Composition techniques for use in magazine photography.

1. Photography and
Composition Techniques

2. Photography and Composition Techniques
Lesson Outcomes: To identify effective photographic
techniques.
I don’t know any
photographic
techniques.
I can identify some of the
photographic techniques
used in magazine
photography.
I can identify photographic
techniques and explain
their effect.
I can apply effective
photographic techniques
to my own magazine.
I have creative
ideas of how I can
use photography in
my magazine.

3. Composition
Techniques

4. Composing your shot:
 The way everything is arranged in your shot is called the composition. By
paying attention to the framing of your shots, you can improve and enhance
them.
 Be clear on your subject. What story are you trying to tell with the shot?
 Imagine you're painting a picture. You can decide exactly what you want the
painting to look like: Which people or objects are in the painting, where they
are located on the canvas, and what kind of background is in place.

5. Rule of Thirds:
 Points of interest (the focus of your
image) should be placed at the
intersections of these lines for the
most visually appealing shot.
 Basically, the important stuff should
be kept along the lines and the
focus should be at one of the four
crosses.

6. Examples:

7. Shot
Type

8. Consider these:
Look at this guy…what has he done wrong? If there’s an idea you like, recreate
it…

9. You don’t have to follow the ‘rules’ – so
long as you justify if in your evaluation…

10. Student’s example:

11. Composition: Near or far?

12. Experiment!

13. Activity 3:
 Can you recognise any of the compositional techniques used in this image?
 What effect do these techniques have on the image?

14.  Can you recognise any of the compositional techniques used in this image?
Background is vital in telling your story…
What effect does the road in the background of this image have
on the audience?
Tip: When
positioning your
subject, always
consider your
Background

15.  Can you recognise any of the compositional techniques used in this image?
Background is vital in telling your story…
What effect does the road in the background of this image have
on the audience?
Using leading lines attracts the viewer’s focus where you want it
to go. This type of shot is particularly nice in your double page
spread…

16.  Can you recognise any of the compositional techniques used in this image?
Background is vital in telling your story…
What effect does the road in the background of this image have
on the audience?
Using leading lines attracts the viewer’s focus where you want it
to go.

17. Consider these…

18. This student managed it… But then…

19.  Can you recognise any of the compositional techniques used in this image?
Background is vital in telling your story…
What effect does the road in the background of this image have
on the audience?
Use of diagonal lines:
Tip: When
positioning your
subject, always
consider your
Angle, and the
effect it
creates.

20. Angles

21. Focus:
 Adjust the settings on the camera to alter
the depth of field.
 Be thinking about shot composition – what
is in the frame, what are you revealing to
the audience and what are you keeping
hidden?
 Experiment!

22. Depth of Field:

23. Depth of Field:

24. Depth of Field:

25. Examples:

26. Tip – Mise-en-scene
Consider everything you put in your frame (mise-en-scene)
 Props
 Costume
 Background/setting
 Make-up/hair
 Lighting
 Colour

27. Three golden rules…
Camera Position (location)
Lighting
Framing

28. People
Positioning

29. People Positioning - tips
1. Heads together
2. Limit empty space
3. Diamonds
4. Triangles
5. Perspective

30. Triangles:

31. Rows:

32. Rows with perspective:

33. Rows with diagonals:

34. Direction:

35. 1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.

36. 1.Rule of Thirds 2.Leadroom/Noseroom 3.Distracting Backgrounds
4.Positioning 5.Headroom

37. Rule of Thirds Leadroom/Noseroom Distracting Backgrounds
Positioning Headroom

38. Rule of Thirds Leadroom/Noseroom Distracting Backgrounds
Positioning Headroom

39. Rule of Thirds Leadroom/Noseroom Distracting Backgrounds
Positioning Headroom

40. Rule of Thirds Leadroom/Noseroom Distracting Backgrounds
Positioning Headroom

41. Rule of Thirds Leadroom/Noseroom Distracting Backgrounds
Positioning Headroom