Blog Entry #4: Elements Of Photography

Good Composition is a key element of good photographs yet is something that is hard to define.
In elements of photography, there are certain kinds of elements or compositions to make a photo what it is. Below, I have described and gave examples of 3 elements of photography.

1. Rules Of Thirds

I will say right up front however that rules are meant to be broken and ignoring this one doesn’t mean your images are necessarily uninteresting. The basic principle behind the 'rule of thirds' is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds so that you have 9 parts. The picture (on right) shows how 'rules of thirds' works.

The photograph above demonstrates 'rules of thirds' because the upper horizontal line divides the hat of the character from the head. The top middle intersection separates the head of the character from the body. This photograph aligns this character within the guide lines and intersection points.

 2.Picture In Motion

Pictures in motion is another element of photography. When a picture is in motion, there has to be space given in front to demonstrate it as a 'picture in motion'.

The photograph to the right is a picture of my sister (in black) playing volleyball. As I took this picture she was passing the ball, therefore she was in motion. The shadow shows the space given which illustrates it as the element of photography...'picture in motion'.

3. Simplicity

Another element of photography is simplicity. Simplicity can also be known as simple. In photography, simplicity shows a simple picture in which there is nothing but an object. For example, the photograph to the left emphasizes simplicity because as the rock lays on the hardwood floor, the hardwood floor is the background within the picture. The rock is the main object within its background.

What can we say now about elements or compositions of photography? There is much more to learn, but for now, as we can see, there can be pictures you take everyday of your life; in some way that one picture can demonstrate some type of element of photography. So next time you take a picture ask yourself, "What does this picture represent?"