IDTech 122

Composition, Exposure and

Photojournalism
Objectives:
1. Understand composition in photography,
2. Understand exposure triangle,
3. Apply artistic use of exposure,
4. Use Depth of Field,
5. Learn photography critiquing, and
6. Understand and learn photojournalism.

Photography Composition
The essential ingredient to moving from taking snapshots to
photographs is getting a photographer’s vision. The two keys to a
photographer’s vision are light and composition. Light is the essence of
photography. You’ll often hear photographers say, “It’s all about the
light.” Being able to see “good” light from bad and the effect of shadow is
everything to a good photograph and a photographer.
The other key is composition. Composition is the flow and the
order to a photograph, establishing a subject and a background and
using good photographic techniques to lead the viewer to that subject.
There are no fixed rules in photography, but there are guidelines which
can often help you to enhance the impact of your photos.

1. Rule of Thirds
Imagine that your image is divided into nine equal segments by
two vertical and two horizontal lines. Try to position the most important
elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they
intersect. Doing so will add balance and interest to your photo. Some
cameras even offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over
the LCD screen, making it even easier to use.

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an

image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have With this grid in mind the ‘rule of thirds’ now identifies four
9 parts. important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of
interest in as you frame your image.
 Not only this – but it also gives you four ‘lines’ that are also Placing your main subject off-centre, as with the rule of thirds,
useful positions for elements in your photo. The theory is that if you creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the
place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the
photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to 'weight' of your subject by including another object of lesser
interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing importance to fill the space.
images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points
most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds Balance in a photograph can come two ways: symmetrical or
works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working asymmetrical. Symmetrical is having two objects of the same weight or
against it. size opposed to each other. Asymmetrical would be two or more
Left: When shooting a head and shoulder portrait, frame the objects that have different weights but are positioned such that they give
shot so that her eyes fall on the upper imaginary line a third of the way balance to an image.
down the frame. Right: When shooting a landscape, put the horizon on
the bottom-third line if you want to emphasize the sky or tall objects like
mountains, trees, and buildings. Put the horizon on the upper-third line
to emphasize what's on the ground, such as the people in the shot.

Figure (left) these baskets of berries mirror their colors and shapes
producing a symmetrical arrangement, (right) the weight of the front tree
is offset by the weight of the three trees in the background — this
composition is asymmetrical but balanced.

3. Leading Lines
Imagine that the photo Leading lines are lines or elongated objects that either lead the
frame is divided into thirds, viewer to the subject or lead from the subject to the background. These
both horizontally and help define the photograph. It takes the viewer where you want to them
vertically. The rule of thirds contends that the intersections of these lines to go.
are the strongest parts of the frame: They're where the viewer's eye
naturally goes. For good composition, strive to put the most interesting
parts of the picture at these four points. In general, save the center
square of the frame for tight close-ups. (Even then, aim for having the
subject's eyes on the upper-third line.)

2. Balance/ Balancing Elements

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 We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and
man-made., They can make for very eye-catching compositions,
particularly in situations where they are not expected. Another great way
to use them is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way,
introducing tension and a focal point to the scene.

Figure. The railing of this walkway focuses the viewer’s attention on the
far end of the walkway.

When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines.

By thinking about how you place lines in your composition, you can
affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the
subject, or on a journey 'through' the scene. There are many different
types of line - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc - and each can
be used to enhance our photo's composition.

The symmetry of this chapel is broken by the bucket in the bottom right
corner. Image by Fabio Montalto.

5. Viewpoint
Before photographing your subject, take time to think about
where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the
composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the
message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye
level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level,
from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up,
The road in this photo draws your eye through the scene. Image
and so on.
by Pierre Metivier.

4. Symmetry and Patterns

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 When photographing people, try to keep horizon lines from cutting
through people’s heads. Also look for poles and trees and objects that
stick out of the top of people’s heads. Lastly, look for clutter or junk in
the background. They all make for a poor composition. So make sure
you concentrate not only on your subject but also on what is behind
them.

The unusual viewpoint chosen here creates an intriguing and slightly

abstract photo. Image by ronsho.

6. Backgrounds
How many times have you taken what you thought would be a
great shot, only to find that the final image lacks impact because the
subject blends into a busy background? The human eye is excellent at Figure. Bad composition! The pole, the horizon and the clutter compete
distinguishing between different elements in a scene, whereas a camera with the true
has a tendency to flatten the foreground and background, and this can
often ruin an otherwise great photo. Thankfully this problem is usually 7. Depth
easy to overcome at the time of shooting - look around for a plain and Because photography is a two-dimensional medium, we have to
unobtrusive background and compose your shot so that it doesn't choose our composition carefully to conveys the sense of depth that was
distract or detract from the subject. present in the actual scene. You can create depth in a photo by
including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background.
Another useful composition technique is overlapping, where you
deliberately partially obscure one object with another. The human eye
naturally recognizes these layers and mentally separates them out,
creating an image with more depth.

