Creating a sense of excitement about your finished art is rewarding. Rewarding for you and those viewing your art, because, after all, your patrons deserve the best art that you can produce.
A major component of a great piece of art is its composition. It is composition that draws the eye into the image. It conveys the emotions you experienced when you captured the image.
In this article I would like to cover two elements that when, incorporated into photo, create a sense of depth. Depth in any work of art crafts an illusion. It creates an illusion wherein two dimensional art becomes three dimensional.
Any photo that centers on the main subject with the exclusion of its surroundings becomes static. It becomes a snapshot. Our aim is to create art.
For example, a light house when photographed in the center of the photo is a snapshot. It contains no emotion. Certain elements from the surroundings should be included in creation of the photo to give a feel for the size of the lighthouse or produce the emotion about the lighthouse. The same concept applies to mountains, waterfalls, buildings, sunsets and sunrises.
Two techniques we will cover in this article are framing and foreground.
Framing, when done correctly, helps define the main subject. Framing gives the photograph perspective. It highlights the subject giving the viewer a new or more interesting way of looking at the subject. Perhaps the subject has been photographed a thousand times, but by properly framing the shot, the viewer experience the image with a different prospective. This unique perspective produces the OHH WOW factor for you patron.
When a subject touches your soul and screams “photograph me!” Do it. But after the initial rush, step back and look around. Is there something that could be added to the photo that would frame the subject in a unique fashion? An archway, gate, or tree branch that would add to the finished image and frame the main subject. It may take some exploring, but framing opportunities exist. When you find it. It will be worth the search.
The second technique useful in creating a successful image is including the foreground into the image. Foregrounds add depth to the photo. It creates a feeling a point of reference. Foregrounds lead the eye into the photo. By lowering the position of the camera you can include more of the foreground. When including more of the foreground, I would suggest using a smaller aperture, a setting of 20 or less. Smaller apertures increase clarity of the image throughout the photo, thereby adding depth of field.