The Principles of Design in Photography

Putting extra time and effort into the setup of your photo will pay off in the final picture.

Many people enjoy taking pictures because they can perpetuate special situations through a visual record. However, as in every art, photography has important principles of design that you must follow to get a well done photograph. By following these principles, you can achieve better quality in your photography compositions.

Contrast

This refers to the contrast between light and dark in an image; for instance, a light skin person wearing a dark shirt or the other way around. You should use natural lighting whenever you can to create a mood with it, taking care of shadows. Ensure that your dark tones and shades are as black as possible, and try to get your whites as bright as you can.

Pattern

You can design decorative images by finding the correct sequences in your image. It is a way of formulating an image to highlight the commonalities in a series of objects and subjects that are in the image. In this particular case, you're not just highlighting the contrast in the repeating nature of them. If you find the patterns in your image, you will deal with composition.

Balance

The sense of equilibrium in your image refers to the balance of objects in your composition. Each picture has its own balance and can be formally or informally balanced. If the image is balanced in a very formal form, it is made in symmetry, meaning the focus is right toward the middle and each side of the image likely reflects its contrary side. If the image is unbalanced, it is informal and asymmetrical, which means that the focus is somewhere else in the image and some areas present much more room than others.

Creativity

Creativity is vibrant, vital and ever changing in the world of photography. It means that you must create a new view of a common picture taken. Capture things in a way that you never noticed before. You need to tap into new sources and simultaneously let go of convention. Crop your picture starting from the object you are photographing, that way you can obtain the most important part of the composition you want. If you want to take a great picture, you will also need to observe the facial expressions of the people you will photograph to tell the story.

References

• Start Photo: Principles of Design