Behind The Camera Lens

We have all dealt with pictures throughout the course of our lifetimes. We've either been in pictures or taken them or simply viewed them as they fill the world around us. Pictures are a timeless record of an emotion, idea or message. They are ideal for expressing views, making memories or simply having fun. So you may think, "Pictures? What's the big deal? I've been working with those since I was a child!" But the truth is that not many people get a chance to look at things from the photographer's perspective, the artist's angle or through the image composer's eyes.

Images and pictures that you see in the media on a normal basis are A LOT more than they seem. They may actually be manipulating your thoughts in a certain way and you don't have a clue about it! In truth, the construction of media is a lot more than just taking a random picture and sticking a slogan on it. The presenter has to carefully evaluate their audience and think of a catchy way to promote or convey their message or idea. There are many techniques followed in the world behind the camera lens, and I believe it is important for you to familiarize yourself with them!

The Rules Of Composition:

I will mention here a few of the rules of composition and how they work towards the final product. There are many other rules of composition that you can find but these are quite major.

1) Rule Of Thirds: This rule focuses on the positioning of the main object or concept in your image. To understand it please look at the picture below:

Source: http://www.picturecorrect.com/photographytips/composition.htm

The idea here is to divide your picture into 9 sections as depicted above. Instead of placing your focal point in the dead center of the image you should aim to place it on one of the points circled in red above. This gives a more interesting angle to your image and draws the consumer in.

2) Simplicity: You should always try to keep your image simple. A simple more clean way of presenting the image will make a more striking point and avoid any distractions. A good way of doing this is trying not to have any lines or other elements leading away from your focal point and keeping a fairly subtle background.

3) Framing: Even if you don't know anything about photography, you probably do know that putting a frame around a picture is a good thing to do. This works for focal points in images as well except its purpose is not to hold the image up. Framing while composing in image refers to having the surroundings of your focal point placed around it so that they frame it. But you have to be careful with this and make sure that your focal point is what stays dominant and that the way you frame your focal point doesn't take away from it.

4) Texture: Involving texture in your image is effective. Texture makes the human mind wander and think about how the objects in the picture feel. It concentrates the mind's energy and draws the consumer's interest. When using texture, make sure that all the shadows play out properly in the picture and that its features are highlighted and darkened accordingly. Lighting is key for texture!

5) Leading Lines: This is rule of composition that you can have a bit of fun with. It is very versatile as well as useful. Leading lines can be used to guide the eye around the image and make it look at things that you want to be looked at. Leading lines can be almost anything and they allow the composer of the image to make sure that the viewer receives the right idea of the image.

6) Colour: Colour, this is a no-brainer, you may think. Colours can change the way a picture makes a person feel and how they react to it. So keep your colour combinations in mind when you compose an image. It is important to use colours that are appropriate to your subject, cause and situation. A little slip could give the wrong message! Use combinations that are pleasing to the eyes (or unpleasant if that's the idea you're going for, but that's a different kind of statement).

So now you know what the experts think about before they present their work. These are all things you should think about to before you create, consume or be part of a picture yourself!

*Note: We'll be using Adobe Photoshop Elements to experiment with these rules and other ideas that apply to image composition. If you'd like to learn more about photoshop, I'd suggest you look at an introductory tutorial.