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 10. Experimentation
With the dawn of the digital age in photography we no longer
have to worry about film processing costs or running out of shots. As a
result, experimenting with our photos' composition has become a real
possibility; we can fire off tons of shots and delete the unwanted ones
later at absolutely no extra cost. Take advantage of this fact and
experiment with your composition - you never know whether an idea will
work until you try it.

8. Framing
The world is full of objects which make perfect natural frames,
such as trees, archways and holes. By placing these around the edge of
the composition you help to isolate the main subject from the outside
world. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye
naturally to the main point of interest.

Composition in photography is far from a science, and as a

result all of the "rules" above should be taken with a pinch of salt. If they
don't work in your scene, ignore them; if you find a great composition
that contradicts them, then go ahead and shoot it anyway. But they can
often prove to be spot on, and are worth at least considering whenever
you are out and about with your camera.
A well-composed photograph is really a matter of opinion, but
9. Cropping there are a few tricks that tend to result in better pictures. Certain
Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so elements make for a pleasing arrangement and are appealing to the
small it becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping eye. These aesthetics are in photography, in art, in architecture and
tight around the subject you eliminate the background "noise", ensuring design, and even in nature.
the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention.

The Three Basics of Exposure

Exposure
Exposure is getting the perfect amount of light onto your digital
sensor or film, so that there is detail in both shadow and light, contrast
and good color.

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 The reason we refer to ISO, shutter speed, and aperture as the
exposure triangle is that every time you change one setting, it affects
the other two in a constant triangle. How do you know where to start with
the settings? Much of it will depend on the available light, but a good
starting point is to consider what depth of field is needed for the shot.

1. Aperture
Aperture is the adjustable opening in your lens that allows light
to pass through to the digital sensor or film. It goes from very small to
almost as large as the lens glass itself. To express the size of the
opening, aperture is enumerated in “f stops” with the largest opening
being the smallest number and the smallest opening being the largest
number.
A typical range of apertures, from largest to smallest, would look
like this:
• f1.4, f2.0, f2.8, f4.0 f5.6, f8.0, f11, f16, f22

2. Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is how long the shutter of a given aperture is
open to allow light to hit the digital sensor or film. The longer your shutter
is open the more light will hit the sensor. Shutter speed is enumerated in
seconds or parts thereof: 1, ½, ¼ 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500.

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But on most modern cameras the “1/” of the fraction is dropped so
1/125th is expressed as 125. Each doubling or halving of speed,
indicates a doubling or halving of light.
Here’s a handy guide to the general brackets:

1 – 30+ seconds: Night and low-light photos, using a tripod

2 – 1/2 second: To create an ethereal look on flowing water, or with

landscape photos, to add an enhanced depth of field.

1/2 – 1/30 second: To add motion blur to the background of a scene

1/60 – 1/100 second: Hand-held photos without a large telephoto lens

1/250 – 1/500 second: Sports and action shots, or hand-held photos with
a large telephoto lens

1/1000 – 1/4000 or 1/8000 second: Fast and close-up motion shots

3. ISO
ISO is the sensitivity to light of the digital sensor or film. The
higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor will be to light. ISO is
expressed as 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc., with each doubling in
number representing a doubling in sensitivity.

A common rule of thumb these days is to take your focal length

of your lens and shoot at least as fast as that. If you have a 300mm
telephoto lens, your minimum shutter speed should be 300 (1/300 or
1/320 as is common) If you cannot hand-hold, you must use a tripod

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Here are some close-up crops to see the effects of ISO noise in an
Image.

Overexposed Image. There is good light on the rocks but the sky and
clouds are missing detail because of overexposure.

Underexposed Image. Great detail in the sky but the foreground is dark
and all the detail is lost to noise there in the rocks.

The last image (exposed well) was exposed pretty well in a difficult high
dynamic range lighting situation. There is great detail and color in the
sky and you can make out all the rocks and foreground areas
completely.

