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Straight from the
camera
Africa Photographic Services reveals the art of composition
Composition is the way in which the subjects of your photograph interact with one another. We mentioned the Rule of Thirds last edition – an off-centre composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural. Imagine that your image is divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines. Position the most important elements in your scene along one of these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Some cameras have this setting, which removes all the guesswork. Position your subjects off-centre. When photographing moving subjects or subjects not looking directly at you, position them as normal, but also pay attention to the direction they’re moving or looking. As a general rule you should leave more space in front of them than behind, to show where they’re going or where they are looking.
Lines and patterns are also important elements of composition as they eye is naturally drawn to them. You can use this to your advantage when lining up a shot. Look for lines in the frame and ask yourself if they lead to important parts of your image or if they create an interesting pattern.
INFO Hilton Kotze and the Africa Photographic team, (013) 757 1474, www.africaphotographictravel.co.za