Common mistakes in image composition and how to avoid them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Even a gorgeous landscape can look faint if shot without considering the basic rules of composition. We will help you avoid the most common mistakes to make your photos look more professional.

Mistake # 1: the object in the frame is too small

When we look at something in the real world, our brain perfectly focuses vision on the most important, discarding minor details of the environment. But in the case of a flat image, extra detail can distract from the central object and reduce its value.

Solution

Use the zoom lens, or better yet, take a couple of steps forward.

Mistake # 2: head-on shooting

The opposite situation arises if you completely neglect the environment. If you shoot an object "head-on", you convey its appearance, but the atmosphere remains out of the frame.

Solution

For example, if you are shooting in a garden, it may be more interesting to get not a close-up of one flower, but the whole flower bed.

Mistake # 3: placing an object in the center

While photos with central symmetry sometimes look great, in most cases it is more advantageous to position your subject with the rule of thirds in mind.

Solution

Divide the photograph with two vertical and two horizontal lines into nine equal parts. Place the key elements of the scene at the points of force, and the rest along the lines.

So, for example, the horizon line in a classic composition separates the lower or upper third of the photograph.

Mistake # 4: void in the foreground

When you're shooting a landscape or still life, something should be in the foreground. This will provide depth to the photo and help catch the eye. Much like a background that has little content, a non-objective foreground will make a photo look boring.

Solution

You can, of course, crop an already finished picture. However, it is best to compose the photo correctly before it clicks. In most landscapes, there is something that will emphasize the foreground: a bush, a rock, or footprints in the sand. In the case of a still life, your concern is to put everything in the right places.

Mistake # 5: messy background

Photos taken in a hurry are often spoiled by unnecessary objects in the background.

Solution

The first thing to do is to get in the habit of giving the background as much attention as the subject in the foreground. Take a look around the entire area of the image before pressing the button.

If the background is not important, you can open the aperture further to reduce the depth of field and get a blurred background.

Mistake # 6: lack of communication between image elements

While the lack of a logical connection can add some surreal aspect to your photography, it is usually better to work with objects where objects work together.

Solution

Use the dividing lines of the rule of thirds. In landscape photography, a path along one of the vertical lines leads from the foreground to the stunning backdrop. And in the case of a still life, objects that have nothing to do with the scene being filmed should not get into the frame.

Mistake # 7: obstructed horizon

The mistake is obvious, but still very common. The oblique horizon line only occasionally adds artistic value. More often than not, it only distracts. Therefore, every effort should be made to avoid it.

Solution

There are cameras with a built-in electronic level. If this is not the case, you can use the building level, this is especially convenient when shooting with a tripod. But even without additional equipment, you can navigate along the grid lines.

As a last resort, use photo editors to fix finished photos.

Mistake # 8: not paying attention to color

Harmony is important not only in geometry, but also in color. A good shot might be where the colors are opposed to each other, such as a red poppy in a neutral wheat field against a green forest in the background. But these color contrasts can work against you, too, when an unwanted object or an object in the wrong part of the frame is bright.

Solution

A bright accent should be placed at the power point (rule of thirds). Be careful not to include other bright objects in the frame that distract attention from the central subject. But, if this still happened, you can try to convert the image to b / w.