Matakuliah : U0173 / FOTOGRAFI 1
PHOTOGRAPHY 1
Basic Composition Techniques
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In this session we will cover the following materials
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Understanding the basic theory of composition in photography
Using natural resources to help us in creating better composition
and ultimately better pictures
Playing around with horizontal & vertical composition
Using different approaches such as negative spaces
Using some external accessories to differentiate and create new
effects for photography
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Introduction
• Now that we have taken our first photographs, let’s
take a closer look at how we can further improve
them
• To be able to create better photographs , it is of
course advisable to know what is wrong with our
present ones
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Guidelines and Questions
 Is the exposure right where we want them to be..?
 Is the pictures in focus ? (especially when there are moving objects
involved)
 Do the pictures have foreground , middle ground and background
in them ? Have we used them effectively
 Does our pictures seem rather boring when we look at it.? Do you
feel that the pictures seems ordinary ? “At this point a second
opinion from a fellow friend could also be useful”
 How are the colors coming out..? Is it the lab’s fault or ours ?
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The Basic Theory of Composition
There are 3 basic theories in composition in which
we will learn them and eventually break them
The Symmetrical Composition
The Rule Of Thirds
The Golden Rule
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The Symmetrical Rule
This is one rule that is usually embedded in a
persons mind. (The norm of our mindset)
Lets do a psychological exercise !
• All students take out their camera enabled mobile
phone and take a picture of the person next to you
• Next, show that person the picture you just took
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A Symmetrical composition :
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Example of :
a Symmetrical composition
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The Rule of Thirds
 This rule is much more complex as it requires us to
imagine and use grids as a mean of measuring
Imagine your frame is divided into 3 horizontal axis
and 3 vertical axis. (you should get a frame with 9
boxes)
 The vertical axis should be the axis where you put
out object / subject.
 The horizontal axis is places where you put your
horizon lines.
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The Rule of Thirds
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Examples of Rule of Thirds
using the vertical axis
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Examples of Rule of Thirds
using the vertical axis
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Examples of Rule of Thirds
using the horizontal axis
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The Golden Rule
The Golden Rule is a more simple approach in composition
such as this rule will apply the more basic composition of
the symmetrical rule and moving it a little to create a sense
of unbalance
In theory we would divide our picture frame equally in 2 as
we would with symmetrical composition. But..
We will divide the other half of the frame into 3 parts. Our
subject would late be placed in the first of the 3 lines
nearest to the center of the picture.
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The Golden Rule
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Examples of :
The Golden Rule
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The Techniques Of Seeing
Exploring Various Angles :
• Eye Level - our eye
• Birds Eye Level - higher
• Cat’s Eye Level - lower
Exploring different position :
• Horizontal position
• Vertical position
• Observation for : repetitions, shapes, lines, colors,
textures.
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Using Horizontal vs Vertical Composition
This is a common mistakes of beginning photographers
to underestimate the ability to create great
photographs just by turning the camera 90 degrees.
It is also common practices that our mindset will
automatically frame landscape images horizontally
while portrait Images vertically.
In this exercise we will show you the alternatives in
which we could compose our pictures in ways other
than the standard mindset.
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Horizontal Composition
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Vertical Composition
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Applying Natural Elements into our pictures
Observation For
– Horizontal ,Vertical & Diagonal Lines
– Textures
– Colors
– Shapes
– Patterns
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Colors and Horizontal
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Framing an object
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Patterns
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Colors & Repetitive
Patterns
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End of Session
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