Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Eliminate Busy Backgrounds

Busy backgrounds destroy photographs. Just look at the top photo in Figure 2-3. Of course, sometimes your intention is to confuse and irritate the viewer’s eye. But unless you’re shooting a headbanger music CD cover, eliminate distracting elements from your picture as much as you can. Make it easy for the viewer to locate—and appreciate—the key elements of your composition.

Figure 2-3. Top: What’s this picture about? The people? The boats? Linear elements in the background usually spell doom for people shots.Bottom: Avoid clutter and opt for a more subtle background, like water or sky. Your subjects—and audience—will thank you.

In other words, don’t become so engrossed in your subject that you don’t notice the telephone wires that seem to run through her skull. Train your eye to examine the subject first, and then survey the surrounding scene.

Problems to avoid in your composition’s background include:

• All forms of poles. Telephone poles, fence posts, street signs, and malnourished trees can creep into your photos and ruin them.

• Linear patterns. Avoid busy background elements, such as bricks, paneling, fences, and zebra skins.

• Incomplete, cut-off objects. When people see a part of something in your picture—a tractor grille, a few ladder rungs, a camel’s rear end—they can’t help but wonder what the rest of it looks like, instead of focusing on your ...