{"id":72456,"date":"2017-12-09T05:20:11","date_gmt":"2017-12-09T13:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=72456"},"modified":"2017-12-09T05:20:11","modified_gmt":"2017-12-09T13:20:11","slug":"7-simple-photography-composition-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/09\/7-simple-photography-composition-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Simple Photography Composition Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apply these simple photography composition tips to your photography today:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

NYC Dynamic Street Photography Composition Workshop 2018<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Eric<\/a><\/p>\n

To take your composition to the next level, join my NYC Dynamic Street Photography Composition Workshop<\/a> (Feb 24-25, 2018).<\/p>\n

\n

What is composition?<\/h2>\n
\"Golden
Golden rectangle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Composition: How you compose a frame, how you divide spaces, or mark spaces inside a frame.<\/p>\n

Why is composition important?<\/h2>\n
\"Composition
Composition grid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Composition is important, because it helps lead the eyes of your viewer. Without composition, your viewer would be lost– they wouldn’t know what to look at.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but aesthetically, composition is appealing. When we look at a well-proportioned composition, our eyes feel delight.<\/p>\n

\n

Some practical ideas:<\/p>\n

1. Diagonal composition<\/a><\/h2>\n

\n Diagonal\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Greek, ‘dia’ means through, and ‘gone’ means angle, or corner.<\/p>\n

Therefore, a diagonal connects the edges or corners of your frame.<\/p>\n

To make better compositions, make your photos more dynamic, by adding in the diagonals.<\/p>\n

\n

Golden rectangle x Diagonals<\/h2>\n

See below me draw the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcGolden rectangle<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 composition, with the diagonals in red. The yellow circles are the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dceye\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u201d where your eyes are drawn to.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
\"Cindy
Cindy diagonal composition. Uji. 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cindy
Cindy diagonal Dutch angle. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Abstract.
Abstract. Cindy diagonal Dutch angle. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cindy
Cindy walking, with diagonal line composition. Kyoto, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Abstract.
Abstract. Cindy walking, with diagonal line composition. Kyoto, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Tilted camera to make a diagonal. A photo of my hand, umbrella, and yellow lines on the ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Man
Tilted picture of man walking up stairs. Tokyo, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"diagonal-arm-eric-kim-composition-red\"
Diagonal composition with arm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"eric
Silhouette of man against diagonal background. Tokyo, 2011 \/\/ ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Diagonal
Diagonal leaf, black and white. Hanoi, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

2. Figure to ground<\/a><\/h2>\n

Figure to ground: separation between dark and light parts of your frame.<\/p>\n

Why is figure to ground important? To create a clear separation between the objects and subjects of your frame, so your viewer doesn’t get confused what to look at.<\/p>\n

\"Top:
Top: good separation. Bottom: bad separation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Therefore, separate your subjects from the background with negative space in between the objects in your frame.<\/p>\n

\"Top:
Top: good separation. Bottom: bad separation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Figure
Figure to ground: Black background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Figure
Figure to ground: White box creates a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153strong\u00e2\u20ac\u009d figure to ground against the black background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Figure
Figure to ground: White box creates a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153strong\u00e2\u20ac\u009d figure to ground against the black background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"In
In figure to ground, your eyes always travel to the areas of the highest contrast, then to areas or shapes of less contrast. For example, your eye will first look at the white box (most contrast) then the grey box (less contrast)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"When
When we introduce a fourth shape (very dark grey lightning bolt in bottom right corner) we can barely see it \u00e2\u20ac\u201d because very dark grey has \u00e2\u20ac\u0153weak\u00e2\u20ac\u009d figure to ground (contrast) against a black background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Inverse
Inverse figure to ground: with a white background, your eyes are first drawn to the darkest colors and shapes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Figure
Figure to ground example: Silhouette of Cindy against backlight of stairwell. Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

3. Low angle perspective composition<\/a><\/h2>\n

Crouch down low, and shoot looking up. This creates the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcSuperman effect\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u201d your subject looks bigger than life.<\/p>\n

\"Shot
Shot very close in macro mode on Ricoh GR. Allowed me to get more of her face in focus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"AMERICA
Downtown LA, 2011. Shot from below the curb, looking up. Making her look more powerful. Shot with a Canon 5D and 24mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Super-low
Super-low angle, because I can use the LCD screen on RICOH GR II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"eric
Hollywood, 2011. Canon 5D, flash, 24mm lens. Crouching down very low. Note the two Red Bull cans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"Downtown
Downtown LA low rider, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

\"5
Low-angle photo from RICOH GR II \/ LCD SCREEN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

4. Curve composition<\/a><\/h2>\n

Curves are more dynamic, and add movement to your pictures.<\/p>\n

Fibonacci spiral:<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
\"My
My curved leg. Saigon hotel, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"cindy<\/p>\n

\"Outlined
Outlined in red. Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hands, curved in motion. Note her elbows coming out of the bottom left and bottom right of the frame.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"red-curve-eric<\/p>\n

\"curve-red-eric<\/p>\n

\"As
As a figure to ground example, I drew a curved white object against a black background. This has \u00e2\u20ac\u0153strong\u00e2\u20ac\u009d figure-to-ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Curve
Curve composition and Cindy hand. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

5. Layers<\/a><\/h2>\n

Make photos with foreground, middle ground, and background.<\/p>\n

Case study<\/h3>\n

Example, this picture with the woman on the far left is closest to us (red), then the woman on the right (yellow, a little further away), then the man in the background (blue).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
\"eric
Seoul, 2016. Flash with layers of Cindy and my mom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Downtown LA, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Layers
Layers of people in elevator. Tokyo, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Garden Grove, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Prague, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

6. Golden proportion composition<\/a><\/h2>\n

More examples of the Golden proportion:<\/p>\n

\"Dynamic
Dynamic tension in Golden rectangle: both sides trying to fight for dominance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Golden
Golden triangle divided into 1, 2, 3, 4. Study this when at home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

\"\"
Intersection of Golden Triangle in Red circle. KUROSAWA x KIM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"KUROSAWA
Final image: KUROSAWA x ERIC KIM \/ Boy in bed of flowers. Diagonal composition , golden triangle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

7. Triangle composition<\/a><\/h2>\n

Create triangle compositions for more balance in the frame.<\/p>\n

Kurosawa, Rashomon composition<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Triangles: Hollywood, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Figure<\/p>\n

\"\"
Triangle compositions in red, blue, yellow. Henri Cartier Bresson, Spain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kurosawa
Kurosawa Rashomon triangle composition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Abstracted.
Abstracted. Kurosawa Rashomon triangle composition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\"Growth
Growth of nautilus shell, like fibonacci spiral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To study more great composition, study cinema<\/a>, design, and find inspiration from everywhere in the world. Ultimately, all composition comes from nature.<\/p>\n

ERIC<\/p>\n

\n

NYC Dynamic Street Photography Composition Workshop 2018<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Eric<\/p>\n

To take your composition to the next level, join my NYC Dynamic Street Photography Composition Workshop<\/a> (Feb 24-25, 2018).<\/p>\n

\n

Composition<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"ERIC<\/p>\n

Dynamic Photography Composition 101<\/h2>\n
\"Leading
Leading lines. ERIC KIM DYNAMIC COMPOSITION<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n