Composition

Elements of composition

A. Dominance - The largest, brightest or most favorable placed object, shape or person in a composition is the most dominant.  This is the element you see first.

B.  Subordination - The remaining shapes in a composition are subordinate to the dominant one.

C. Eye Flow - This refers to the path by which the eye views and flows in, through and out of a picture.

D. Lines, shapes/form, texture, value, space, and color - These are visual ingredients of which pictures are made.  You should learn to recognize and use them.

Pictorial elements of composition

A.  Backgrounds - It is obvious that backgrounds should be as simple as possible.

B.  Contrasts - Large vs. small, light vs. dark etc.

C.  Expression and emotion - Try to tell a story through a picture, make your photos exciting to look at.

D. Framing - Familiar techniques include looking through under, around or over a foreground shape that partly or totally frames something more important behind it.

E.  A feeling of motion - When you capture action sharply on film, it is often the dominant of a composition.

F. Point of view - Shot pictures from a view point.

G. Simplicity - When you put all the elements of composition together, they should spell "simplicity".

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