Rules of Successful Composition:
Step 1- Include foreground interest: Foreground interest tightens-up the whole composition by pulling together the different elements in the scene. It provides an obvious entry point into the shot. Not only this but also helps create a strong feeling of depth and scale. The bottom can be considered to be a natural place for the eye to start. Walls, rivers, rocks, tress, fences, etc. can all be used as foreground interest.
Step 2- Rule of thirds: If you position your focal point using the rule of thirds, it is likely for your image to be more successful. The rule of thirds is set up in a grid, two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. The focal point is places on any of the four intersections. The rule of thirds can also be used to position the horizon.
Step 3- Make the most of lines: Lines carry the eye through the scene and take anything along the way. Lines appear everywhere: roads, rivers, railways, etc. All these images can be used to improve the composition of your picture. Horizontal lines can divide the scene in layers and produce restful effects. Vertical lines are more active so they give the picture tense and a strong sense of vertical directions. Diagonal lines are more energetic because they contrast with vertical and horizontal lines.
Step 4- Use your feet: When taking a photograph, one should come walk closer to the subject to discover if the subject is more appealing from up close. Getting closer to foreground interest or finding something more suitable to fill the foreground can make the image interesting.
Step 5- Choose the right format- It is natural to shoot the landscapes with the camera held horizontally, but turning the camera on its side can actually help the image. Pictures taken vertically are proven to be more interesting since the eye has further to travel from bottom to top. One could also add vertical lines to create tension and excitement.
Step 6- Make the most of frames- Using a frame is a great way to tighten up the overall composition and get rid of the details that take away direct distraction towards your main subject.
Many things can be used as frames: doors, window openings, archways, etc. To create the best frames, you will usually find that a wide-angle lens work best.
Step 7- Break the rules: Often you'll get a far better picture by intentionally breaking these rules. Of course, you have to have a reason for breaking the rules. Make it count!
Elements of Design
Line- is a mark on a surface that describes a shape. It can be thick or thin and can create texture. The types of line are: actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and contour lines.
Color- has 3 properties, Chroma, Intensity, and Value. It refers to specific hues. The color wheel is a way of demonstrating the chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary triad. Black and white can be added to produce tints (add white), shades (add black) and tones (add gray).
Texture- surface quality, tactile or visual. It can be real or implied by different uses of media.It is the roughness and smoothness in objects.
Shape- 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat, geometric and organic.
Form- 3D object that has volume and thickness. It is the illusion of 3D that is used with light and shading techniques.
Value- the degree of light and dark in a specific design. The contrast between black and white and the tones in between. Value can also be used with color. Contrast can be defined as extreme changes between values.
Size- variations in the proportions of objects, lines and shapes. Variation of sizes, either real or imagined.
Golden Mean:
it is a number that repeatedly occurs in various relationships. It regularly appears in the growth patterns of many living things. The number is also irrational. It is possible to create a feeling of natural order in works. Artists use it to create the feeling of natural order in their artwork. It described the aesthetically pleasing rectangle.
Step 1- Include foreground interest: Foreground interest tightens-up the whole composition by pulling together the different elements in the scene. It provides an obvious entry point into the shot. Not only this but also helps create a strong feeling of depth and scale. The bottom can be considered to be a natural place for the eye to start. Walls, rivers, rocks, tress, fences, etc. can all be used as foreground interest.
Step 2- Rule of thirds: If you position your focal point using the rule of thirds, it is likely for your image to be more successful. The rule of thirds is set up in a grid, two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. The focal point is places on any of the four intersections. The rule of thirds can also be used to position the horizon.
Step 3- Make the most of lines: Lines carry the eye through the scene and take anything along the way. Lines appear everywhere: roads, rivers, railways, etc. All these images can be used to improve the composition of your picture. Horizontal lines can divide the scene in layers and produce restful effects. Vertical lines are more active so they give the picture tense and a strong sense of vertical directions. Diagonal lines are more energetic because they contrast with vertical and horizontal lines.
Step 4- Use your feet: When taking a photograph, one should come walk closer to the subject to discover if the subject is more appealing from up close. Getting closer to foreground interest or finding something more suitable to fill the foreground can make the image interesting.
Step 5- Choose the right format- It is natural to shoot the landscapes with the camera held horizontally, but turning the camera on its side can actually help the image. Pictures taken vertically are proven to be more interesting since the eye has further to travel from bottom to top. One could also add vertical lines to create tension and excitement.
Step 6- Make the most of frames- Using a frame is a great way to tighten up the overall composition and get rid of the details that take away direct distraction towards your main subject.
Many things can be used as frames: doors, window openings, archways, etc. To create the best frames, you will usually find that a wide-angle lens work best.
Step 7- Break the rules: Often you'll get a far better picture by intentionally breaking these rules. Of course, you have to have a reason for breaking the rules. Make it count!
Elements of Design
Line- is a mark on a surface that describes a shape. It can be thick or thin and can create texture. The types of line are: actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and contour lines.
Color- has 3 properties, Chroma, Intensity, and Value. It refers to specific hues. The color wheel is a way of demonstrating the chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary triad. Black and white can be added to produce tints (add white), shades (add black) and tones (add gray).
Texture- surface quality, tactile or visual. It can be real or implied by different uses of media.It is the roughness and smoothness in objects.
Shape- 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat, geometric and organic.
Form- 3D object that has volume and thickness. It is the illusion of 3D that is used with light and shading techniques.
Value- the degree of light and dark in a specific design. The contrast between black and white and the tones in between. Value can also be used with color. Contrast can be defined as extreme changes between values.
Size- variations in the proportions of objects, lines and shapes. Variation of sizes, either real or imagined.
Golden Mean:
it is a number that repeatedly occurs in various relationships. It regularly appears in the growth patterns of many living things. The number is also irrational. It is possible to create a feeling of natural order in works. Artists use it to create the feeling of natural order in their artwork. It described the aesthetically pleasing rectangle.