Composition was the first assignment for Carnegie Mellon University’s Visual Story class. The assignment was to photograph at least two examples each of the following different composition principles :
Rule of Thirds (Must use a person/animal/object in the shot)
Leading Lines
Patterns
Shapes
Filling the Frame (Must use a person/animal/object in the shot)
Frame within Frame
Balance
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a guideline in which the subject or focal point of the image is placed on the intersection of an invisible grid. In theory, this allows for a better understanding of the space around the subject. I had fun with this principle, becuase I had to think about the context surrounding the subject.
Leading Lines
This principle is intended as a visual guide for the eye to follow through an image. It was a fun one to look for, because I had to look at the frame from different angles before shooting, in an effort to find the best use of the lines.
Patterns
When looking for them, patterns are everywhere. I tried to find patterns that still had some variation throughout the frame, so I immediately went to a grocery store to find them!
Shapes
Shapes are fun treasures to find in the world. The trick to this principal is to avoid any organic shapes. Squares and rectangles are always easy to find on buildings.
Filling the Frame
Filling the Frame is the easiest way to portray emotion from your subject. I asked each portrait subject to make an evocative face, and they each interpreted that direction very differently.
Frame within Frame
I had a lot of fun finding the frames. While waiting for the crosswalk signal, I took my favorite photo of the Composition series. An older couple was excited to see me taking photos of the city, so while they waited for their signal to turn green, I asked them to roll down the window and pose for a photo! It resulted in a fun, spontaneous image that I really enjoy.
Balance
Balance was probably the trickiest principle for me to find. As I understand it, balance is the harmony and sense of completion that is achieved from the composition as a whole. I concluded that balance could be achieved either through symmetry (the La Croix cases), by bringing together opposites harmoniously (the girl and the bird), or simply by balancing the subject in her environment (the girl and the table).
