Master Composition Guide for Digital Photographers

by Wildi, Ernst

• ISBN13: 9781584281795
• ISBN10: 1584281790
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-01
• Publisher: Amherst Media

Summary

This handbook explains how minor placement and color adjustments can enhanceor ruinimages.

Author Biography

Ernst Wildi is the author of Composition Techniques from a Master Photographer, Creating World-Class Photography, Photographic Lenses, and Step-by-Step Composition Techniques for Digital Photographers. He lives in Watchung, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 7
Topics Covered in This Book	p. 8
What is Composition?	p. 9
Composition Basics	p. 10
Creating a Good Camera Original	p. 10
Digital Imaging for Strong Compositions	p. 11
Digital Cameras	p. 11
Point & Shoot Models	p. 12
Digital SLRs	p. 12
Medium-Format and Large-Format Cameras	p. 12
Image Sensors	p. 13
Lenses	p. 13
Sensor Size and Focal Lenth	p. 13
Equivalent Focal Lengths	p. 14
Conversion Factor	p. 15
Optical or Digital Zoom	p. 15
Medium- and Large-Format Lenses	p. 15
Technical Details	p. 16
Exposure	p. 16
Contrast	p. 16
Depth of Field	p. 16
On-Camera Flash Photography	p. 16
Digital Workflow	p. 17
Visualizing and Composing the Image	p. 18
Viewing Tools	p. 18
Viewfinders	p. 18
LCD Screens	p. 18
Post-Capture Image Evaluation	p. 19
Composition and Format	p. 20
Aspect Ratios	p. 20
Image Formats	p. 20
Paper Formats	p. 23
Enhancing the Composition	p. 23
Formats for Special Applications	p. 23
Advertising and Media	p. 23
Outdoor Portraits	p. 24
Projection	p. 24
Keeping Images Simple	p. 25
Lines as Compositional Elements	p. 28
Horizontal Lines	p. 28
Vertical and Diagonal Lines	p. 28
Curved Lines	p. 30
Placement of Lines	p. 31
Center Placement	p. 33
Attracting and Distracting Lines	p. 34
Slanted Lines	p. 34
Architectural Pictures	p. 35
Straightening Verticals	p. 36
Special Equipment for Architectural Work	p. 36
Straightening Verticals Digitally	p. 36
Subject Placement	p. 37
Viewing Considerations	p. 37
Type of Image	p. 37
Images with a Main Subject	p. 38
Off-Center Subject Placement	p. 38
Placement of Main Subjects	p. 39
Secondary Subjects	p. 40
Balancing Elements	p. 40
Color	p. 42
Subject Sharpness	p. 42
Number of Elements	p. 42
Group Portraits	p. 43
The Importance of Color	p. 44
Color Arrangements	p. 44
Moods Created by Different Colors	p. 44
Intensity of Colors	p. 44
Color Harmony	p. 45
Balance of Colors	p. 48
Background Color and Brightness	p. 50
Selecting the Background	p. 50
Attracting and Distracting Elements	p. 52
What Attracts Attention?	p. 52
What Distracts from the Image?	p. 58
Bright Areas	p. 58
White Backgrounds	p. 58
Border-Cutting Elements	p. 59
Darkening Corners	p. 61
Technical Faults	p. 61
Soft Focus	p. 63
Keeping the Eye in the Picture	p. 64
Black & White Composition	p. 65
Producing Black & White Images	p. 65
Seeing the World in Black & White	p. 66
Arranging the Picture Elements	p. 66
Changing Gray Tones in the Camera	p. 67
Highlight and Shadow Areas	p. 68
Technical Considerations	p. 68
Evaluating the Contrast	p. 68
Digital Exposure and Post-Capture Manipulations	p. 70
Shaded Areas as Part of the Composition	p. 71
Shadows	p. 71
Composing Panoramic Images	p. 72
Panoramic Composition	p. 72
Filling the Panoramic Image Format	p. 72
Arranging the Picture Elements	p. 73
Lenses for Panoramic Cameras	p. 73
Panoramic and Wide-Angle Distortion	p. 74
Correcting Distortions	p. 74
Panoramic Images in Digital Cameras	p. 75
The Panoramic Mode in Digital Cameras	p. 75
Creating Panoramic Images in the Computer	p. 75
Creating Panoramics in "Ordinary" Film Cameras	p. 76
Panoramic Camera Equipment	p. 76
The Sharpness Range	p. 77
Selecting the Range of Sharpness	p. 77
Evaluating the Sharpness Range	p. 77
Determining Depth of Field	p. 77
Deciding on the Sharpness Range	p. 79
Using Depth of Field for Effect	p. 79
Depth of Field with Different Lenses	p. 80
Depth of Field with Digital Cameras	p. 80
Hyperfocal Distance	p. 81
Extending the Range of Sharpness	p. 81
Increasing the Range of Sharpness in Digital Work	p. 82
Increasing the Sharpness Range without Special Equipment	p. 82
Lenses and Filters for Improved Compositions	p. 83
Possibilities with Lenses	p. 83
The Standard Lens	p. 83
Image Perspective	p. 84
Background Area Coverage	p. 85
Background Sharpness	p. 86
Backgrounds for People Pictures	p. 87
Foreground Sharpness	p. 88
Composing Wide-Angle Pictures	p. 88
Fisheye Lenses	p. 88
Fisheye Compositions	p. 90
Fisheye Images with the Non-Fisheye Look	p. 90
Zoom Effects	p. 90
Partial Filtering	p. 92
The Polarizing Filter	p. 93
Reflections	p. 93
Special Effects Filters	p. 93
Backgrounds to Improve Composition	p. 94
Background Types	p. 94
Evaluating Background Areas	p. 94
Backgrounds for Fashion Images	p. 94
Changing the Background Area	p. 95
Improving Background Areas Post-Capture	p. 95
Locations and Backgrounds for Effective Portraits	p. 97
Outdoor Locations	p. 97
Selecting the Location with the Model in Mind	p. 98
Location and Attire	p. 99
Color Harmony	p. 99
Different Background Types	p. 100
Composition	p. 100
Lenses for Location Portrait Photography	p. 101
Perspective	p. 102
Background Sharpness	p. 102
Candid People Photography	p. 102
Posing Strategies	p. 103
People in the Composition	p. 103
Posing the Wedding Couple	p. 103
Posing the Full-Length of Three-Quarter Portrait	p. 103
The Professional Touch	p. 104
Fashion Poses	p. 105
Posing Arms, Hands, and Heads	p. 107
Ideas for Professional Results	p. 108
Two Often-Asked Questions	p. 108
Model Releases	p. 108
Permission for Photography	p. 108
Shutter Speeds	p. 109
Photographing Moving Subjects	p. 109
Shutter Speeds for Moving Subjects	p. 111
Moving the Camera	p. 112
Tripod or Handheld Photography?	p. 113
Photographing from a Tripod	p. 113
Handheld Photography	p. 113
Limitations in Handheld Photography	p. 115
Sharpness Range Limitations	p. 115
Post-Capture Image Manipulations	p. 119
How Much?	p. 119
Composite Images	p. 119
Photo or Photographic Illustration?	p. 120
Publishing Manipulated Images	p. 120
Index	p. 121
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