First off, I want to thank and welcome you to this newsletter (and welcome back to original subscribers!). When I asked on Instagram what I should write about, I never would’ve expected to see all the suggestions I did. People wanted to know more about photography basics, coffee and food, and even some business advice.
I’m just happy y’all wanna read about the things I love talking about. We’ll kick off this newsletter talking about photography, but I promise I have just as much to say about everything else too. And maybe some anecdotal stories here and there too.
The photography skill I wished I had learned about earlier
For the first 5 years of my photography journey, I spent as much time taking as many photos as I could to practice. But no matter what I did, my photos always felt off-balance, like something was missing.
Then, in early 2017, I stumbled upon a guiding principle I had somehow never learned: composition.
At its core, composition is how content is laid out within a space. It applies to everything from home decor to magazine layouts to art installations.
In photography, composition is the framing that tells a story while also guiding viewers through the frame. Honestly, this sounds nothing short of insanity. How can a photo tell a story and also guide someone where to look? And yet, that’s what good photos do.
Take this photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson. In it, a cyclist rides past a small outdoor spiral staircase.
The staircase’s handrail guides your eye down and to the left of the frame, where your eye eventually meets the cyclist riding past, almost out of frame. This photo’s composition (along with the camera’s slower shutter speed) gives the image a feeling of motion and speed. As a viewer I feel as though I’m tumbling into the frame and then quickly riding away from it.
Now let’s take that same photo, and re-crop it (cropping photos is way to re-compose shots).
Notice how the image lost its feeling of motion and speed. You still feel some movement following the handrail, but the sensation is cut short. The cyclist whizzing by no longer feels like an intentional character. This re-cropped image is still acceptable, maybe good, but it lacks what made the original great.
How do I start composing better pictures?
Now that we’ve seen what good and “bad” compositions look like, let’s get started on taking better composed shots. Keep in mind, the cyclist photo above was shot in 1932 on film. Whatever camera you have nearby will more than suffice!
Tip #1: What’s the point?
Before taking a picture, ask yourself, “what’s the point?” It has nothing to do with social media likes and everything to do with understanding what to frame and how.
It will force you to think about the most important element of the shot. If you’re taking a picture of your kids at their birthday party, maybe you want to make sure you can see them and the cake too.
Tip #2: Enable the Grid
The first step to leveling up your composition, is to enable your camera’s grid.
To enable the grid on your iPhone:
Head to your phone’s Settings > Camera
Under Composition, toggle Grid
Here’s an example of the before and after with the grid enabled.
Now whenever you open up your camera you’ll see lines across your display in a 3x3 grid layout. This gets you ready for the “rule of thirds”.
Tip #3: Use the “rule of thirds”
The rule of thirds is one of many compositional guidelines that helps you layout your photos. This 3x3 grid layout helps you position different elements along the lines to create a more interesting shot.
Taking a picture of someone? Try lining them up in the center of the grid. Taking a picture of a car? Try centering the car within the grid.
Need more examples?
Dig through Instagram and keep an eye on how your favorite TV shows and films compose shots. Chances are the reason you might like something is because of how the shot was composed.
Sam Esmail, director of Comet and Mr. Robot, pushes his characters to the lower left of the 3x3 grid, to rack up tension in already emotional moments.
Wrapping Up
Composition is one of those photography skills that feels so obvious when you learn it, but once you learn to apply it everywhere, you’ll quickly level up your photography in ways you couldn’t previously imagine.
Again, thank you so much for signing up to this newsletter. I already have weeks worth of content in the works, and it’s all due to the feedback and ideas you shared.
And please, if you got any questions on photography composition, or really anything, reply to this email and I’ll respond as soon as I can!
For now, I hope you enjoy your Friday. Remember to rest and reset.
✌🏼 Greg Barbosa
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