COMPOSITION

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COMPOSITION
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SIMPLICITY
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Economy of Space Fill up the frame, by moving
around the subject moving in close (or use a
telephoto lens to get the effect of close-up
shots). Avoid space between subjects
exclude details that are not relevant to the
story.
Sebastio Salgado
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Paul Strand
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Dorothea Lange
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W. Eugene Smith
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ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE Whether consciously or
not, compositions are often conceived away from
the center of the frame, using the rule of
thirds.
W. Eugene Smith
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Photo by Yosuf Karsh
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Photo by David Blumenkrantz
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SYMMETRY
Centering the subject Photo by Robert Frank
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Photo by Sebastio Salgado
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Photo by Margaret Bourke-White
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Photo by Bruce Davidson
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CONTROL DEPTH OF FIELD TO BLUR BACKGROUND The
longer the telephoto lens, the more likely youll
have shallow depth of field anyway . . .
Photo by Tammy Abbott
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Photo by Tammy Abbott
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Photo by W. Eugene Smith
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CURVED LINES are one of elements of composition
most pleasing to the eye, giving a photograph a
feeling a movement . . . Photo by Henri
Cartier-Bresson
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ANGLE, AND DIAGONAL LINES Choosing unusual
angles can result in interesting perspectives on
a subject. The use of diagonal lines can add
tension, and a sense of directionality.
Photo by Bruce Davidson
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Photo by Weegee
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Photo by Dorothea Lange
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PERSPECTIVE
Photo by Lewis Hine
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NO COMPOSITION? Some speak of an
anti-aesthetic, arguing that one cannot do much
arranging of light and subject matter with spot
news. Others insist that experience is the only
way to learn photojournalism an innate sense of
composition comes only from the alchemy of
experience. Photo by Margaret Bourke-White
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Photo by Hans Gutknecht
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ANTI-COMPOSITION In the 1950s and 60s, street
photographers such as Robert Frank and Garry
Winogrand disregarded traditional concepts of
composition, tilting horizons and creating images
with no center of interest. Photo by
Garry Winogrand
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The tilted horizon in this sports photo would
most likely mean it could never be published in a
daily newspaper.
Photo by Garry Winogrand
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In this celebrity portrait, Robert Frank
intentionally subverted the traditional depth of
field effect, creating a feeling of isolation
rather than adulation for the subject.
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JUXTAPOSITION
The camera has the unique ability to capture two
or more seemingly incongruous or paradoxical
elements in its view. Photographers who take
advantage of this can create ironic, even
sarcastic statements. Photo by
Margaret Bourke-White