Portrait Photography Tips | Composition Will Make or Break Your Picture
© 2014 Wazari Wazir | My Family at Bukit Jalil Park
© 2014 Wazari Wazir | My Wife and Daughter at Bukit Jalil Park
Just a quick update from me, just wanted to show on how composition does matter, composition can make or break your photograph. Choosing the right angle is sometimes is crucial to get a good photograph.
For an example, take a look at the very top photograph, it is a lazy man approach, it is a kind of snap shot, a photograph taken without thinking too much about background, about what to include and what not to include, it is a “Snap”, thats why people call it a “snap shot”.
Normally those who are quite new in photography when taking a photograph of a person rarely pay attention to what’s behind the subject, their main focus is the main subject or the person being photograph, but in order to make your subject stand out, you need to choose the right angle so that there is no distracting elements that will take viewers focus from your main subject.
When photographing a person, it is always best practise to avoid a bright subject in the background, they will always steal viewers attention from the main subject. If you see the top photograph above, there was a large white structure behind my wife and daughter, and I believe those thing really get your attention, and too distracting.
So in order to make a clean shot since the structure is not something to be proud of, not a landmark or iconic thing, it is best to avoid. In order to do so, I try to find another composition, looking for the best composition, so that my wife and daughter will have a chance to stand out from the background and deserve the attention that they supposed to get.
© 2014 Wazari Wazir | My Family at Bukit Jalil Park
In order to get much cleaner background, I take another tight shot, like the last photograph. Yes this might not the best photograph but hopefully you will get the idea on how to choose the right composition. Sometimes you can choose a better composition by try to find a better position yourself and if you can’t, due to the location of a certain places, then maybe you can reposition your subject at the different angle or place. Ask or tell your subject to move to other place to get a better background.
Sometimes you really don’t need a brand new camera or lenses, all you need is a “new eye” on seeing things differently, try to train your eye to be a better photographer, always top up your knowledge, always looking for a better composition, always ask yourself on how you can improvise certain photograph. If you can’t “change” your camera equipment, then I believe you can always change your perspective or composition, it’s free and cost zero money to get a better shot.
