The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

CHAPTER 8

HOW TO MAKE A PHOTO

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Sometimes you’ll come across a beautiful or compelling vista and it will be enough

to serve as a subject all its own. You’ll still want to think about framing and com-

position and consider some of the rules that we’ve discussed, but you won’t have

a definite foreground and background.

While this image doesn’t have a definite foreground element, the scene itself is

compelling enough to be a subject all on its own.

At other times you might come across a compelling vista but not be able to find a

composition that feels right. is might be because the scene lacks a subject, and

so your eye doesn’t really know how to “read” the image. If you can find some-

thing to use as a subject, you’ll often find it’s easier to compose.

e scene on the left is much improved by waiting for the funicular to come into

the frame and serve as a subject.

Sometimes, patience is the most important photographic tool at your disposal.

If you find a nice background, wait and see whether someone walks into it to

complete the composition, or to serve as a subject.

FINDING AND COMPOSING A PHOTO

HOW TO MAKE A PHOTO

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Composing with Light and Dark

Earlier, you saw an example of a light airplane contrail balancing a dark hori-

zon. Very often, you’ll build composition out of light ...