Mastering composition is a fundamental skill, crucial whether you're shooting portraits, street scenes, or documentary photography. One recurring composition mistake can detract significantly from the impact of your images, and it's an issue many photographers overlook.
Coming to you from Justin Mott, this insightful video focuses on identifying and correcting distractions in your composition. Mott emphasizes that bad composition is often simply about unwanted distractions—objects like poles, wires, or branches positioned awkwardly, appearing to protrude from your subject. He illustrates this clearly by demonstrating how minor adjustments, such as shifting your position or changing the camera angle slightly, can eliminate these visual distractions. This advice isn't theoretical; Mott practically demonstrates how he corrects common composition errors around his home in Hanoi, a challenging environment filled with visual clutter. The takeaway here is that improving composition is less about rigid rules and more about awareness and intentional framing.
Mott also extends this discussion to cropping and framing people creatively. His point isn't to always capture the full figure but rather to be deliberate about what you include and exclude from your frame. Cropping intentionally can enhance your storytelling by drawing the viewer's attention precisely where you want it—whether that's focusing on a person's hands, an expressive gesture, or even omitting the eyes for added mystery. However, he warns against awkward cropping points, such as cutting limbs midway, which tend to look jarring rather than artistic.
Another critical aspect Mott addresses is the deliberate composition of silhouettes and shadows, a type of imagery relying heavily on clean, intentional framing. Unlike typical portraits or documentary shots, silhouettes depend almost entirely on strong shapes and stark contrasts rather than facial expressions or detailed emotions. Mott suggests using profiles to clearly define subjects against backgrounds, ensuring silhouettes don't become indistinct blobs. Likewise, shadows should communicate clearly and distinctly, requiring careful attention to hand positioning or outlines to avoid confusion. He also briefly touches on the temptation photographers face to rely excessively on shallow depth of field lenses, urging you not to depend solely on bokeh to hide poor backgrounds. Your role as the photographer involves intentionally crafting the composition rather than letting your gear do all the heavy lifting.
Beyond practical techniques, Mott stresses the value of practice and deliberate observation. He suggests a simple exercise: explore your immediate environment and consciously position subjects to avoid distractions. Such exercises refine your visual judgment, enhancing your capacity to identify and manage compositional elements effectively. His practical, hands-on approach underscores that better composition comes from active, continuous refinement rather than passive learning.Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mott, and be sure to stop by his site for more.
