Simple rules of composition can make a great photo.
Some people just have an eye for a good photo. Looking at their Christmas and family vacation photos isn't a boring and tedious task. The good news is that anyone can take a good picture by following some basic photography rules--and your family and friends will be grateful that you can take a decent photo the next time they have to sit through an epic slide show or flip through albums of your latest holiday.
Rule of Thirds
Some basic math is involved in taking a visually striking photo, but don't worry, if you can divide a rectangle roughly into three with your eye, this will be easy. The Rule of Thirds is a composition technique for creating an interesting focal point for your photograph. A focal point might be the sun setting on a horizon or a person's smiling face. Most people, by default, put their focal point in the dead center of the photo, but if it's placed off-center--one-third or two-thirds from the left or right, top or bottom--the result is much more visually engaging. If you're having trouble, imagine a tic-tac-toe grid. The four points of intersection on the grid are your four options for your focal point, based on the Rule of Thirds.
Cropping
Many novice photographers also make the common mistake of including too much information in a photo. Don't be afraid to zoom in, crop and capture the details that you find interesting, such as a historic building's crumbling archways, the laugh lines on your grandmother's face or an intimate moment between newlyweds. The crop is an executive decision that helps the viewer hone in on the main subject, leaving out excess or irrelevant information that clutters or distracts the viewer and lessens impact.
Leading Lines
Leading lines, such as a path or a row of lamp posts, pull the viewer into your photo. They create movement in a photo by drawing the viewer's eyes along a line toward your focal point. Leading lines are most effective when they are diagonal and cut through the Rule of Thirds points, and intersect with your focal point.
Fly on the Wall
Getting your subject to smile and say, "cheese" on the count of three can produce amazing results, especially for in-studio portraiture, but it can also kill the moment you wanted to capture. If you're at an event or gathering, try being a fly on the wall with your camera and take action shots of people interacting, reacting and engaging in activity. There is a seductive and natural quality to a photo in which the subject is caught unaware. Not using a flash and turning off the sound of your shoot button will help you to remain in the background.
Experiment
Go ahead and break the rules. You won't be wasting any film because you're learning new techniques--or you might have a digital camera--so just click away.
