How to Take Great Photographs – Part 2

Recently, I took one of my favorite pictures of my photographic career.  After posting it on a couple of photography and social media websites, the response has been really positive.  People bump into me at work and on the street and mention the picture.  I have had a couple people tell me it is the best picture I have ever taken; one of these people happened to be my dad, so I am not sure if it counts as an objective critique. So with that in mind, let’s continue with the second part of what makes a great photograph (for part I please click here.  I don’t want you to be lost); we will be going into as much depth as possible into the artistic and compositional side of an image.

Rule of Thirds:

This may be the granddaddy of all photography compositional rules.  Imagine your image divided into a tic-tac-toe board.  The four lines create a 4 intersecting points that we are intrinsically drawn to; this is where you want your subject matter(s) to be.  Creating a picture with this mind gives your photograph a certain edge, a comfortable uneasiness (if that makes any sense).  There is a dynamism injected, a message told; all important things when dealing with a static media.  While there is a time for centering your subject in the exact middle, this is sometimes considered a dead zone.  When shooting, try and keep this in mind as you compose your shot.

Color and Contrast:

Models who wear red on the cover of magazines traditionally sell more.  Red is a powerful color that signifies everything from anger to danger to passion (which can also be dangerous).  Think of the iconography all around us: stop signs, luscious lips, getting red in the face, and the matador’s cape.  Granted, unless you are an angry bull, a matador’s cape may not be in your everyday.  However, a red Ferrari looks a whole lot better than a dirty brown one.  If you have the option, choose your colors carefully.  You can be going for contrasting colors to make something stand out, or looking at similar colors to create a more peaceful scene.  (Think of the beauty of a green forest in spring time and the completely different beauty of the same forest ablaze with colors in the fall.)

But what about Black and White photography?  The best images out there are in black and white; removing color forces us to look deeper into the subject, emotion, and story of a picture.  And the most effective tool to highlight these things is to make sure your picture is full of contrast.  Make sure it has the blackest blacks and whitest whites (while making sure you still maintain the textures) and every grey in between.  The audience’s eye will dance and stay entranced with your picture.

Lines and Shapes:

Essentially everything is made up of lines, which makes shapes, which makes good photography — just like letters make words, words make sentences, and sentences make articles like this one.  Lines can be a subtle thing, but can give you control in a photograph.  For reading to make sense, you have to read information in a linear fashion.  Picking words at random will not make sense of a text.  However, photography allows for the viewer to jump from place to place as they see fit.  It is that freedom which makes photography great.  However, as the artist, you can influence where someone focuses their attention.  Roads and train tracks that disappear into a small point draw us in and our eyes follow the lines until they are all gone.  When a person is engaged with your work in that fashion, you have a better shot at making your photograph great.  

In regard to shapes, circles are where its at.  I have nothing against squares and triangles; their sharp angles and defined sides can contribute structure, order, and contrast to a photo.  These are important things and can definitely be used to your advantage, but the human mind is drawn to circles.  Think of when you speak to a baby: you make your eyes real big, you smile a lot, and your mouth is drawn into an “O” shape as you goo-goo and gaa-gaa (goo-goo and gaa-gaa are also filled with “O” shapes) because that’s what babies like.  They are reassured and comforted by this shape.  As children get older they are drawn to cartoons, whose heroes and heroines always have big, round eyes (compared to the smaller and more angular eyes of the villains).  Think of Disney’s little rodent; he is drawn almost exclusively with circles.  This icon is popular the world over and in almost every culture.  As you shoot, build portfolios, or post to Facebook, try and incorporate some defined shapes, in particular round ones.

So there you have it.  This is not a complete or extensive list by any means.  I would love to share more, but I could be here for a while.  That’s what is so fun and potentially frustrating about art – it’s alive and changing.  Sometimes, it will take you by the hand and bring you to places you have never thought possible.  Sometimes, it will fight you, tooth and nail.  Therefore, realize that these general concepts are not rules that restrict you, but are meant to be broken; they offer you guidance and a framework from which to leap into creative endeavors.

I would love to see what you consider your favorite (or at least current favorite) shot.  Add it to the Fuel Your Photography Flickr pool and give it the tag “fypfavorite”.  As always, I will be on the lookout for your shots and it will give you the opportunity to show off your stuff.  Oh, and on a final note: here is my current “work of art.”  I helped make him and he helps shape me on a daily basis.

Photo credits from top to bottom:

1. © Sprengben

2. © wecand

3. © Tambako the Jaguar

4. © DaizyB

5. © emdot

6. © Photo-Fenix

7. © Photo-Fenix