Composition is everything!.

Hey guys, a few days ago someone asked me about what camera do I use, and what camera I'd recommend to buy for a beginner.

I knew this individual possesses a top of the line smartphone already, so I ended up recommending to invest first in knowledge.

In my opinion, there's no point on investing on hardware if you lack basic photography knowledge. And since the best camera is the one you always carry with you (i.e: your smartphone), I decided to make a small series of posts to explain some photography basics. This way you guys can make the most out of your tools by applying knowledge.

This first tip is about framing also known as composition.

Definition of composition

The act or process of composing, specifically : arrangement into specific proportion or relation and especially into artistic form (source)

Composition in photography

Composing an image means arranging elements within it in a way that suits the core idea or goal of your work best. (source)

Why should you compose your photos?

The goal of a good composition is to help express the idea of the photographer by necessary means.

A well composed image can aid to convey a specific thought or feeling in those who appreciate the photo.

You can use certain techniques to emphasize your subject, direct the eye to a specific part of the photograph, or balance (or purposely unbalance) the arrangement of elements in the frame.

My personal composition favourite (and the most basic one) is:

• The rule of thirds

In the rule of thirds you divide the frame into nine equal rectangles: three across and thee down. Most modern cameras already include this grid as an overlay option. The idea is to place the important element(s) of the scene along one or more of the lines or where the lines intersect.

See example below:

However,

There are a myriad of other composition techniques

I've found this exceptionally written and illustrated collection of 20 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos written by Barry O Carroll.

I recommend you to start with one or two of the techniques depicted in the article above, until you begin using them automatically on your photos. Then you can move on to another composition techniques.

Feel free to comment with your favourite compositional techniques.

Cheers
@greencross

_{Disclaimer: all photos on this post were shot by myself using a smartphone or a DSLR.}

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