’hui, nous ferons rapide et efficace : nous allons découvrir cinq règles simples de la composition en photographie, qui pourront donner plus d’impact à vos photos, soit en les respectant (le plus souvent), soit en les prenant totalement à contre-pied (parfois et de façon intelligente). 1. Règle des impairs Une image est visuellement plus attirante si le nombre de sujets est impair. Pourquoi cette règle ? A l’inverse, si vous souhaitez prendre la règle à contre-pied, en photographiant deux sujets par exemple, vous pouvez accentuer cette impression en utilisant la symétrie : deux personnes qui se regardent peuvent créer une image forte. 2. Si votre sujet (Homme ou animal) regarde dans une direction, il vaut mieux le placer dans la direction opposée de ce regard. S’il regarde à gauche, il faut le placer à droite du cadre et laisser de l’espace libre à gauche. 3. 4. Ça peut paraître évident, mais si votre sujet est trop petit sur la photo, il aura du mal à attirer l’attention. 5.
énumération énumération 2 juxtaposition nandan nagwekar Street Photography Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals For today’s street photography composition lesson, we will discuss a compositional rule that is simple enough: the diagonal. Credit goes to Adam Marelli for teaching me about this important design element which can help street photographers all around the globe. Diagonals are one of the strongest and most fundamental compositional elements– something that we all know quite well. There are 3 types of main lines: the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line. They also go in degrees of intensity (the horizontal line being the least dynamic and the diagonal line as the most dynamic). 1. The horizontal line. The horizontal line is by nature, flat. 2. The vertical line. The vertical line is much more dynamic than the horizontal line. Imagine a man standing tall. 3. The diagonal line. Now let us go onto the diagonal line. Imagine a man standing up, and you shoved him quite hard. Dynamic Symmetry In one chapter he talks about the diagonal, and cutting the “reciprocal” line through it. 1. 2. Done?
Street Photography Composition Lesson #4: Leading Lines All photos in this article are copyrighted by their respective photographers. For today’s street photography composition lesson– I would like to discuss leading lines. Leading lines are one of the most basic photography compositional techniques– I am sure you have all heard of it before. Whenever I look at a photograph, the first question I ask myself is: who is the subject? If I cannot easily identify who the main subject is– it causes me to get stressed out and disoriented. Therefore you can utilize leading lines to point out your main subject to the viewer. I will bring up some examples to further illustrate the importance of leading lines: Josef Koudelka : CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 1963. © Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos : CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 1963. In this compelling photo by Koudelka for his “Gypsies” book — you see a man dead in the center of the frame, hands in handcuffs– and onlookers in the background. The feeling of the photograph is tense. Henri Cartier-Bresson FRANCE. 1932. I doubt it. 1. 2.
Street Photography Composition Lesson #5: Depth All of the photos in this article are copyrighted by their respective photographers. For today’s composition lesson I want to focus on a compositional technique that is more utilized by intermediate/advanced photographers. It is the idea of depth. What exactly is “depth” anyways? Well, the Merrian-Webster dictionary provides this definition (which we generally think of when it comes to spatial relationships): a: the perpendicular measurement downward from a surfaceb: the direct linear measurement from front to back For the purposes of photography and composition, we will use b (the direct linear measurement from front to back). But the problem is with photographs are that they are 2-dimensional. I have mentioned this in previous articles, but composition for composition’s sake is pointless to me. Therefore let us never forget the more important definition of depth (when it comes to photography) as Google provides: Depth: Complexity and profundity of thought. © William Klein Takeaway point: 1.
Street Photography Composition Lesson #6: Framing All photos included in this article are copyrighted by their respective photographers. For today’s street photography lesson, I want to talk about framing. Framing itself is a pretty basic compositional technique, something I am sure we all learned when we first started. Defining Framing To start off, what is “framing“? According to Google, a frame is: A rigid structure that surrounds or encloses something such as a door or window. In photography, every image we capture is a frame. For example, whenever taking a photograph of a subject, we have several choices to tell different stories or narratives. Let me start off with an example of this photograph I took of an old man who looks quite lonely in a train by himself for my “Suits” project: Frame #1: It looks like the man is by himself So if you look at the photograph, the viewer might assume the man is by himself with no-one around him– as that is how he is framed. Contact sheet of all the photos I took of this man. Framing in composition 1. 2.
Street Photography Composition Lesson #7: Perspective All photographs in this article are copyrighted by their respective photographers. For today’s compositional lesson I want to talk about perspective. Google defines “perspective” as the following: The art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point. In street photography utilizing unique perspectives or vantage points make images have different impressions and feelings. To make more edgy and interesting photos, try embracing more unique perspectives (shooting from a really low angle, or getting on top of a roof and shooting from a high vantage point). I wanted to show some great examples of how some master street photographers used low and high perspectives to make more interesting photographs. Low Perspectives To start off, ask yourself the question: how tall is Tom Cruise? So how can we apply this “superman effect” to street photography?
Street Photography Composition Lesson #8: Curves All photos in this article are copyrighted by their respective photographers. For today’s compositional lesson– I want to talk about curves. To start off, why curves? Well– curves are some of the most dynamic lines that exist. Have you ever seen a river that is completely straight? With composition, everything starts at nature. RiversA woman’s bodySolar systemsSand at the beachSeashellsHillsLeaves As my friend Adam Marelli (a much more knowledgeable teacher on composition) has taught me– very few lines exist in nature which are straight lines. As we discussed, curves are natural — and when I think of curves, they are elegant, have energy, movement, and force. Curved roads give a sense of energy–movement, and motion. Let us think of some other curves that are man-made. Highways (and speedways)StairwellsGraphsArchesSnakesMuch much more… Before we had a compositional lesson on diagonal lines. Curves are everywhere (natural or man-made) — and you can see them if you look close enough. Conclusion
Street Photography Composition Lesson #10: Urban Landscapes For today’s lesson I want to talk about “urban landscapes.” Urban landscapes aren’t really compositions in the specific sense (compared to lines, curves, etc)– but I still feel they are relevant when creating our street photographs. If you guys have read my prior lessons on composition– I have thought a lot about what a “composition” really is. Composition: The combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. So when it comes to street photography, whatever elements we capture in the background make an image. I am not exactly sure what direction these “composition lessons” are heading– but thank you for your support. Urban Landscapes So to start off, let us first contemplate the question: What exactly is an “urban landscape?” For me, an “urban landscape” is a photo primarily focusing on the urban environment (a man-made environment) which puts more emphasis on the background than the subject. Enter Robert Frank’s Urban Landscapes “Save Gas” © Robert Frank St. © Robert Frank. Car Frame