There's still time to get fall photos before the cold weather sets and winter comes to Bucks County. The last of the maple trees are now turning bright yellow, which is a great complimentary color against afternoon blue skies.
You'll find lots of windy roads throughout beautiful Bucks County, Pa. Start learning to really see as an artist when you look through your camera and compose an image. Composition is all about keeping the viewer of your photograph engaged enough to stay a while.
One great rule of composition is LINES. Lines lead your viewer into your photograph. Lines can be straight and dynamic or soft and curvy. Use lines such as roads, paths and streams to lead you to the main subject toward the end of the line. Your main subject could even be your family posing for a holiday card.
There are many covered bridges, barns, historic buildings, etc. in Bucks County. Why not try out the popular "Rule of Thirds" when taking landscape photos? Here's how it works: picture a tic, tac, toe grid with 4 intersecting points where the lines meet. When shooting landscapes, place your horizon line on the top or bottom 1/3 grid line (by using your camera in LiveView mode, you will usually have the grid show up to help you out). If you were to place the horizon line in the center when using this rule, it would make your photo become boring as if it was cut in half. When you place your main subject in one of the 4 intersecting points in this rule, you have now utilized the rule of thirds to its fullest. Check out the example below.
Do you like taking close-ups of flowers, leaves or bugs? Try out the "Rule of Simplicity". Make an impact by getting in close and fill the frame with your subject. This rule is pretty simple.
This time of year, the" Rule of Framing" can work very well. Set up your photo by placing your subjects in the background only. Your framework is in the foreground. However, make sure to have your frame on at least two edges of your photograph. It may be a tree and branches hanging over the top and side of your frame. It could also be an archway that you are using as your frame and a building is in the background that you want to show off.
Balance is also a rule of composition. Mainly remember with this rule to make your viewer feel at ease when looking at your image. If you've shot your photo on an angle and your viewer has to turn their head to look at it and that means it’s not well balanced. If you can split an image into two images, then it will take away from being well balanced also.
Mergers are also an important part of composition rules. Watch for trees and telephone poles growing out of heads and other distracting elements that you may not have noticed right away.
Keep up the good work by practicing and trying out these rules of composition.
