How To Compose The Perfect Picture

Learning how to properly compose pictures can mean the difference between great looking pictures and bad ones. This article will give you useful composition tips for taking great digital pictures.

Filling the Frame & Clearing Clutter

There are exceptions to this as you'll see in a second, but generally filling the frame is one of the easiest things you can do to compose interesting photographs.

Most people make the mistake of trying to include too much in their picture and end up with a boring photo where nothing really stands out.

For example, if you're taking a picture of your child on a swing in the backyard, fill the frame with your child and swing, and leave out the rest of the swing set, Uncle Ed at the barbecue, and the other kids doing cartwheels on the lawn.

If you don't fill the frame with just your child, you will lose them in the background and won't be able to capture their excited expression from swinging high in the air. You can always go back and take a close up of Uncle Ed flipping the burgers.

One of the great benefits of digital cameras is that you can see the picture you just took in playback mode to make sure it turned out okay. By checking the picture right away, you often can retake the picture and make it better by getting everyone smiling or removing clutter from the background like a lamp post or tree branch.

Sometimes leaving lots of empty space in the photo also works well. You may want to fill two thirds of the picture of something like a sandy beach to get a special effect. Just be sure to get a close enough shot that your subject fills at least about a third of the frame. And that brings us to another important tip for taking digital pictures.

Rule of Thirds Technique

Most snapshots have empty (or cluttered) space on either side of the subject, with the subject dead center. This happens because most people use digital compacts in auto focus mode and these cameras usually have a center-weighted focus.

Rarely do professional photographer have the subject in the center because they use manual focus. However, if you have an auto focus camera there is a trick you can use to avoid center weighted focus. If you have a DSLR you can also use this trick too.

The "Rule of Thirds" is one of the most popular techniques. With this method, the photographer imagines six evenly spaced lines breaking the image into nine even parts. Some cameras have a feature that lets you opt to have this tic tac toe grid, superimposed over your image in preview mode.

Using this grid in preview mode - or your imagination - you can frame the composition so that the subject (whether an individual, group or object) is on one of the lines of the grid. The lines of the grid are intended as guides so don't try to line up your subject perfectly with the grid. Before long, using the rule of thirds will become automatic with just a little practice.

Focus on Focusing

So, it's time to talk about how to get your subject in focus without placing them directly in the center of your picture. This technique works great for subjects that are not moving, like people sitting down or a picture of a statue or tree. Here is how you do it:

1. Move your subject in the middle of the frame where your viewfinder's focus point is in the center and press the shutter release button half way down.

2. Wait for the green light to glow steadily signifying your focus is locked.

3. Keeping your finger pressed on the shutter release button so it stays pressed half way down, move the camera until you have the composition you want.

4. Keeping the camera still, press the shutter button the rest of the way down.

5. Always wait for the green light because that is the camera's signal that it has taken the picture.

More Composition Tips for Taking Digital Pictures (Or Film)

Focus on the the main point of interest of your subject. Usually the eyes are the most expressive areas with people and pets so they tend to be the area most focused upon.

If you want your pictures to stand out, train your eye to look for photo opportunities with contrast. Contrast in a picture is good when the brights are bright and the dark colors are dark.

For a new perspective and added appeal, try using different angles when photographing your picture. Get a different perspective by getting up high or lying down on the ground. Don't always take your pictures from the same vantage point.

By using these tips, you'll be able to compose great pictures and display them on your wall for all to enjoy.