Perspective

The technique of perspective includes both shooting at a low angle or with a bird’s eye view. The two photos I took demonstrates both skills. The first photo is shooted with a bird eye view, as if the viewer is looking downwards on the subject. The second photo is taken with a stranger perspective that requires the camera to be at a low level. Shooting up with an low angle makes the subject look huger and taller, making the dinosaur look scarier.

 

Leading lines

Leading lines is when the viewer’s eyes are lead by a line that would guide them towards the main subject of the photo. In the first photo, the line on the ground, which brings the audiences’ attention to the mini-figure, goes through the mini-figure, or subject, of the photograph. In the second photo, there are two lines that starts from the two bottom corners of the photo and gradually leads to the dinosaur, grabbing the viewer’s attention.

Depth of field

Depth of field is when you create a sense of dimension. The photos below demonstrates a shallow depth of field, where the subject is on focus and the background is blurred. In the first photo, the background is blurred heavily with the focus on the kitty figure. This technique displays a significant contrast between the subject and the background, making the details of the subject sharp and evident to see.  In the second photo, the background on the right side of the photo is out of focus. The choice of having the focus on the head of the dinosaur and the orange light that is casted upon the wall drags the viewer’s attention on to the central scene of the photograph.

Framing

The framing technique is when you utilize different elements to surround your subject. In both photos displayed below, the subject is surrounded by a frame. This technique makes the overall appearance of the photograph look clean. Most importantly, it helps direct the audiences’ attention by isolating the subject with the scene.

 

 

Rule of thirds:

The rule of thirds is a composition when the photo is divided into a 3×3 grid, where the subject takes up only 1/3 of the photo. In the two photos below, rather than placing the subject in the center of the photo, the subjects are placed on the sides of the photos. This technique helps catch the viewers attention on the subject directly, emphasizing the main figure.

Symmetry & pattern

Symmetrical and repeating patterns create unique compositions that emphasize an aesthetic order. The symmetrical pattern on the rug in the first photo makes the composition visually balanced. On the other hand, the dense pattern of circles on the background of the second photo brings a harmonious effect.

 

 

Negative space

Negative space is when you leave some empty space in your composition. It expresses a harmonious balance between the subject and the background. This arrangement allows the subject of the photo to breathe and directs the viewer’s attention towards the subject efficiently, demonstrated in the two photos below.

 

Balance

Balance is when you take care of controlling the weight of elements in the photo. This means that each element should take up an equal amount of space in the photo. Additionally, you would need to make sure that there is not two much weight on one side of the photo, making the appearance unbalanced. The two photos displayed below has elements that takes up equal space and are distributed equally in the photograph, which contributes to the overall harmony of the photos.