PhotographicCompositions

Illustrator Draftsman 3 & 2 - Volume 2 Standard Practices and Theory
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PhotographicCompositions Introduction Many people believe that photography is the most truthful and accurate representation of three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional field. Anyone can learn how to take photographs; so what makes a photograph a successful image? You must understand the basic principles of photographic composition to evaluate and select images for use in commanding officer’s biographies, web pages, change of command brochures, cruise books, and newsletters. Photographic There are no thumbnail sketches in photographic compositions unless you are compositions working in a controlled studio atmosphere. In studio environments you control factors affecting good composition. In photographic compositions out of the studio area, the scene already exists. Photographic compositional decisions may have already been made for you by the environment and your remaining choices may be limited. Photographic compositions involve manipulation of the following principles and elements: center of interest, subject placement, simplicity, viewpoint and camera angle, balance, shapes and lines, pattern, volume, lighting, texture, tone, contrast, framing, foreground, background, and perspective. Most of these elements are the same as pictorial compositions, with the exception of center of interest, subject placement, viewpoint, and camera angle. Center of interest Each picture should have one principal idea or subject that is called the center of interest. Subordinate elements must support, define, and focus attention on the center of interest. The center of interest should not be located in the center of the picture area. Subject placement Subject placement is the positioning of subjects or the center of interest in the picture area. In pictorial composition, subject placement relates most closely with proportion, the division of the picture plane into balanced segments. - In photographic compositions, there are two formulas for determining subject placement: the principles of thirds and dynamic symmetry. Continued on next page 1-29

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