Composition

Excerpted from The New Guide to Sea & Sea by Joe Liburdi and Cara Sherman, Chapter 8: Composition

Once the technical skills are mastered, the difference between a good photograph and a great one is composition. Composition is more than a pleasing arrangement of objects within a frame. It is the art of seeing. It is how you perceive your subject and elect to present it. It is how you want your viewer to see it, what you want the focus of attention to be on. And it is always different from one photographer to another.

Composition is defined as the separate elements that when put together make up a story-telling image. A good photograph communicates. It communicates information, emotion, even mood. It involves the viewer; it portrays beauty, makes one laugh, informs, inspires. A good photograph is not an accident. The skilled photographer consciously assembles or edits the elements in the photograph. While no one viewpoint is right and the other wrong, in truth, one perspective may be more provocative than another.

Our first suggestion, then, is before you start shooting, look at the subject from different angles. Swim around it, if possible, and explore the full range of possibilities. Then decide how you want to present the subject.

Viewpoint is what separates an ordinary snapshot from a dynamic photograph. Amateurs tend to select their viewpoint (shooting position) from familiarity. They shoot what is familiar, how they have seen the same or similar subjects presented before. The difference between an amateur's photo and a pro's is freshness, the unexpected, unanticipated viewpoint. Look at the ordinary and alter the viewpoint, give it a fresh perspective, try to shoot it in a way you haven't seen before. You are not wasting a shot if it doesn't come out quite right. You are learning. You are being creative.

Viewpoint also alters the relationship of one object to another. It is called photographic perspective, meaning the relationship of near to far objects. In this sense, perspective is not just how you see the scene, but it is composing the image so that there is an illusion of depth. It helps separate the various components of the image and lends it a three-dimensional appearance on a two-dimensional medium. As you move closer or farther from your subject, the apparent size of your subjects will change. By changing the size of the subjects, you are deciding which component in your field of view will be the focus of your photograph. This is known as the principle of dominance or the center of interest. It serves to rivet our attention, focuses eye and thoughts.

Here are some tips for good composition:

• Look for an unusual perspective but don't compromise the subject just for the sake of being different. You don't want the image to look contrived. But if you can capture it in a fresh, new way, then you'll have an original and interesting photograph.
• Every picture should have a motif-that's a theme, a main subject, a focus. A single motif is stronger and better than numerous ones.
• The more elements in a photograph, the more confusing and less impact it will have. Looking through the viewfinder, selectively crop the nonessential elements. The best pictures are the simplest.
• Fill the frame. Moving in closer to your subject not only gives it dominance but almost always improves the picture. Being too far is the mistake beginners make. Learn to move in as tight as the lens allows.
• Don't take a horizontal picture when a vertical one would be better. Take vertical format shots of vertical subjects. Take vertical shots to crop unnecessary background not integral to the subject.
• Negative space is everything that is not the subject. It is just as important as your subject. Good negative space can be blue water. Bad negative space would be broken coral. Pay attention to the space surrounding your subject.
• Odd numbers of objects make more interesting photos than even.
• Look for patterns. The scales of a fish or the striations on a bivalve shell make unusual abstract photographs. Shoot close and make sure you crop the superfluous. The focus should be on the pattern alone.
• Add divers and you add scale to the reef, the fish, the wreck.
• Bracket composition. Take a few shots of the subject from different angles and with different framing.
• When shooting a scenic, try to add a natural frame in the foreground, preferably something colorful, such as a purple sea fan or a red sea whip. That will enhance the photo without detracting from the subject. The foreground element will also add depth.
• Don't let dead or broken coral sneak into the photo. Check all the corners of the frame in your viewfinder and crop the unappealing.

Placement

Where should you place your subject? As a guide for the beginner, we suggest what is popularly known as the rule of thirds. This concept is nothing new. In fact, it was passed down from the ancient Greeks, the same culture that gave us film. You don't have to follow this religiously, but it's an important concept to know, and it will certainly help you get started.

• Move your primary subject out of the center of the frame. The center is visually the weakest place.
• A viewer's eyes usually enter a picture at the lower left-hand corner then move to center. Using lines that enter from the left permits easy access and therefore compels the viewer to stay within the picture area. When lines exit at the right, so does the viewer. When the lines stop short of the right-hand exit area, the viewer stays within the picture area and the image maintains his/her interest.

Eyes

Focus on eyes. They are the most interesting part of a face, any face, a fish face or a human face.

• Eyes should not be looking out of the picture. The viewer will get distracted. Eyes must be directed at the camera (this will engage the attention of the viewer, making it seem like a personal interaction) or at another subject, like a fish, leading the viewer to look at the fish.
• People in underwater photographs are too often mere accessories rather than subjects. They serve to add perspective to a reef or to an animal. They decorate a picture. But they also make fascinating subjects. Even in a facemask, eyes can be expressive and tell a story.

Dimension

Photographs are two-dimensional. How do you get a three-dimensional feeling in your pictures? The illusion of depth is created by the arrangement and dominance of lines and tones.

• Brighter, warmer tones (reds, oranges, yellows) will command more attention than darker ones. They appear to move the subject forward while darker, cooler tones (blues) appear to recede in the background. Tones are controlled by the use of strobe light.
• Converging lines give a strong feeling of depth and space. Diagonal lines are more interesting than lines square with the edge of the image.

In wide angle underwater photography a sense of depth is achieved by focusing the strobe at a foreground subject while the background is illuminated by ambient light. Far objects gradually fade to ambient light. Tilting the camera at a slightly upward angle will separate near and far elements and increase the dimensional effect. In macro photography depth is accomplished by positioning the strobe at an angle.

In topside photography depth perception is also aided by a subject in the foreground. Framing the subject in an archway or under a tree limb adds a sense of distance and accentuates the perception of near and far. Put the horizon line high in the photo to emphasize foreground and a sense of closeness, low to emphasize the background area and give the impression of distance and space. Avoid placing the horizon smack in the center.

The Unintended Joke

Beware of mergers-that's when extraneous objects appear in the picture accidentally and end up making it comical. You've seen these: a sponge that looks as if it's coming out of the diver's ear. Beware of amputations, too. Don't cut off hands, feet, and tops of heads.

The Ultimate Tip

After you've mastered all the rules, dare to break them.