Why composing images properly is so important?

When composing images we often only pay attention to the dominant element - the main subject. We tend to forget about the rest that fills the frame. Composing images is about placing all the elements in the frame such a way it attracts the viewer and feels pleasant looking at. If you fail to get the viewers immediate attention, this image will be discharged.

Common photography beginner errors

The main subject is placed in the center of the frame

Two common beginner errors are to put the subject in the center of the frame or too far away. In most cases this will not work when composing images. For positioning of the subject, learning how to use "The Rule of Thirds" is very useful. The Rule of Third is a technique used by many artists from painters to photographers.

The paraglider shot at Steinsfjorden, Norway is placed to the left side in the frame giving him space on the right side. This feels natural and comfortable to the eye.	In this image the paraglider is on his way out of the frame. This feels unbalanced and disturbing to the eye.

Distracting elements at the edges of the frame

Any element in the edges, not supposed to be a part of the image, will distract the viewer and take away the attention of the main subject. Distracting elements is such as branches, half of a three or a human, telephone wires in the air etc. Many of these disturbing elements can easily be avoided.

Disturbing backgrounds

Another beginner error is trees, fences and other "strange things" growing out of the head of your subject. This type of error reveal you are a beginner. Even worse is such distractions might ruin an otherwise perfect shot.

Other times the whole background is disturbing because it simply interferes with the image composition and takes the focus away from the main subject. This can be difficult to avoid only by moving around. To get a "clean" background, the only option you might have, is to use a shallow dept of field or selective focusing technique.

The sand dune is a simple and not disturbing background for this car driving in the Dubai desert.

Fill the frame when composing images

Beginners often shoot at to long distance to the subject leaving a lot of empty space around the main subject. A landscape with a lot of empty blue sky or foreground is not particularly interesting. A portrait of someone when the person is just a small object in the center of the frame is not good image composition.

Filling the frame with the head of this South African ostrich is more effective than shooting the whole bird in one frame.

Leave some room for the subject

When shooting people, animals or other moving objects, it is a good idea to leave some room in front of the subject. This extra room must be in the moving path or in the direction the subject looks. It does not feel natural if it looks as the subject is about to leave of the image or is looking at the edge of the frame.

This South African cheetah is placed so it has a lot of air in front of it, in the direction it is looking.

Keep it simple

Do not try to put too many elements into one image. It might be better to shoot a second image instead. If the images are cluttered with many different elements the viewer will not be able to understand what you wanted to tell with the image.

How to avoid beginner errors when composing images?

Most important - always think composition

The first important step is to be aware of the potential errors. Once you start observing what you see in the viewer or on the LCD before you push the shutter, the chances for improvements are good.The advantage with digital photography is you can have a look at the image immediately and make necessary changes. Also with digital it is no extra cost when you shoot some additional frames. The best way to learn image composition is by practicing. Don`t be afraid to experiment

Different camera angle

You can avoid interfering background elements by changing the camera angle slightly. You can move around and preferably get closer to the subject. If you are taking photos of persons you can ask and direct them to move or come closer. It is similar if you are shooting stills images. In most situations the subject can be moved.

Different perspectives

Most of the images we take are taken at eye level about 170-180 centimetres above the ground. By kneeling down or climbing a chair, stone or whatever, the perspective will be totally different. This difference can affect the result significantly.

Shooting this red and yellow flowers in a Bejing garden from a low camera level add a different perspective to the image.

Use a tripod

It might sound weird, but a tripod is useful not only in low light conditions. After I started using a tripod, I have experienced I spend more time framing and composing images. With the camera on a tripod you will have more focus on what is in the frame and it is easier to do small adjustments.

Using an image editor

If an image of some reason could not be composed properly or a disturbing background was not possible to change, editing the image in an image editor can be a last option for correction. Simple cropping or erasing of unwanted background elements can be easily done without to much software knowledge. It is however always better to compose and frame the image perfect before pushing the shutter. With practice you will learn.



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