Through the Lens: Better Composition

I am going to kill two birds with one stone here (I promise no animals were injured in the making of this post): assignment #3 of Hallie’s Through the Lens photography workshop, and a reference for our Keepers at Home group, where I covered these tips for photographic composition.

Rather than explaining each tip, I’m linking them to Digital Photography School posts.

Avoid Cluttered Backgrounds:

I had some fun with this one. My 17-year-old son took this picture of my 13-year-old son. I loved the shot, but hated the background. This is one of the many reasons why I love Photoshop.

Original:

No clutter!

Point of View:

Fill the Frame with the Subject:

Look for Details:

Add Interest with Lines:

Rule of Thirds:

Give Your Subject Space to Look Into:

Bad example:

Good example:

Please vote for me at the Digital Photography School October photo contest! (FYI: I think it’s not obvious whether or not your vote is registered until you check the vote numbers.)