How to take photos when traveling?

If you want to try, please ask novice photographers and experienced photographers to take pictures of the same place from about one point. After reading the photos, you can say with certainty which photos are novice's. Why do you think so? The answer is simple. Usually, experienced photographers will use composition rules in composition. Human eyes will be attracted by images created by some laws. In this paper, we will consider the most commonly used and easily applied rules in photography.

golden ratio

The law of "golden ratio" has been widely known since ancient times; It has been proved that by positioning objects at certain points, the attention of viewers can be attracted. There are four of these points, and their positions can be determined as follows. Apply an 8x8 grid to the photo. The third intersection of two sides of a straight line is the golden section.

Trinity rule

In photography, the most commonly used is the simplified "golden section" rule, the so-called three-point rule. In this case, the frame is divided into three equal parts by imaginary lines in the horizontal and vertical directions. By placing important topics at intersections or along imaginary lines, you can ensure that your attention is drawn to the image.

Trigonometry and golden section are often used when shooting landscapes. Putting the horizon on a line that divides the picture is more likely to get a harmonious picture. Which line to place the horizon along depends on what you want to highlight in the photo-a vast ocean or a stormy sky, or maybe a flowered carpet extending into the distance.

Many modern cameras allow you to open the grid on the viewfinder or camera LCD screen to simulate dichotomy. Don't miss the opportunity to use this skill. Please don't be disappointed if you can't make a correct composition when shooting. Cutting can be done in the image processing stage. The cutting tools in Adobe Photoshop include meshes, which not only simulate the golden section and trisection, but also simulate the golden spiral section and other rules. Adobe Lightroom provides the same function for photographers who are used to working with RAW files.

Maomaojiao

Diagonal composition in a photo frame is one of the most effective techniques in photography. The essence of this technology is that the main body is located on the diagonal of the picture frame. There are diagonal drops and rises. In this case, the composition direction from the lower left corner to the upper right corner is considered to be stable or slow (diagonal rising), while the opposite composition (from the upper left corner to the lower right corner) is more dynamic or faster (diagonal falling).

Slant lines are also often used to draw the audience's attention to important topics.

Place the linear elements of the photo diagonally-roads, paths, streams, fences, etc. -I will feel that I have indeed been painted.

contrast

When we look at photos, our eyes are mainly attracted by the most vivid parts in the picture. Adjacent to bright and saturated places. In addition, if the colors in the picture are combined with each other, there will be color harmony. Try to shoot bright objects in a dark background, otherwise, shoot dark objects in a bright background. Please don't shoot people on a yellow or brown background, the color of the photos will become unnatural. If possible, please don't use colored background, otherwise it will distract the viewer.

Contrast, golden ratio and diagonal composition are one of the main visual elements in photography.

Clarity/clarity

We can not only use color contrast, but also use the effect of shallow depth of field to attract people's attention to the main theme of shooting. After all, the human eye is no different from the most vivid objects in the picture. Use the maximum focal length, enlarge the aperture and then focus on the subject. So you can blur the background and choose the semantic center of the photo. This technique is often used when shooting portraits, flowers and macro photography.

Field of view or shooting point

Many novice photographers will shoot from their own sight. Sometimes it makes sense. But, for example, try to sit down when shooting landscapes or urban jungles. You will see how the grass bent under a gust of wind or the paving stones of the ancient city streets in the foreground diversify your photos. You will feel like a dwarf belonging to the giant country. On the contrary, if you use a higher shooting point, everything around you will look small and you will become a "giant".

Some simple rules for creating harmonious photos:

For close-ups, please use it at eye level.

It is best to take a full-length portrait from the belt level.

When taking pictures of children or animals, please take pictures of their height.

If you don't pursue any artistic purpose, please keep the camera in the horizontal position of the subject to avoid scale distortion.

Don't put your eyes in the middle of the picture, use the trisection method.

direction

We are used to reading from left to right. In the same direction, our eyes slide across the photo as if facing the subject. Put the semantic center of the photo on the right side of the frame and you will create a more harmonious image.

Rhythm and structure

There is a view that the concept of rhythm only refers to music. But the result is also rhythmic in the photo. Look around-the trees keep growing; Brick wall structure; The waves rolled to the shore; Rows of ancient temples; Even the stairs. They all created a repetitive pattern. You just need to identify it, capture it in a frame, and the photo will "sound". You will not only notice the alternation of objects, but also the contrast of colors-dark light or semantic-hard soft heavy light. Everything is limited by your imagination and your ability to notice ordinary things at a glance.

balance

Of course, when you look at some photos, you will feel a little unbalanced. There seems to be something missing in the picture, or on the contrary, something is redundant. To avoid this, try not to put all the objects in a half frame. Divide objects into different parts so that their volumes, sizes and colors match each other. If this can't be done in the shooting stage, the blank or redundant objects without semantic load can be eliminated by cropping the image in the subsequent processing. Usually photography can only benefit from it.

The purpose of any composition rule is to create a harmonious image. However, in order to take interesting photos, you should also consider the following points:

About the main melody

Information about how to use composition rules to place them in frames relative to other (helper) objects.

About lighting

About the shooting time