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 Auto Bracketing is an exposure technique whereby you can
ensure that you have the optimal exposure by taking at least three (3)
exposures of the exact same composition with one at the metered EV,
one at 1/3 of a stop below the metered EV and one at 1/3 of a stop
above the metered EV. So “Auto Bracketing” is a function in which you
set the EV value then release the shutter and the camera automatically
makes the necessary up and down adjustments to the EV to give you
the bracketed exposures. Then you can review the three (or more)
exposures, see the subtle but critical differences in the images, and
decide which one is the best image for your purposes. In the three
images on the right, you might prefer the overexposed (by 2 stops)
image because the setting sun is most brilliant. Bracketing was a
technique that was popularized from shooting slide film, due to the
limited ability to correct the image in the darkroom.

What is "Auto Bracketing"?

Depth of Field (DOF)

Depth of field is determined by three things; aperture (f stop), distance to
your subject, and lens focal length (50mm, 200m etc), with Aperture
having a profound effect on DOF. Let's see what an image looks like just
varying the aperture and leaving alone the other two parts:

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 Examples of the Artistic use of Exposure:

In the next image, a slow shutter speed was used (on a tripod)
to silken the water and show motion. The same can be done for a
Photographers that shoot portraits usually use larger apertures waterfall, an ocean or a fountain.
(low numbers) for a shallow DOF to highlight and isolate their subjects.
Landscape photographers usually use small apertures to have a very
deep DOF, all the way from the foreground to the background.
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 the photographer. For example, a gritty black and white
headshot may prompt this sort of description: "This portrait
evokes a raw and intimate feeling, and gives a sense of the
subject's humility and strength."
4. Address the technical components. Try to be as objective as
possible when covering the technical elements of a photograph.
 Focus. Determine whether the photo is properly
focused, or if it is unintentionally blurred by way of
technical error. Common examples of unwanted blur to
cite in your photo critique are: focus on the wrong
element of the composition, action blur and zoom blur.
 Dust and other technical distractions. If the
photographer captured unwanted dust or glare in the
photo, then you should point it out in your photography
critique.
 Color. Not all photos need to represent colors as they
would appear to the unaided eye, but the photograph's
use of color should be intentional and relevant to the
photo. Faded, dull or ruddy color tones may be the
Critiquing Photographs product of technical error.
 Lighting. Too much or too little lighting may result in a
Critiquing photography is the process of evaluating and number of technically sub-par photography results.
interpreting the elements of a photo in order to determine its meaning  Exposure. This pertains to the length of time the
and effectiveness. camera was enabled to take in the image and affects
the lighting and contrast. A higher exposure allows more
How to write a photography Critique? light to filter in, and may result in too-white highlights,
If you need to critique photographs for work, school, a while a lower exposure may result in a too-dark photo
photography club or for your own, personal interests, so it's important to with muddled contrast lines.
know how to write a thorough and useful critique. Follow these steps for 5. Assess the artistic elements of the photo. Cover each of the
how to write a photography critique. following elements when critiquing photography:
 Subject matter. Note the photographer's choice of
STEPS: image, and determine whether or not it seems to be
1. Examine the photography. Note your first impression upon purposeful, or haphazardly chosen. For example, a
visually taking the entire photo in, then study all of the details of photo of a busy street market is more artistically
the photo, being sure to view every component both singularly interesting when it depicts a single vendor in
and in relation to the overall composition. negotiations with customers, as opposed to the less
2. Decipher what you like and dislike about the photograph. A interesting composition of a congested crowd of people
photo critique generally begins with a basic impression of what with no focal point.
you feel works for the photo and doesn't work for the photo. You  Color. In addition to the technical execution of color, a
don't have to share these perceptions; they are, rather starting photography critique should also address the artistic
points for further analysis. effect of the photographer's chosen color scheme.
3. Describe the photograph in terms of your general feeling or Determine if the colors add to or detract from the feeling
impression. This is a subjective part of critiquing photography, of the photograph, and if a black and white treatment
and is necessary to relaying the aesthetic impact of the photo to would be more or less effective.
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  Composition. Note the content and layout of the 2. How’s the composition?
photograph in regards to subject positioning, symmetry,  Framing?
clutter, sparseness and cropping. Moreover, determine if  What should and shouldn’t be in the frame?
the photograph is directed in a way that best highlights  Where is your eye drawn to?
its intended subject, feeling and message. 3. How is the emotional appeal?
6. Explain what you like about the photograph, and why. A  What emotion do you feel when you look at the photo? Or lack
photo critique should point out a photo's strong points, as well as of?
the technical and artistic aspects that contribute to those  Did the photographer connect with his subjects or do they look
strengths, so you should be specific. For example, saying that tense, posed or stilted?
you "like the lighting" is not nearly as helpful as saying, "I like the  Does the photograph tell a story, or part of one? (It could be as
use of overhead lighting because it accentuates the shadows of simple as, “here are my kids who I adore” or “here’s my dog
the subject's face, lending to the intimate feeling." catching a frisbee.” Or a very deep one such as, “this is what
7. Elaborate on elements of the photograph that could be poverty looks like, right in my hometown.”)
improved upon. Your goal is to provide the photographer with a
thorough and accurate analysis of the photograph's
effectiveness. Be specific, as in this example: "Adjusting the
exposure time would create more crispness in the contrast,
which would add to the raw grit of the photograph." Photojournalism
8. Summarize your general perception of the
photograph. Rather than repeat what you already said in your Photojournalism is the visual documentation of newsworthy
photography critique, provide a brief description of your overall events and subjects. Images snapped by photojournalists illustrate what
feeling about the photograph, after taking into consideration its is taking place during an exact moment in time. Nothing speaks louder
technical and artistic aspects, strength and weaknesses. or captures an audience's attention more than a photo that evokes
emotion by telling a story on its own.

