Welcome to AdoramaTV.
My name is Marcin Lewandowski
and in this episode
of The Viewfinder
we will summarize for you
the previous episodes
about composition in
10 easy bullet points.
Number 1: The Rule of Thirds.
Creating a balanced photograph
that's pleasing to look at
begins with structure,
and this rule will
certainly help you find it.
Cut your frame into nine equal sections
using vertical and horizontal lines
and experiment with placing
your subject
on the intersections,
along the lines
or allow it to glide
from one section to the other.
Number two: the Phi Grid
and the Golden Ratio.
This is also known as Divine Proportion
and helps to create
aesthetically pleasing compositions.
There is an ongoing argument
as to which is better,
the Rule of Thirds or the Golden Ratio?
But both of these are worth knowing.
A good way to see this in practice
is to look at other photographer's work
we like and admire
with overlaid grids
or the golden ratio spiral.
Lightroom is a good tool to do that.
Number 3: Negative Space.
Place your subject towards one of the edges
or the corners in your photographs,
leaving the rest of the space
more or less featureless.
This technique will guarantee
to instantly draw attention
to your subject
so we use it to your advantage.
Number 4: Putting the Subject in the Middle.
A great tool for portraiture
which you can interpret
and use in a number of different ways as well
Combine this with an interesting background
that adds to the photograph
without distracting the viewer
and you will create something more powerful
and more pleasing to look at.
Number 5: Space Around the Subject.
Whether you photograph
on location or in the studio
keep your background as tidy
and uncluttered as possible.
When structuring backgrounds
by applying any rules
we mentioned
or dissolve it in bokeh.
It's all about not
taking away from your subject
and potentially
adding to it's story.
Number 6: Symmetry.
Even though it seems self explanatory
there is more to it
than you might think.
Humans find symmetrical things
more appealing
and using it in a photograph
can add great strength
to your image.
Two symmetrical halves,
two objects each and opposite sides,
an object and its reflection,
a few small objects and one large object.
Keep adding and bending this idea
but remember about the principle.
Number 7: The horizon line.
This is the one that will continue to make your
head spin, especially when photographing landscapes.
But when looking through the viewfinder try to start with
the rule of thirds,
go through to the Phi Grid,
negative space
and the middle of the frame.
This way it will be easier for you to decide
which looks best.
Try all of the different approaches to see
what works for what you see.
Number 8: Less is more.
Compose your photographs
using the background as
an integral part of the shot,
choosing a surrounding
that's not only interesting
but also adds to the story
contained in the frame.
Keep it clean and uncluttered.
The same applies to the edges
of your photographs.
Frame and reframe
to choose carefully
what to include in your photographs
and the easiest way to do this:
Number 9: Frame with your fingers.
Very simple but effective.
When you don't have your camera around
this will teach you
to more intuitively find structure
and help to frame
photographs in the future.
And last but not least
Number 10: Cropping in post-production.
As photographers we are blessed
with tools like Lightroom
which allow us for example
to quickly crop
and crop again.
Keyboard shortcut; R
See different types of grids.
Once in crop mode
use keyboard shortcut; O
to cycle through different grids.
To compare different crops
side by side, simply
create a virtual copy,
keyboard shortcut; ⌘+'
Crop.
Choose both images
and press N.
Voilá!
That's it for now
in terms of composition basics.
I hope you will keep
some of these ideas for yourself
and bend them to your will.
Subscribe to our channel for more
and check out
the Adorama Learning Center
for some tips and tutorials.
This was Marcin Lewandowski
for AdoramaTV,
see you next time.