Think about how the subject relates to the background, not just
compositionally but in meaning & color & texture to tie them together.

good luck !

steppy the gamer o_0

Free Games i love to play : <a href=http://www.gamestotal.com >massive
online games</a><a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com >free massive online
games</a><a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/freegames/ >free strategy
games</a><a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com >strategy games</a><a
href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/i.cfm?p=about >free online strategy
games</a><a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/i.cfm?p=aboutgc >free massive
multiplayer online games</a><a href=http://www.stephenyong.com >games
like runescape</a><a
href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/i.cfm?p=aboutgc>multiplayer online
games</a><a href=http://aw.gamestotal.com >free online mmorpg
games</a><a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com >massive online games
free</a><a href=http://3700.gamestotal.com >free online games like
runescape</a><a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/corp/ >massive free
online games</a>

Our good friend and fellow group member Ron Bigelow has been good enough to
put up a series of articles at ...

http://ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

Have a look about 1/2 way down the list - you'll find 3 in a row dealing
with composition.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

I would summarize most of what one might need about composition in a
couple of simple points:

1) Have a primary center of interest, and consider how your composition
works to make this obvious and pleasing.  That means knowing what
interests you about a scene, and if it is a particular object, making it
big enough and central to not be obscured by what is less important.  On
the other hand, obviously setting is important too.

2) Look for balances.  Having a center of interest literally centered in
the photo makes it so prominent that nothing can possible compete.
Sometimes that is OK.  But at least as often, interest is created when
there are secondary points of interest as well, and the placement of the
points of interest is balanced across the composition.  For instance, a
face that is slightly above center in a portrait might be balanced by a
necklace below center.  Or a river balancing a mountain.  This is a very
subjective matter, and I'd just say, be aware of it.  You want there to
be interesting things in multiple areas of the composition, without
detracting from #1 above.

---------------
Marc Sabatella
marc@outsideshore.com

Music, art,  & educational materials
Featuring "A Jazz Improvisation Primer"
http://www.outsideshore.com/

Often shooting in a city with tall buildings is like shooting in a
canyon....sometimes noon is the best time to shoot...cause the light
penetrates deeper to the floor; and  depending upon the orientation
of the street( E<W<N<S)?  The time of day and what you are trying
to capture, particularly in a city, will determine when you shoot -
and your composition. Early sunday morning will give a good bare
street and emphasize the depersonalization among other things;
shooting at lunch time will give you alot of stationary people and
they will fill different spaces than say around 9a, or for that matter
about coffe hour. Then again...you can emphasize bustle if
you shoot when people leave work.

Interesting vantage points yield different compositions. If you want
to shoot a corner for example...bring a tall ladder (and a helper)
and shoot from a higher elevation.

Pick apart the geometry of the buildings, railings, shadows and look
for relationships - convergences, parrallels, etc. The light will
effect what it looks like...it's composition in terms of it's
wholeness and detail.

Big light or little light? High or low? Stuff looks different inside
or outside depeneding upon the light and the factors that mitigate
that. It's nice to see a place under a few conditions of
light and weather and times - study it.  Figure out what it is that
you see..what grabs you,then what it's parts are-what makes it work;
then figure out how to capture what you see. How do you want to juggle
the "space" betwean" your elements?- what lens will do that- you know
- like longer lens -more compression; wider makes more space.

And you're right..what's of interest?, what does it have? That's
probably what you want to get in close on. Put it "in your face".

Shoot from a distance, then move in- systematically.  If your going to
cover a place or an object...there's usually an approach, a strong
manifestation of it, and then a fairwell or reprise (or surpise).

I muse. Probably the best thing you could do would be to look at
bodies of works of similar subjects and try to copy what makes sense
to you - that others have done. You probably will do so
imperfectly..and they will be original then - for you.

So much to consider. Best of luck and enjoy.
Ken Ellis