One of the things that separates average snapshots that most people take with their camera from high quality images produced by enthusiasts and professional photographers is the composition of the elements of the photo itself.
I often see perfectly well exposed photographs with interesting subjects that are ultimately rendered boring or even objectionable because the composition just doesn't look right to the eye. As soon as I see one of these images, it almost saddens me because the image could have been so much better if the photographer had just been able to give as much attention to the overall design and makeup of the image as the subject itself and the exposure settings on their camera.
So how does a person acquire composition skills for photography? Well, there are plenty of tips to be found on how to improve in this area and many of them are very good and useful. But I am of the opinion that just learning a bunch of rules does not necessarily make a person a better photographer. If that were the case, we could simply send out a fleet of robot cameras armed with the rules of photography in their on-board software and they could capture the most stunning photographs you have ever seen without the need of humans at all.
But I don't believe that this is really possible as art is not something that necessarily conforms to a singular set of rules. Creating art stimulates something in the minds of the viewers that triggers interest, pleasure, enjoyment, or sometimes provocation. High quality art tells stories that we want and need to hear. As a result of all of this and more, art defies explanation and definition. It does not conform to a list of rules without deviation.
So how does an average person gain composition skills that raises their photographic artwork to a higher level? Here is my best tip on this subject that I know has worked well for me.
I suggest that a person who wants to improve their composition skills would do well to join a well-known photo sharing site like Flickr or 500px and within each site also join some groups of photographers that are interested in the kind of photography that also interests them. Of course, groups on these sites will run the full gamut of inexperienced and novice photographers to advanced enthusiasts and even pros. To learn good composition skills, I have found that the more images I see on a daily basis, the more I am helped to recognize and distinguish those that have truly good composition from those that do not. When I find an image that really grabs my attention, I often stare at it for a while and think to myself, what is it about this image that really interests me? I sort of reverse engineer the image to learn what is really pleasing and/or captivating about it. This is the secret sauce. Don't just look at an image and either like or dislike it. Take time to determine the reason WHY you are drawn to certain images and not to others.
I feel that this kind of effort expended over a long time does more than just provide a list of rules to help improve a person's photographic skills. I think it actually begins to adjust the way you see the world around you and makes the recognition of good composition almost instinctive. You begin to see patterns of good composition that were hidden to you before.
Of course, some seem to have a natural bend or talent in this area and they acquire good photographic skills easier and faster than others. But, I also believe that nothing replaces good old-fashioned hard work and effort whenever someone wants to become more skilled at almost any endeavor.
Right now, there are millions of photographs just waiting to be viewed that will teach you how to improve your photography skills. So what are you waiting for?
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