Three functions of photographic structure

Lead: This question seems simple, but who can specifically talk about the role of composition? People often say that composition is the skeleton of a photo, and the skeleton supports people, so composition supports the picture. So, how does composition support the picture? Why and how to support pictures? Further down, you will find that the question of why we need composition is actually very complicated and profound.

When I first saw this topic, my first feeling was: difficult.

Why is it difficult? Because this question can be written in n books (in fact, there are n books about composition now), I want to introduce such a complicated composition system to you in a short space, which is very difficult!

So my answer will not introduce you to the specific composition method, but only tell you one question: why do we need composition?

One: Composition can actively guide the viewer.

Let me show you a photo first:

Tell me, what is your first visual foothold when you see this photo?

I think most people's first visual foothold should be to stay in the distant glow.

Let me show you another photo:

At this time, everyone's first visual foothold should be the conch at the bottom of the picture, but it is not limited to this. You will also observe the glow in the distance. In fact, when you appreciate this photo, there are two steps and two levels. The photographer can influence your observation order and observation level through his composition. This is the so-called composition can actively guide the viewer.

Another example is:

Everyone tells me your first visual foothold.

I think most people should stay at the junction of flower sea and sky.

Look at this again:

At this time, everyone's first visual foothold should be the path in the sea of flowers, and then extend along the path to the sky. This is what the photographer told you through the change of composition: Come on, you should look at it this way!

Through these examples, we can feel that composition is a photographer's weapon. You should tell the viewer through composition: Come on, you should appreciate my work like this.

Whether it is foreground composition, extension line composition, perspective composition or gradient composition, it actually plays such a role: Come on, you should appreciate my work like this!

This is the first function: composition can actively guide the viewer.

Two: composition can actively express primary and secondary.

Sometimes it's not enough for us to just tell the audience what to think. We have to tell them: Come on, this is the protagonist of my work!

Let's take a look at the picture below and then recall what this picture left in your mind.

I think what impressed everyone most was the pot of flowers and plants in the lower left corner, and then the big environment (to be exact, the umbrella).

Look at this picture again.

There should be only two things left in everyone's heart: a pot of flowers and another pot of flowers and plants.

At this time, do you want people to remember the big environment or another pot of flowers and plants? It all depends on the photographer, that is, you can decide your primary and secondary content through composition, let the viewer remember what information, and then filter out what information.

Third, writing can actively express emotions.

Let me show you a photo.

Everyone can feel peace and beauty.

Look at this again.

What everyone should feel is sharpness and instability.

The content of the picture has hardly changed, but the following picture uses oblique composition, which intensifies the instability of the picture and then affects people's psychology. This is the third function of composition: actively convey emotions.

You have to tell the viewer whether I want to convey joy, sadness or loneliness in this painting. Picture content is a part of emotion, and so is composition.

Another example is:

This picture is pure scenery, expressing the beauty of nature, without strong personal emotional tendency.

However, this composition has a feeling that I think of heaven and earth, with no limit and no end, and I am alone with my tear drops (and can focus people's visual focus very quickly).

Whether you want to convey the beauty of nature or the feeling of loneliness, composition can help you.

Therefore, when we understand the three functions of composition: actively guiding the viewer, actively showing priority and actively conveying emotions.

We can understand that our composition is nothing more than doing these things:

Look at this picture like this. The protagonist of my painting is him, which is what my painting wants to express.

We use three-point composition to prevent the main body from being too concentrated, so that the picture has a sense of hierarchy and primary and secondary, use middle composition to make the primary and secondary clear, and highlight the theme, while gold composition not only guides the viewer, but also shows the relationship between primary and secondary, and so on.

Although the picture can't make sound, we use composition to make sound to the viewer for us.

So, my final answer is:

When you are composing a composition, you should think: should I guide the viewer to see the picture, or should I tell the main characters in the picture, or should I convey my feelings to the viewer through composition? When you choose one or more of them, you should think of a specific composition method. For example, we can guide the line composition to move the viewer's line of sight, balance the primary and secondary roles through the dichotomy, and express strong emotions through oblique composition.

In a word, composition is profound, but when you know what effect you want, it is more important and easier than mastering 10 thousand specific composition rules.