Basic knowledge of photography aesthetics

Photographic composition is to use the imaging characteristics of camera lens and photographic modeling means to form a certain picture and reveal certain content. It runs through the whole process of photography. Composition is the embodiment of photographer's artistic pursuit and accomplishment, involving many fields of aesthetics and various professional knowledge. For photography lovers, composition is a content that needs to be studied and studied forever. The following is the basic knowledge of photography aesthetics I collected, hoping to help you! If you think it's good, welcome to share!

1. Basic requirements of composition

A picture often accepts the theme and content of the picture through people's visual feelings. A painting often has the most attractive part, which is called the "center of interest". It can best reflect the cohesion of the picture.

The visual center is generally slightly higher than the geometric center, which is the first place people see. Therefore, the center of interest is best located in the visual center of the picture.

The center of interest is the most wonderful part of the picture, and it is also an organic part of the picture, which runs through other parts of the picture and forms an artistic whole. The center of interest can be people, scenery, lines, geometric shapes, colors, etc. It plays the role of commander in chief in the picture. There is no uniform standard to determine the size and location of the interesting center of the picture, which mainly depends on the size of the subject matter and the ideological content to be expressed, the artistic effect of the picture and some composition rules.

It is the key to make the picture have an interesting center through composition, and the picture without an interesting center will make people feel boring.

2. Six relationships that should be considered in composition.

(1) master-slave relationship

A painting should have a theme, the central content should be prominent, and the secondary things should serve the main body. I can't distinguish between primary and secondary, and I can't pretend to be the master. Dealing with the relationship between primary and secondary, just like the relationship between red flowers and green leaves, can make the scenery of the picture interdependent and complement each other.

The central content of a photo is reflected by the subject, and the subject should form an interesting center in the picture. The unity of the two is helpful to express the theme of the picture. Highlighting the theme is an important means to express the theme and generate the center of interest, and it is also the basic principle of composition.

Highlighting the subject means putting the subject in the visual center of the picture, and unifying the interest center and the visual center is the easiest way to highlight the subject. When shooting, the commonly used methods to highlight the subject are: highlighting the subject by tone; Highlight the theme with lines; Highlight the subject by depth of field; Highlight the theme with close-ups; Use peers to highlight the theme.

(2) Context

The treatment of context in the picture is reflected by close shot, middle shot and long shot. When taking pictures, especially when emphasizing the depth of the picture, we can consciously use the contrast between the front object and the distant object to create a very strong spatial concept and a concrete and far-reaching picture.

(3) the relationship between reality and reality

The contrast between reality and reality is actually a conscious artistic treatment. A painting is clear and true everywhere, which makes people take in everything in a glance and lacks aftertaste. If there is emptiness and reality, emptiness and reality coexist, and if it is looming, it will be even more memorable. For example, a portrait of a person, if the person and the background are equally clear and realistic, then there will be an offset relationship between the person and the background, and no one will stand out. If the background becomes empty, the characters will suddenly stand out, and the background will be more subtle and full of artistic conception under the contrast of the characters, and the picture effect will be very different. Therefore, the treatment of the relationship between reality and reality directly affects the artistic effect of the picture.

(4) Density relation

Density is a very important factor in composition. Density itself forms a contrast relationship in the picture, which makes the picture produce a rhythm, an artistic conception and an aesthetic feeling. If you don't pay attention to density in composition, you will feel that there is no theme, no focus and the picture is loose and chaotic. On the contrary, if the composition is too tight, objects will gather together, which will give people a feeling of crowding, depression and sealing. Therefore, a good picture composition must be dense and relaxed.

(5) Contrast between light and shade

The contrast between light and dark in composition mainly refers to the arrangement and layout of black, white and gray in the picture. This is very important for the effect of a photo. Pay special attention to the following two points when taking pictures:

ⅰ. The inherent color of the object itself should have the change of depth contrast.

ⅱ. The contrast between light and shade should be strengthened by the change of light and shade caused by light irradiation.

If there is no contrast between light and dark or the contrast is very small, the work is either dark or light. In addition, pay attention to the contrast and distribution of black, white and gray in the picture, not too symmetrical or too messy. We should take into account the overall layout of the picture, the primary and secondary relationship of objects and the mutual contrast between light and shade, and actively use various factors to combine black and white to make the picture produce more vivid artistic effects.

(6) Harmony and change of colors

This is a very important problem for color photography. It mainly involves the selection and arrangement of scenery colors, and the combination and processing of colors play a very important role in the success or failure of the picture. Here are a few principles that should be highly valued:

I. Great harmony, small contrast and great harmony mean that the colors of the selected scenes should be harmonious and in tune, and the colors between scenes should be harmonious, not colorful and chaotic; Small contrast refers to the color contrast in a small area on the basis of great harmony. As the saying goes, "a little red is in the green", which explains this truth accurately.

Two. The lightness of color should be changed, and there should be changes in light and shade levels.

ⅲ. Pay attention to the cold and warm contrast and purity contrast of colors.

3. Common combination forms

(1) The golden section is the basic law of composition beauty.

"Golden Section" is a geometric formula invented by the ancient Greeks, and the composition form that follows this law is considered to be "harmonious". When applied to photography, photos often make people feel comfortable and natural.

Regardless of the horizontal or vertical composition, we should divide the picture horizontally and vertically into two lines. These four lines are called golden section lines, and their intersections are called golden section points, as shown in the figure below.

In a photographic work, if the subject in the picture is arranged around the golden section, the composition will be natural, comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

(2) Vertical composition

Vertical composition gives people a sense of grandeur. It is often used to show majestic scenes.

(3) Horizontal composition

Give people a calm, open and empty feeling. It is often used to express plain, quiet and lyrical scenes.

(4) Diagonal composition

Give people an unstable sense of movement. Tilting breaks the calm feeling of horizontal composition and makes the picture active, which is often used to express moving scenes.

(5) curve composition

Arc composition is full of change and beauty, relaxed, smooth and full of twists and turns, which is very interesting. It is the most commonly used composition for taking landscape photos.

(6) Frame composition

Picture composition mostly uses the specific shape of the scene to form the overall outline of the picture, forming a unique composition form. Use buildings, windows, tree trunks, frame corners and other shapes to form various compositions.

(7) Circular composition

Give people a relaxed, soft, happy and complete feeling. Often used to express festive scenes.

(8) Radial combination

Give people a strong sense of movement.