Take a Photo of Something...NOT Everything.

So...A little review. Yesterday, we talked about composition. Remember composition? It's the way you arrange the "stuff" or (if we're going to get technical), the "elements" in your photos. Specifically, we talked about:

• Rule of Thirds

• Simplicity

Here are a couple of key points to remember:

For rule of thirds, Make sure that your photo is a "little" off-center. DO NOT place your subject in the center of the frame. Here's an example:

Notice that the paint brushes are a little off to the left. NOT in the center of the frame.

For simplicity, GET RID OF THE CLUTTER. You should have ONE, strong subject in your photo. Here's an example:

Notice that the shell is the ONLY subject in the photo, and that there are no distracting elements to draw the viewer's eye away from the subject.

For your Composition #1 Assignment, you are first required to take THREE photos COMBINING these two rules, rule of thirds and simplicity (you'll take other photos, too...these are just the first three). Here are some examples that former Valhalla Photography students took while working on this assignment:

Two things to notice in these photos:

1. There are NO distracting elements in the backgrounds. The backgrounds are entirely simple.

2. The subjects are slightly off-center.

I want to see you apply these two things to your photos.

A couple of other reminders for your Composition #1 assignment:

1. You are not turning anything in yet. We will turn them in next Tuesday.

2. You can ALWAYS take photos outside of school.

Today we will continue our discussion on Composition. Please venture to my website and check out the "Composition" lecture. Familiarize yourself with our next three rules:

1. Line

2. Framing

3. Orientation