Digital Camera World (2019-06)

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com JUNE 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^49

³ٹɎǣƬǸɯǣɎǝɎǝƺ

ȸɖǼƺژȒǔژɎǝǣȸƳɀٺ

You don’t need to compose your shots

ǣȇژɎǝǣȸƳɀژɎȒȵȸȒƳɖƬƺƺɵƺٮƬƏɎƬǝǣȇǕɀǝȒɎɀ

The rule of thirds is a cornerstone of

photographic composition. It works by

dividing the frame into a nine-section

grid: points of interest should be placed

where the lines intersect. As useful as this rule is,

though, using it automatically could result in

predictable compositions.

Why not break the rule of thirds for some creative

variety? Place your subject in the centre of the image

instead, especially when you’re photographing

portraits, and experiment with symmetry – this often

creates aesthetically pleasing photographs. Another

easy way to break this rule is to experiment with the

negative space in the frame: add details to corners

that you wouldn’t normally fill up, for example.

How to get the shot...

Disable the 3x3 grid overlay in your viewfinder

display and start going off-grid

Position your subject towards the front of the frame

and shoot with a shallow depth of field to draw the eye

Consider balancing elements on either side of the

frame to create a pleasing, symmetrical composition

ٹǼɯƏɵɀǸƺƺȵɎǝƺ

ƬƏȅƺȸƏژɀɎȸƏǣǕǝɎٺ

Add dynamism with diagonals, or offer

ƏژƳǣǔǔƺȸƺȇɎȵƺȸɀȵƺƬɎǣɮƺȒȇǔƏȅǣǼǣƏȸɀƬƺȇƺɀ

Whenever you take a picture, it’s natural

to want to keep the camera straight. But

there’s nothing stopping you from rotating

the perspective slightly – why not break free

from your instincts and let your imagination run wild?

For more pronounced results, try photographing a

scene that has a clear horizon, such as a beach or field.

This will provide an easy way to assess the effectiveness

of this technique, by referencing clear lines that you

would normally keep straight. Applied successfully,

it will give some surprising results.

With its repeated patterns and blue-and-white details,

the above image looks more like a sculpture than a

tower block – which shows how effective such a simple

technique can be when you find the right subject.

How to get the shot...

Explore the effectiveness of this technique by

photographing scenes with a clear horizon line

Some subjects work better than others. Vertical

lines lend themselves well to being skewed

Choose a depth of field relevant to the subject – use

narrow apertures to keep most of the scene in focus

RULE

7

RULE

6

f/11 800 ISO 1/125 sec f/16 400 ISO 1/125 sec

Ge

tty