Photography 101

Part 3: CompositionChapter 14

Tools

Contents

Part 1: Exposure

  1. 1 Mastering the Exposure TriangleBalance aperture, shutter speed and ISO for brightness, depth, motion and noise.
  2. 2 ISO and image noiseWhen to raise ISO, why grain appears, and how to trade it for a faster shutter.
  3. 3 MeteringWhat the meter aims for, how to read it, the four metering modes, and Sunny 16 when there's no meter.
  4. 4 Shooting modes and the histogramLet the camera set one setting, steer it with exposure compensation, and check the result with the histogram and zebras.
  5. 5 Dynamic rangeHow many stops a camera can hold at once, what to keep when a scene is wider, and measured figures for real cameras.
  6. 6 Shutter speed and motionCamera shake, freezing or blurring a moving subject, and ND filters for long exposures.
  7. Part 1 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 1–6.
  8. Part 1 quizCheck yourself on chapters 1–6.

Part 2: Focus and depth

  1. 7 Camera LensLens anatomy and how to choose wide, standard, telephoto, prime, zoom and specialist lenses for real subjects.
  2. 8 Aperture and depth of fieldWhy a wider aperture blurs the background, what else controls blur, and the shape of bokeh.
  3. 9 Sensor size and crop factorWhat a smaller sensor crops, equivalent focal length and aperture, and why phones fake the blur.
  4. 10 Hyperfocal distanceSharp from here to infinity: focusing landscapes with blur circles, focus stacking and a cheat card.
  5. 11 Diffraction and the sharpest apertureWhy f/22 looks soft, where your lens is sharpest, and how pixel size changes it.
  6. Part 2 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 7–11.
  7. Part 2 quizCheck yourself on chapters 7–11.

Part 3: Composition

  1. 12 The composition reading planAll 15 chapters of The Elements of Composition, with printed page numbers and a photography lesson for each.
  2. 13 Introduction to compositionComposition as visual communication: choose what to show, compare three frames, and see how viewers read them.
  3. 14 What is composition?Arrange subject, space and edges to change what a photograph says; compare photos and make three versions of one scene.
  4. 15 Focal pointsChoose where the eye lands first, use contrast and space to build a visual path, then test thirds and diagonals in a field exercise.
  5. 16 LinesFollow straight, curved and implied lines through a photograph, then make three frames of one subject from different positions.
  6. 17 ShapesFind shapes made by subjects and space, use a frame within the frame, and compare three ways to place one subject.
  7. 18 TexturesMake a surface feel tangible with light, detail and context, then photograph one material three ways.
  8. 19 PatternsUse repetition to build rhythm, break a pattern to draw attention, and make three versions of one repeated scene.
  9. 20 SpaceUse positive and negative space, fill the frame, and simplify without losing meaning.
  10. 21 DepthLayer foreground, middle ground and background, and use perspective or deep space to show distance.
  11. 22 BalanceWeigh elements with symmetry, asymmetry and radial arrangements; explore the golden ratio as an optional guide.
  12. 23 ContrastCreate meaning and focus through contrasting subjects, light, shadows and colour.
  13. 24 ColorChoose hue, saturation and brightness, then compare complementary, triadic, analogous and monochromatic palettes.
  14. 25 ToneRead shadow, midtone and highlight; shape global and local tone while keeping meaningful detail.
  15. 26 AngleChange camera height and tilt to compare level, straight up or down, high and low viewpoints.
  16. 27 Composition conclusionBring the elements together in a four-frame story and develop your own way of seeing.

Part 4: Color Theory

  1. 28 Color Theory in PhotographyUse HSL, warm and cool depth, four color harmonies, white balance and selective editing to guide attention.
  2. 29 White balanceRead the color of light, match Kelvin and tint, and choose what to preserve when lights mix.

Tools

  1. Color wheelExplore hues, adjust saturation and luminosity, enter RGB or hex values, and preview the color live.
  2. Photo editorTry light, colour, detail and crop adjustments on a sample or your own photo, then save the result.
  3. Golden hour plannerSunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour for where you are, and where the sun rises and sets.
  4. ND filter calculatorYour shutter speed with an ND filter on, and a countdown timer for bulb mode.
  5. Depth of field calculatorHow much is sharp for your lens, aperture and focus distance, and the hyperfocal distance.
  6. Photo info and location removerSee a photo's camera settings and where it was taken, then remove the location before you share it.

Chapter 14Part 3: Composition

What is
composition?

Composition is how you arrange the visible parts of a photograph. A small change in position or framing can make the same scene say something different.

The idea

A scene contains more than a camera can make important at once. Composition is the set of choices that gives the viewer a path through that scene: where you stand, what fills the frame, how elements relate, and what the edges exclude.

01

Choose the subject

Decide what you want someone to notice first. It might be a face, a gesture, a small object, or the space around them.

02

Arrange relationships

Move yourself or wait for the scene to change. A doorway can frame a person; a bright lamp can compete with one.

03

Check the edges

Look at all four sides before you shoot. Include context when it helps the idea, and remove distractions when they pull the eye away.

A useful test: What is the photograph about, and what in the frame makes you say that? There may be several good answers. A clear intention helps you choose among them.

Compare: a person and a place

These are different portraits. Look at how much each one tells you about its subject's surroundings before reading the captions.

Wide portrait of a woman beside a window, with a glowing lamp and plants on the left
Wider frameThe lamp, plants and windows describe a lived-in room. Your eye can move between the person and her surroundings.
Close portrait of a curly-haired woman looking upward in warm sunlight, with little background visible
Face-led portraitHer gaze, expression and hair carry the picture. With almost no setting to explore, your attention stays on her face.Photo by Cemrecan Yurtman on Unsplash

A setting can help tell a person's story; a close view can ask us to study an expression. The subjects and light also differ here, so treat this as a comparison of what each composition makes available. In the field, photograph the same subject both ways to test the choice for yourself.

Compare: what empty space does

These are two different performances. In the first, the dark area to the singer's left shapes the scene. In the second, the performer and microphone take up more of the frame.

Singer at a microphone on the right side of a blue stage, with open dark space to the left
Space around the singerThe open blue stage surrounds the performer. His white shirt gives the eye a clear place to land, while the darkness sets the mood.
Singer in profile holding a microphone beneath a diagonal stage light
Closer to the performerHer face, hand and microphone make a compact group. The diagonal light still describes the stage without asking us to scan a large dark area.Photo by Nicolas Lobos on Unsplash

Open space can give a subject room, set a mood, or suggest movement beyond the frame. A tighter arrangement can make a gesture feel immediate. In both cases, space is an active choice, even when it contains little detail.

Field exercise: one scene, three meanings

Choose one person, object or small scene that you can photograph for ten minutes. Keep the light and camera settings as similar as you can, so changes in the pictures come mainly from composition.

  1. Context. Step back. Show enough surroundings for a viewer to understand where the subject is. Ask what the place adds.
  2. Isolation. Move closer or change your angle until the subject dominates. Check for bright distractions at the edges.
  3. Relationship. Place the subject beside, behind or within another visible element. Use that second element to add meaning, not just decoration.

Bring back: three photographs, one from each approach. Under each, write one sentence beginning “I want the viewer to notice…” and one sentence about the compositional choice that helps or weakens that intention.

Use your feet when possible. Cropping is useful for testing an idea, but moving the camera changes perspective and which objects overlap. You can also try alternate crops in the photo editor.

Review your three frames

This original lesson develops the opening concept in Chapter 2 of StudioBinder’s The Elements of Composition: The Complete Guide. See the composition reading plan.

The two new photographs are free to use under the Unsplash License; photographer links appear beside each image.