Tom Clark: Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

Framing helps to add depth and visual interest to your images. It also provides information about the environment that your subject is in. Practice this concept a lot and you'll be very happy with the results.

In some situations, you simply can't capture the beauty of the scene in just one image. For instance, if you're looking into the sunset, and a beautifully backlit scene is in front of you, you have to choose whether to expose for the sky details or for the details in your scene. The two are so different in brightness that exposing for one does no justice for the other.

If you come across a situation like this one, take two separate exposures (one for the sky and one for the ground elements) and put them together with photo-editing software to make one image that represents the scene in the way you remember seeing it. (See Chapter 18 for more on postproduction.)

To create a composite image, follow these steps:

1. Set your camera on a tripod and compose your scene.

You'll be putting together multiple images of the same scene in post-production, and layering them on top of each other is much easier if the camera doesn't move during the shooting process. So, that's why I suggest you use a tripod. Also keep in mind that the more intricate your horizon, the more difficult it is to put the two images together in post-production. Trees can often be difficult to work with, so you may want to use a scene with a flat, undisturbed horizon line, like the beach, for your first attempt at this.

2. Take the two exposures of your scene.

Make sure that one of the images exposes the ground elements in the best way possible and the other exposes the details in the sky correctly.

3. Open the two images in your editing software, placing them side by side on your desktop.

Using the information on selection tools in Chapter 18, make a selection of the sky in the image that was exposed for the sky. Drag that selection into the other file that has the correct exposure for the ground elements. You now have a file that has detail in the sky and on the ground.

The main goal of this project is to create an image that looks realistic to your viewers. You don't want them to know that you edited the sky in from a second exposure just by looking at your image. You can apply this technique to all types of photography (not just landscape), but it's easiest to work with subjects that don't move.

In This Chapter

Motivating yourself with compositional techniques from the experts

Giving yourself a fresh photographic perspective

When you're inspired by a certain location or subject, ideas flow through your head with ease, and you have no trouble composing great images. However, sometimes your creativity may be blocked, or you may find it difficult to see the photographic potential of a certain location or subject. But don't despair. The tips in this chapter can help start you on a journey toward inspiration. Try them all and look for others that help you.

Accept your uninspired times without letting them get you down. Even the greatest photographers have experienced this frustration at times, and the trick is to acknowledge the situation and calmly figure out what you can do to break through the creative block.

Some scenes can produce amazing photographic settings at certain times of the day or in certain lighting or weather conditions. Many of these scenes probably exist right in your local area, and you haven't noticed them yet. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas for photographing, pack your camera bag and go for a walk. Don't worry about which direction you go or what subjects you photograph. Just head out the door and get some fresh air.

While you walk, take in your surroundings: Notice the architecture, trees, people, and wildlife, and pay attention to the textures and colors of things. You don't even need to pull your camera out of its bag; simply take in the visual elements that are all around you. If you see something that's worth photographing, take a picture. If not, don't sweat it; you'll take plenty of pictures later, when you're inspired.

Pay careful attention to scenes that catch your eye, and consider why they caught your interest. For instance, you may see a wall that has great texture, colors, and lighting but needs something else to make it more than just a wall. In this case, take a quick snapshot and make yourself a note that describes what you like about the location. Write down ideas you have for shooting at the location and what you need to make it happen. Perhaps you can bring a friend to the same spot on another day and take her portrait there. You can arrange to have her dressed in colors that go with the color scheme of the location, and you can arrive at a time when the lighting is ideal for that spot.

As you walk around, take these snapshots and make these types of notes for yourself wherever you see potential in a location. Doing so gives you multiple spots to choose and build creative ideas from. Use whatever methods work for you. Keeping a notebook specifically for this purpose can be helpful. Or you may want to use your cellphone camera to take snapshots and then e-mail the photo to yourself with the notes you take.

Maybe you're bored with the work you produce because you've been creating the same types of images for a while now. Forming habits or sticking with what you know best is human nature and usually causes this repetition.

Break out of these situations by allowing yourself to experiment with techniques you have little or no experience with. The best way to learn is by doing — and the more tricks you have up your sleeve, the better equipped you'll be to handle most photographic situations.

Here are some possibilities for trying something new:

Try shooting in a different environment.If you normally shoot outdoors, try shooting indoors for a change (and vice versa).

Experiment with a new style of lighting.If you're stuck in a lighting rut, practice some of the other methods of lighting you find in Chapter 10.

Take some shots of a new subject.If you photograph mainly people, for example, try your hand at shooting landscapes, architecture, food, or wildlife.

Make an attempt at postproduction editing.Many new photographers create portfolios in which their work consists of straight photography, meaning they don't use photo-editing software to enhance their images. Don't follow in their footsteps. Give editing a shot, and see whether you can be as creative in postproduction as you can when you're behind the camera. Doing so could open your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. For more on photo-editing techniques, turn to Chapter 18.

If your new experimentations don't exactly work out, make it a learning experience. Study the photos so you can see what works and what doesn't — and what needs to change for the shot to be successful. You may be able go back and try again.

Many photographers get their inspiration from famous images that someone else created. These images are iconic and expressive, such as the American Gothic painting, the cover image to Abbey Road, or the shot of Marilyn Monroe with her dress being blown up around her. You probably have your own list of images that stand out to you as inspirational. Try to re-create an inspiring image in its entirety, or take shots of the inspiring aspects of the image and create a new twist.