How to Critique Photographs in 3 Key Steps 7 Photojournalism Tips: Fundamentals for Visual Impact by David
It’s also important in the process to learn to critique photographs Green:
of another’s work. Tell them what you see, as their audience. But make it
clear when you are stating a fact like “it’s a bit out of focus,” or “my 1. Planning
eye is taken in two different directions” versus an opinion– which The most important thing to bring to your work as a
composition and framing often are. Opinions are fine, if stated as such, photojournalist is planning. If you don’t know in advance what’s going to
and as you know we all have them… be needed, you’re not going to have the right equipment or be looking in
Here’s a mental checklist to go through and see how the the right direction when something important happens.
photograph holds up.
2. Timing
1. How is the technical quality? Let’s start here before we get to the A lot of photojournalism comes down to waiting. If you are in a
more subjective issues of composition and emotion. situation where you know something is likely to happen, the question is
what’s going to happen, and when.
 In focus? (or if not, was that intended?)
 Exposure: Is it too light or dark? Are there blown out or
3. Exposure
underexposed areas?
Photojournalism is not just about artistic expression, it’s also
 Use of depth of field to control the viewer’s eye. about making sure that people can see what’s happening. It’s tempting
 Use of contrast? Too muddy or too much contrast. to look at the artistic possibilities of every scene, and you may find
 How was lighting handled? yourself frustrated by the need to report clearly and accurately what is
 How do the colors look? actually happening.
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4. Cropping
One of the advantages of using a high resolution camera is the REFERENCES:
ability to crop after-the-fact. The point of the photojournalistic images to
draw the viewer’s attention to the elements that are critical. Aperture Digital Photography Fundamentals (2005). Apple Computer, Inc.

5. Focus Tellone, Peter (2010). How to Take Great Photos with Whatever Camera You
It goes without saying that if the subject is out of focus, viewers Got. Rockable Press.
won’t be able to see it properly. But focus is also a tool a photojournalist
can use to draw attention to the elements that are the most relevant and
image.
http://lifehacker.com/5814174/basics‐of‐photography‐composition‐and‐
6. Subject
technique
Choosing what you want to focus on is an important aspect
photojournalism. Sometimes you’ll come to an event because you know
that there’s something specific there you want to capture, but sometimes http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10‐top‐photography‐
you’re just looking around to see what’s newsworthy. composition‐rules

7. Rights http://www.exposureguide.com/exposure.htm
If you’re in public, it’s important to know the rights of the people
you’re photographing. While celebrities, politicians, felons, and some http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the‐ultimate‐beginners‐
emergency workers have essentially given up their rights to privacy as introduction‐to‐exposure‐‐photo‐3028
far as photojournalism is concerned, you need to be cautious about
taking photographs of ordinary citizens. You also have to be careful http://www.silberstudios.tv/blog/2014/10/how‐to‐critique‐photographs‐a‐
where you’re taking these photographs. key‐ayp‐club‐feature/

Don’t take photojournalism casually. What you report can http://www.wikihow.com/Write‐a‐Photography‐Critique

change the lives of people who are represented in your photographs,
and the people who see them. Approach the field with the respect it http://photography.lovetoknow.com/Photojournalism_Tips
deserves.
https://blog.udemy.com/photojournalism‐tips/

CHAPTER EXERCISES:

1. What Composition in Photography?

2. Discuss the Exposure Triangle and its applications.
3. Discuss how aperture affect one’s composition in photography.
4. Discuss how shutter speed affect one’s composition in
photography.
5. Discuss how to do critiquing in photography.
6. Discuss photojournalism and how to do it successfully.

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