Photography Composition

Photography Composition
What makes a good photograph?
Good photographs have three elements in common
  1. Good subject
  2. Good lighting
  3. Good composition
Shot Types
Establishing Shot: A shot taken from a distance- used to help the audience get an idea of the scene-location, time, etc
Often used at the beginning of a scene
It may be used to show where the shot is taking place.
Long Shot
A shot taken well back from a subject. If it’s of s person, the shot will show the whole body.
Mid shot
A shot of a person to just below the waist or elbows
Close-up shot
A shot which shows the whole of the face (or specific body part) but no other part of the body. May be used to show facial features or emotion
Low Angle A shot where the camera is placed below the subject. Creates sense of powerfulness
High Angle a shot taken above the subject. Used to create a sense of vulnerability
Two shot. A shot with two characters in it- used to establish the relationship between the characters. Used to create a sense of equality
Over shoulder (O/S) A shot taken of one person from over the shoulder of another when the two are face to face.
Eye line shot When the camera is positioned at eye level to the action
Over Angle an extreme high angle looking down at something
Under Angle an extreme low angle- when the camera is fully below or nearly below the action
Canted (olique, Dutch) Angle when the camera is mounted on its side and the subject is no longer vertical
Composition/Framing
Centre of interest: A shotograph should have a strong focal point. Determine what it is before composing the photo
Simplicity: Keeping compositions simple, avoiding busy background that distracts from the subject
Subject off centre: Place a subject slightly off-centre rather than in the middle of the photo.
Divide your frame into nine equal parts by creating a grid that is composed of both horizontal and vertical lines.
Place the key feature of your shot at any of the four points where the lines on the grid converged.
Some digital cameras come with an option to place a grid over the LCD view which helps with your composition views
Leading lines: if a scene has strong lines, make sure the lines lead the eye into the frame rather than out of it. The line should lead to the main point of interest
Viewpoint/Angles
Vary angles: Shoot at varying angles to capture a subject from a different viewpoint. Move the camera higher or lower than you usually do. For a dramatic effect, take some photos from a birds-eye (looking down) or worms-eyes view (looking up)
Lighting
Dramatic lighting adds interest to a photo. Silhouettes are subjects made dark by photographing it against a light background (back lighting).
3 Point Lighting:
Key light
Fill light 50-75%  of the key light
Back light
Chiaroscuro: in which harsh lighting creates contrast between areas of light and shade; used extensively in film noi, as well as in many horror films
Framing a subject by zooming or moving closer draws attention to it

Symmetry An identical or near-identical image of its other half. Use of symmetry often provides a formal balance.

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