What should you do to take awesome and dynamic photos that overwhelm? In this article, I shall explain the composition techniques for taking strong, impactful photos. (Reported by: Tatsuya Tanaka)
Adopting the best composition to match the subject
To create impact in a photo, you need to put in some effort in selecting and presenting the subject. However, you need to be careful as the expression can become half-baked or the picture can often become rigid if you are too conscious about it. Composition is a profound concept that is related to the depiction of the senses of dynamism and distance from the subject, as well as lens work and so on. In addition, since everyone has a different sense of the level of impact, you can probably learn a lot by showing the picture to a third party and asking whether the picture appears impactful. The composition techniques that you can use to take dynamic photos include that of "Subtraction" to emphasise a part of the subject, "Triangular Composition" to emphasise a sense of stability, as well as other methods such as "Diagonal Composition". The impact of the subject can be raised even further by combining these methods.
Key Elements
- Part of the subject is captured with the "Subtraction" methods to create a sense of impact.
- The subject’s sense of motion is reproduced by generating intentional blur with a low shutter speed.
- A sense of stability can be captured with the “Triangular Composition” and “Symmetric Composition” methods.
- The greatness of the subject is reproduced by adjusting the exposure to vary the brightness.
- Show the photo to a third party and see whether they can feel the picture’s impact.
Techniques to give a photo dynamic impact
[1] Create impact by getting close to the subject
A composition with the face of the lion occupying the entire screen, its sharp gaze staring out from the centre. The glint in the eye is the key point to producing a strong composition. The impact of the work will likely be lost if the eyes are closed.
[2] Create impact with a low shutter speed
In a triangular composition, capturing the falling water of the waterfall spreading out from the top imparts a sense of stability to the picture. The power of the waterfall is also conveyed by using a slow shutter speed to impart a sense of motion to the falling water.
Born in 1956, Tanaka is one of the rare photographers who produce works across a wide variety of genres from an original perspective. These genres range from objects in our daily lives, such as insects and flowers, to landscapes, skyscapes, and celestial bodies. Besides photography, Tanaka has also developed his own approach in post processes including retouch and printing.
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