How does documentary photography integrate creativity?

Creative composition helps to bring different perspective effects to documentary photography, which needs planned composition. At the same time, due to the particularity of documentary photography, it also needs to play an important role in making images meaningful to the audience. So, how to integrate creativity into documentary photography-here are 8 simple ways to help you improve the effect of documentary photography.

1. Lines and shapes

Lines and shapes can be used together to create visual interest through proportion, emphasis and pattern. A good way is to look for horizontal lines, vertical lines or diagonal lines from any edge of the picture to guide the audience into the theme. You can also look for repetitive shapes to create similar effects.

2. Repeatability

Repetition is a good way to create unity and visual rhythm-if possible, it is a visual repetition. Repetition usually helps to strengthen the story behind the image. Repetitive shapes or objects can guide our eyes into images or serve as interesting backgrounds.

3. sense of movement

Exercise is something we always consider in photography. Even if we don't consider it in design-when we adjust the camera settings, we also consider it in shooting. For various reasons, there are many ways to capture the motion in our images. Freezing action or intentional blurring are some common phenomena I have seen in the whole industry. Movement doesn't have to be particularly dramatic-it can be static or moving, and movement adds vitality to our images.

4. Depth and size

In some cases, environmental composition can transform space and really increase the story, while at other times, it just increases the depth and dimension.

5. Symmetry

No matter what we shoot, we can find a sense of balance between the subject and the environment. You can create a sense of symmetry or asymmetry by using colors, gaze directions, lines, patterns, shapes, textures and values. Symmetry may prove to be the greatest unity among all design foundations, and when several are added together, you will experience excellent design effects.

Step 6 focus on value

Value is a measure of light and shade. Look at your environment from the perspective of "value" or "light and darkness", and you will begin to see more opportunities to creatively control light.

Step 7 pay attention to color

The basic knowledge focusing on color includes understanding how colors work together and paying attention to when they work together or balance each other in the image. Color will still arouse the reaction of the audience, so it is very important to pay attention to its quality, value and dominant position in the image.

8. Vision

In documentary photography, perspective is the key factor to create interesting images, which is how we transform what we see in real life into two dimensions. Learning to do this effectively while overlapping some or many other design elements is the way for us to master design and composition in our daily work. There are many ways to rotate the perspective, although I say this is the most important element-it is also very personal. In documentary photography, shooting from the perspective of the environment, through overlapping objects, composition or shooting from one place, makes the subject form some contrast with the surrounding environment.