Friday, March 3, 2017

Picture Practice - Composition - Simplify

Day 3 - Composition - Simplify

Keep your photos simple. In theory, creating clean and simple compositions is one of the easiest iPhone photography tips you can learn. However, in the excitement of the moment, it is sometimes harder to remember to take the time to clear the scene.

I am guilty of posting photos that are very busy with lots of details.  Yet, the photos I am most drawn to on other people's feeds are those with clean lines and uncluttered backgrounds.  Images that are too busy confuse the viewer's eye by creating distraction, making it difficult to see what is the most important part to focus on. Sharing photos on Instagram means that they are usually viewed on a small phone screen, making it even more difficult to find the main subject.  Using "white space" or removing unnecessary objects from the photo make a more pleasing image and one with more impact. While certainly not always attainable, keeping extraneous objects and even color out of your frame will make your photo have more impact. 

While taking a walk one afternoon, I noticed the leaves on the sidewalk that were heart-shaped and snapped a picture of them. 
Then, I took a moment and removed all but one of the leaves and snapped another. I think this shot is more striking because my eyes are immediately drawn away from the pebbles on the sidewalk to the main subject--the heart shaped leaf.

In this set of pictures, seeing so much of the yard and the neighbor's house makes the photo too busy.

Recently, I wanted to document my afternoon with BabyD2 as we enjoyed the spring-like weather on the hammock, watching the birds and dogs. This first photo shows too much of the yard and the neighbor's house to be pleasing to the eye.
In the second photo, while you can still see some of the neighbor's house, I shot from a lower angle and there are fewer extraneous details. Unfortunately, he seems to have a lantern growing out of his head, though, and that isn't a great look.

This last photo eliminates much of the building distractions and highlights the fact that the baby was sitting on my lap on the hammock, watching the birds.
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