COMPOSITION.

    As part of today's class, our tutor asked us to explore composition if we had no prior knowledge of the term. Before starting my degree, I had no previous experience of photography (as previously mentioned!) aside from just mucking about with a camera therefore I had little understanding of how to actually composition a shot. She gave us links to various websites in order for us to learn more about what composition is, what it means and the basic rules/guidelines of how to actually set up a photograph:

    "Composition" can be used within various different forms of art; such as music, dance, literature and visual and it has two very different, yet still somewhat related meanings. Firstly, it describes the placement of objects in art and secondly it is a key aspect of good art. Composition is of extreme importance and it enhances detailing and requires good balance - it helps to emphasise the idea or story you are trying to convey.

    In photography, the way an image is shot is crucial. Therefore, composition in a photograph is when certain elements of a photo are arranged in order to fit the goal of your work. One link give to me describes 10 rules of composition:

  
1. SIMPLIFY THE SCENE: remember that the camera picks out everything, even if the naked eye doesn't therefore you have to chose your subject, select a focal length that makes it the centre of the frame - and make sure that other objects are part of the background.
2. FILL THE FRAME: leaving too much empty space makes your subject look small than it actually is and leave viewers confused as to what the focus point is, filling the frame gets closer to the subject and makes it easier to control what is in the background whilst also giving a more interesting take on things.
3. ASPECT RATIO: make sure to keep changing your camera between horizontal and vertical shots and you can always crop an image to 16:9 for a widescreen effect particularly if your subject doesn't fit the frame.
4. AVOID THE MIDDLE: it's tempting to shoot right in the centre of the frame however, it only produces basic, boring photos. In order to prevent this, you can use the "Rule of Thirds" idea where you split the image into thirds horizontally and vertically and put your subject into one of these imaginary lines with the other two bring free space.
5. LEADING LINES: there is a way of controlling a persons eye movements when looking at a picture. Converging lines give a 3D depth to an image that lead you to the main subject. Lines can be found everywhere, for example on walls, fences, roads, buildings etc.
6. USE DIAGONALS: diagonal lines introduce a drama, uncertain feeling to an image, wider angles tend to produce more diagonal lines as you are more likely to tilt the camera. To introduce diagonals into your work the "Dutch Tilt" technique where you tilt the camera just as you take the shot helps to create this effect.
7. SPACE TO MOVE: despite being static, photographs convey a strong sense of movement and you should always leave a little more space ahead of a subject than behind it as a viewers always looks to where the subject is going towards not where it came from.
8. BACKGROUNDS: don't just concentrate on a subject, take note of what is in the background, you cannot exclude it completely, but you can control it. Using a wide liens aperture and a longer focal length throws the background out of focus to create a good effect.
9. CREATIVE WITH COLOURS: bright primary colours are what attract the eye and including a splash of colour across a monochromatic background helps create colour contrasts. The key is to be selective of how you isolate and frame subjects to exclude unwanted colours.
10. BREAKING THE RULES: once you get a better understanding of the rules, its best to start breaking them in order to create interesting images!

I found these rules extremely helpful and cannot wait to put them into practice!

TERRY O'NEILL: READING OF A PHOTOGRAPH

     Another task we had to do today in class was take one of our chosen inspirational photo's and then go on to analyse and read it like we had previously learnt. The photograph I decided to choose was Terry O'Neill's snap of named "Faye Dunaway".


                                     

• The denotation of the photograph was a woman simply lounging by the pool on what looks like a crisp, sunny morning. Scattered around the floor are newspapers, there is breakfast on the table and an Oscar winners statue aswell.
• The connotations are that this lady is Faye Dunaway, winner of an Oscar the previous night for her starring role in the film "Network" and she is staying in the Beverly Hills Hotel. The newspapers on the ground are today's papers which are all filled with Oscar's headlines. Although she has received many other awards - it was this one that shocked many and changed her career completely.
• In terms of the Studium - O'Neill and Dunaway were dating at the time when the photograph was taken and they stayed together in a suite at the hotel. He claimed that he wanted to capture the shock and "dazed confusion" on Dunaway's face. The photograph is set up like a regular poolside breakfast scene, yet Dunaway's silk clothing and high heels relate to the fact that she could have possibly stayed up overnight and show her changing into a worldwide star. Also, if you look closely, the teapot is actually central to the shot whereas you would expect the Oscar to be however, it ties in with the theme of her life changing and the transition into a big star. 
• What stands out in relation to me is that Dunaway looks so completely relaxed and at ease, yet for someone who has most likely stayed up all night celebrating she still looks completely red carpet glamourous.