Rules of Composition: Rule of Thirds, Shot layering, Shot types

1. Lauren KeaneEDUC 514: Applications of Video Technology in the ClassroomTory Temple, Azusa Pacific UniversitySpring II 2010 Rules of Composition

2. Composition The placement or arrangement of visual elements in a work of art It is the way we set up positions, group objects, and make arrangements in a photograph Rule of Thirds Shot Layering Shot Types

3. Rule of Thirds This was one of the first photos I took with the Rules of Thirds in mind. I used the 9 block grid as a guide as to where I should hold the camera. I was trying to get the intersection of the tower and the bridge at the intersection of the top left grid. The first thing you see in this photo is the blue sky, which is the top third of the photo. In the bottom third of the photo, in the direct center, is an archway in the distance. Although the view through the archway is not blurry at first glance, the longer you look through it, the blurrier it gets.

4. Rule of Thirds Also focusing on the Rule of Thirds, I used the tower’s right side as a guide. It is an obvious line that influences the gaze of the viewer. Balboa Park is filled with intentional and unintentional lines. This is a very tall structure, so obviously the picture and view is distorted. I also just noticed that the vertical line on the left side of the tower creates a line that cuts the photo in two. The shadow of the sun makes it asymmetrical.

5. Rule of Thirds The light was a factor in this photo. I chose this to use as an example of the Rule of Thirds since there are 3 horizontal lines created by the flowers, the cliff in the middle, and the far cliff in the distance. The edge of the middle cliff also sits on the center right grid of the photo. My eye was drawn to the sky, which is shaped like the state of Florida, and wraps around the top right part of the scene.

6. Shot Layering This was after MANY close up shots on the macro setting. It was the only one in which I got the pink flower in the foreground in focus. The lavender and snapdragons and structure in the background make up the layers in the photo. It just so happened that the pink flower was the only one like it growing from the knee-high bushes you can not see. Although the red snapdragons were very close to the pink flower, they look far away since they are out of focus.

7. Shot Layering This was part of the series I took of objects in which I arranged. I was going for the yellow lantern in the front to be in total focus while the basket and red flower pot to be in the distance. They were all close to each other, only about 5 inches apart. The front face of the yellow lantern is in focus while the side of it is darkened by the shadow. The dresser in the background seems to be more in focus than the objects in the middle. I also noticed the sun shining on the basket, creating a glare off the top if it.

8. Shot Layering This photo was taken with the intention of having the flower in the foreground to be in focus. As you can see, it is out of focus. But the flowers in the middle ground, which were part of the same bush, are in focus. The desert floor and brown and grey bushes in the distance are out of focus, but the viewer can clearly see the three layers in the photo. The blue sky creates a horizontal line in the top third part of the photo.

9. Shot Types The prominent subject in the photo is the arch. It leads your eyes to gaze through and on to the lights in the wall, which create vertical shadows against the wall. The horizontal line on the ceiling and the vertical lines created where the 2 arches come together almost meet in the top right grid intersection in the Rule of Thirds.

10. Shot Types This photo was taken in the pastel color mode. It was about 6:45 in the evening and the sun had just come out after a long day of hazy skies. The pastel hue gives the grass an extreme green color, which was not what it looked like in real life. I also liked how the green of the palm trees stands out against the pale beige color of the building. The orange colors in the hallways behind the arches are brighter than they were in person. With the bright orange color, you can see the string lights if you look close. The photo is distorted as I stretched it to fit in the presentation.

11. Shot Types This was taken near Fish Creek in Anza Borrego State Park. The leading lines of the canyon create a diagonal effect of the photo. When I look at this, my eyes start at the top left of the photo and follows the walls of the canyon down to the floor. The left part of the canyon is closer to us and seems bigger, which it is. You can also see the dimensions of the rocks through the jagged edges.

12. Shot Types Framing was used for this photo to show my view, sitting inside the wind caves, looking out over the desert. This is a very natural view of what was seen with the human eye, there are no effects from the camera in this shot.