{"id":54823,"date":"2017-07-03T01:02:12","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T08:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=54823"},"modified":"2017-07-03T03:24:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T10:24:47","slug":"unorthodox-photography-composition-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/03\/unorthodox-photography-composition-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"Unorthodox Photography Composition Techniques"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hanoi, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some ideas for you to make more dynamic compositions<\/a>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One. Unorthodox Composition: Place Your Subject on Bottom of Frame With Negative Space Above<\/h1>\n

I stole this composition from my friend Charlie Kirk. Basically, have your subject on bottom of frame, looking up.<\/p>\n

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Tokyo photo by Charlie Kirk. Note low placement of subject head, and ample negative space above.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. I love elevators.<\/h2>\n

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Elevators are a good place to experiment with this. Simple background. Shoot wide angle, (28mm<\/a> lens), and place subject head on bottom.<\/p>\n

Example of two versions I shot of Cindy in Saigon, in elevator:<\/p>\n

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Saigon, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lesson: ask your subject to look different directions (up, down, left, right) and choose your favorite version when you get home.<\/p>\n

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2. Selfie<\/h2>\n

Make a mirror selfie, with you on bottom of frame. Here is one I shot:<\/p>\n

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Selfie. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another version, this time a little more centered in the frame:<\/p>\n

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Saigon, selfie, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Depth<\/h2>\n

Pre focus on background at 5 meters. Shoot depth, with subject on bottom out of focus.<\/p>\n

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Sapa, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The reason this works: having an out of focus subject on the bottom of the frame encourages your eye to wander in the background.<\/p>\n

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Two. Decapitation technique<\/h1>\n

Cut off the head of your subject.<\/p>\n

Selfie of me:<\/p>\n

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Clever photo by Vivian Maier<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Photo by Vivian Maier, note how the mans head is in magazine cover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ask your subject to spread their arms. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include their face.<\/p>\n

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Seattle, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Three. High perspective, looking down<\/h1>\n

Use a camera with lcd screen. Hold camera high, and point down.<\/p>\n

Get clean, simple background.<\/p>\n

Photo of Cindy:<\/p>\n

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Another photo from NYC, holding my RICOH GR high, shooting down.<\/p>\n

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Nyc, 2015. Note the strong graphic lines in background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Four. Super low angle, looking up.<\/h1>\n

Get super low, and crouch very low (squat until your ass touches the ground). Then shoot looking up.<\/p>\n

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Another shot, a street photo from London. I saw the background, and waited for someone to enter.<\/p>\n

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Juxtaposition shot, crouched down. London, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Five. Distortion<\/h1>\n
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Downtown LA, 2015. No crop. See distortion of man face on left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Use a wide angle 28mm lens, and put your subject on the extreme edges of the frame. It creates a surreal feel.<\/p>\n

Distortion is generally not flattering for glamor or beauty shots. But they make interesting visual images for street photography.<\/p>\n

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Downtown LA, 2016. Getting very close with 28mm RICOH GR makes her neck look longer, and more sensual.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But then again, using 28mm extends the body limbs of your subjects arms and legs. This can be good for vogue fashion photos, like this image of Cindy below on RICOH GR II in a bar in Saigon:<\/p>\n

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Saigon, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Six. Eye contact<\/h1>\n

This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t unorthodox, but imma share it anyways. Get eye contact. It is more intimate for the viewer:<\/p>\n

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Downtown LA, 2016. Note how her body is turned away from me, but her head and eyes are turned to me, making eye contact.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eye contact is also often uncomfortable for the viewer (and photographer):<\/p>\n

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Another technique: hold your camera up, wait for your subject to notice your presence, then shoot the photo. An example of a photo I made in NYC, candid, with the Ricoh GR. I was about 1 meter away from her:<\/p>\n

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NYC, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Seven. Negative space<\/h1>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always fill the frame. Tilt your camera, and add unnecessary negative space.<\/p>\n

In this photo below, see the girls eyes looking left. I have negative white space on the left of the frame, allowing her eye gaze to travel left:<\/p>\n

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Note negatives space on left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Eight. Extreme depth<\/h1>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t focus what is closest to you. Get very close to people in the foreground, but focus on the subject furthest away from you. I shot this film Leica, 35mm lens, f8, focus at 5 meters:<\/p>\n

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Focus at 5 meters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another photo in England, man on the right of the frame is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bookend\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to add more depth in the photo. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m focusing on the background, at 5 meters. Shot also at f8.<\/p>\n

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Nine. Off camera flash<\/h1>\n

A photo, with an off camera flash. I put a flash on a chord, and held it very low, aiming up. Giving this man a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153spooky\u00e2\u20ac\u009d look (remember when you were a kid, and did this with a flashlight?)<\/p>\n

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Mumbai, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another candid street photo with the camera flash positioned low, aiming up:<\/p>\n

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Mumbai, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ten. Mirrors<\/h1>\n

Try to screw up a sense of perspective of reality with fun house mirrors.<\/p>\n

A selfie photo in a changing room at a fashion boutique:<\/p>\n

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Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another.<\/p>\n

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Holding camera very high. Note the infinite reflections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another fun selfie, this time not showing my eyes.<\/p>\n

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Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Conclusion<\/h1>\n
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Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To have fun with composition, just play around.<\/p>\n

Tilt the camera. Put the camera on the ground. Shoot from very high, looking down. Blur your photos by shaking the camera when you shoot. Use a flash. Get very close. Play with your focusing distances.<\/p>\n

There is no right or wrong in composition.<\/p>\n

\n Just avoid boring compositions.<\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

HAVE FUN,
\nERIC<\/p>\n

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITION 101<\/a><\/h1>\n
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Saigon, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photography Composition Inspiration<\/h2>\n