Beyond Auto Mode: A Guide to Taking Control of Your Photography

Chapter 10: COMPOSING IMAGES

Exposure, and control of exposure, has been our focus to this point. But exposure is merely the technical aspect of making images. How aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together, whether used for creative purpose or not, is essentially a math equation.

Composition is all about how the elements in your frame are organized. Everything that goes into your image is part of composition, which means your depth of field, motion blur, and noise decisions all affect composition. So while the exposure triangle is technical in nature, the items affected by the exposure triangle are artistic in nature.

Beyond the three elements affected by our triangle, there are lots of other elements that make up the composition of an image. What you include, or don’t include, in the frame is a compositional decision. Things like the background and foreground, the kind of light, and other items impact the way the viewer feels when looking at the image. A compelling composition draws viewers in while a poor composition turns them away. Without great composition, it doesn’t matter how well you have mastered the exposure triangle—your image simply won’t be interesting to look at.

Think about images you find yourself drawn to over and over again. Some images, like those of loved ones, forge a connection based on the relationship of the viewer to the subject. If ...