Basic photo composition
by Mark Rigney

If you pay attention to some simple rules of photographic composition,
rather than simply "pointing and shooting," you'll begin to notice a
significant difference in your snapshots, even the ones you take of family
events.

1) Remember, centered photos are boring. Pay attention the next time you're
in a movie theater; nothing is ever centered. Follow the rule of thirds -
mentally divide the frame into thirds both vertically and horizontally, and
place the center of interest (usually your subject's eyes) on one of those
'third lines.'

2) Frame your pictures. If you're taking scenes of a distant lake or
mountain, look for an interesting frame. This is no different from framing a
photo on your wall. Your frame can be tree branches, rocks, or some other
interesting foreground object.

3) When shooting portraits, use the longest zoom setting your camera will
allow (without using the "digital zoom"). Also use the widest aperture (or
the lowest f-stop number). This will throw the background into a nice soft
focus, drawing your viewer's eyes right to your smiling subject.

4) Look for distractions in the frame. It's hard to learn to do this,
because your brain naturally filters out the telephone pole growing out of
Uncle Joe's head - but the photo printer won't. Look for objects which will
draw your viewer's attention away from your desired center of interest.

Follow these four simple rules, and you'll begin to see a dramatic
improvement in your photos!

Mark Rigney has been an entrepreneur and professional photographer for over
two decades, and has worked in the film industry as well. Learn more about
digital photography at http://digitalcamerapage.com/