Part V: The Part of Tens.....309
Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Improve Composition........311
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Finding Photographic Inspiration....317
Chapter 21: Viewing Ten Compositions of One Scene......325
Index........335
Table of Contents
Introduction......... 7
About This Book............1
Conventions Used in This Book.........2
What You're Not to Read..........3
Foolish Assumptions...........3
How This Book Is Organized..........3
Part I: The Basics of Composition........3
Part II: Elements of Photographic Design.....4
Part III: Arranging the Key Elements to Compose
a Successful Shot..........4
Part IV: Composition in Action.......4
Part V: The Part of Tens........4
Icons Used in This Book.........5
Where to Go from Here...........5
Part I The Basics of Composition....7
Chapter 1: Photographic Composition: The Overview...9
Getting a Grasp on Good Composition.......10
Defining photographic composition......10
Leading the eye to important elements......12
Achieving balance..........13
Gaining Control of Your Compositions.......15
Working your basic camera settings.......15
Choosing the lens that fits your message.....16
Using perspective to enhance your message.....16
Pulling together the elements of composition.....18
Chapter 2: Developing an Eye for Composition....21
Studying What the Eye Sees.........22
Contrast...........23
Distance...........23
Patterns...........23
Relationships between subjects and supporting elements..24
Seeing What the Camera Sees........26
Revealing three dimensions in a two-dimensional medium...27
Paying attention to everything in the frame.....29
Finding and Creating Effective Compositions......31
Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Equipment....33
Making the All-Important Lens Choice........34
Working with a fixed lens........34
Saving time with a zoom lens.......35
Exposing Your Images Properly........36
Taking a closer look at aperture, shutter speed, and ISO..37
Using a histogram to check exposure.......40
Discovering your camera's light meter.....42
Relying on your camera's automatic modes....43
Putting Together an Effective Toolkit.......44
Finding a camera that fits your photography style and budget..45
Looking for a lens to suit your needs......46
Selecting memory cards........46
Getting the right external flash........47
Trying a tripod...........47
Part II: Elements of Photographic Design
Chapter 4: Introducing the Elements of Photographic Design.51
Grasping the Point about Points........52
Following Lines, Real and Imagined........54
Looking at literal lines.........55
Tracking implied lines.........57
Bringing More to the Mix with Shape and Form......58
Distinguishing between shape and form.....58
Emphasizing shape or form in a composition....61
Adding Scale or Depth with Texture.......62
Considering Pattern Types.........63
Adding interest with sequence patterns.....63
Leading your viewer by using repetition......64
Breaking patterns to grab attention......66
Chapter 5: Arranging Visual Elements in a Frame
According to the "Rules"......67
Looking at Foreground, Background, and the Space Between..68
Enlivening Your Images with the Rule of Thirds.....69
Dividing your frame to conquer composition....70
Using the thirds to their fullest........71
Interpreting the rule of thirds to make it work for your scene..73
Taking Advantage of Space to Get Your Message Across....76
Giving your subject more (or less) space.....76
Allowing shapes room to breathe......77
Staggering objects within your frame.......78
Containing lines inside your frame......79
Keeping an Image Simple or Unleashing Controlled Chaos...80
Balancing Your Compositions.........82
Chapter 6: Paying Attention to Color in Composition..85
Discovering Color Basics..........85
Using complementary colors for contrast......87
Maximizing monochromatic color schemes....88
Creating harmony with analogous colors.....90
Drawing the eye with color.........91
Shooting for Black and White.........94
Being aware of how your digital sensor sees light....94
Exposing your photo for black and white.....96
Converting an image to black and white using the three channels.........97
Color or Black and White? How Your Decision Impacts Your Message..........99
Part III: Arranging the Keu Elements to Compose
a Successful Shot....... 101
Chapter 7: Using Focal Points to Tell a Story....103
Finding Your Focal Point and Helping It Take Center Stage..103
Making your focal point stand out.......105
Using your camera's focus control to select your focal point.106
Determining how much of the frame your focal point should cover...........107
Enhancing Your Message with Selective Focus.....109
Getting creative with your focal points......110
Controlling depth of field........112
Adding a Secondary Focal Point to Your Composition....115
Chapter 8: Finding Your Perspective...117
Looking at Things from a New Perspective......117
Understanding how perspective impacts your message..118
Making choices about perspective......120
Selecting perspective according to light......121
Considering Techniques to Get the Shot......123
Moving the subject or yourself........124
Zooming in to reveal details.......125
Using focal length to achieve your goals......127
Rotating Your Camera to Create Unusual Angles....128
Putting the subject off center.......129
Placing the subject in the top or bottom of the frame..130
Changing your camera's orientation.......132
Chapter 9: Backgrounds: As Important as the Subject..135
From Great Outdoors to Crawlspace: Considering Types
of Backgrounds..........136
Working with wide-open spaces......137
Handling tight spaces........138
Using solid backgrounds.........139
Recognizing Problem Backgrounds........143
Badly lit backgrounds.........143
Distracting backgrounds.........144
Backgrounds that merge with your subject.....145
Preventing and Fixing Problems........146
Identifying poor backgrounds by reviewing
your work as you go........147
Creating your own backgrounds to avoid problems...148