Improve Your Composition by Not Fixating on These 5 Things

Curiosity and fascination are very helpful things that can fuel a photographer to capture stunning images. However, as we get inspired by spectacular things that we see, it is necessary that we also have composure to make the most out of whatever we are photographing.

Fascination is a double-edged sword. When photographers become fascinated, we often get so much inspiration that can drive us towards outstanding output. However, when we get too fascinated on certain aspects of what we are shooting, we have the tendency to get too fixated towards them that we forget other key factors present in the photographs. It has been said over and over that attention to detail is what differentiates masters of the craft from everyone else, and this is one of the best ways to put that to use. Here are five aspects of your photographs that many beginners tend to fixate on so that you can start being cautious about how you approach your shoot and come up with images that better execute your artistic intent.

1. The Subject

Obviously, the subject of your photograph is the main attraction of the image. Everything in the photograph revolves around your subject, whether this is a person, an object, or a particular event. The importance of the subject is perhaps something that needs no further emphasis. However, it is crucial to remember that your subject is not the only visual element in your photograph (in most cases).

As beginners, we have a tendency to be greatly overwhelmed when photographing a subject that can be considered spectacular. This could be a very good-looking model, a famous personality, a valuable object, etc. The effect of this is that we would often keep shooting regardless of all other factors in the scene. We have probably all been guilty of photographing a model and totally disregarding something distracting in the background, not noticing unfavorable lighting, or even unflattering angles. While the subject of our photos are basically the bulk of the message that we are trying to convey, it is important to keep in mind that all other factors in the photograph, no matter how small, either positively or negatively affect the entirety of the image.

2. The Background

Following the same mechanics, while the background plays the polar opposite role of your subject, it still has a huge impact on how the entire photograph is perceived. Visual elements in the background often provide context and/or set the mood of the image. The background and its relationship to the subject of your photograph establishes a baseline structure for visual storytelling, if and when this relationship is properly established and meticulously executed.

However, there are various ways that the background of the image can negatively affect what would have been a great photograph. Following the same baseline principle that anything visible in the image can and will affect how the entire photograph is perceived, the canvas behind the subject may very well be the most common area where we can find such distractions. These distractions can either be visual elements that are out of place, object that attract too much attention due to their luminosity and/or color, or unfavorable interaction of visual elements that translate to a lot of visual weight. In the simplest sense, your background and your subject must agree, convey the same message, emit the same tone for there to be harmony between two of the most important factors of your photograph.

3. Colors

Attractive colors in a photograph, whether from artificial lighting or just from the natural mix of colors present in a particular scene can often be attractive to photographers. Harmonious colors in any photo definitely help to catch the attention of the viewers. However, the aim of taking a photograph should go beyond just making someone look momentarily at a photograph. An image can truly be called compelling if there is more to it, as the viewer perceives it longer and their attention is retained for a longer period of time.

Using vibrant colors and pleasing color combinations is a great way for an image to stand out. However, we must always remember to keep other factors of the photograph in mind to maximize the potential of this image. Just as what all the above-mentioned factors point out, we must ensure that alongside the beautiful colors are masterfully done composition and attention to every other detail.

4. Camera Settings

When learning photography, especially when you’re just starting out, there is this notion that it’s the camera settings that make a photograph beautiful. This is especially true when we’re trying to take a more technical approach in learning photography, such as when we first try to shoot with manual exposure settings and other camera functions. While it is true that knowing how to set your exposure will of course contribute to taking a good photograph, it is also important to remember that it is only about half of the battle.

Starting out and learning photography, we practice over and over to be able to get good balance exposures with outstanding clarity and detail. However, later on, you realize that this is only important for you to be able to achieve an even bigger goal, which is for your exposure to complement your composition and the content of your photographs. Many aspiring portrait photographers can get fixated on being able to achieve a balanced exposure while using the largest aperture and getting the creamiest bokeh that their lens can do. For a time as an aspiring landscape photographer, I was fixated on being able to get balanced exposures while using filters to achieve some type of motion blur or trails. But later on, it’s important to realize that mastering these factors is just a step toward being able to turn your imagined photograph into actual output.

As you progress in learning photography and develop your own personal style of shooting, you will realize that camera settings are just secondary to the bigger endeavor that is to create an impactful, visually satisfying, or thought-provoking image. In the same way, as children, we take a lot of time to learn to read and write, but the tasks of real life are actually more complex than simply holding a pencil. Camera settings and exposure and part of the foundations of photography that we must master in order to achieve all other important factors of taking a good photograph.

There are hundreds more factors that we photographers probably obsess over when learning photography. It is only natural for us to be fascinated by certain things we see that make an image attractive. However, it’s important to get to a point wherein we surpass these basic fundamentals and move on to using them as ingredients in the visual delight that we all aim to concoct.

What were the things that you got fascinated with a little too much in your journey of learning photography, and how did you get past them?