Steve Silverman Imaging: Shooting for Composition Workshop Images, Part 7

Tom Alvarez. Technique: Converging Lines.

Yes, this is an example of Converging Lines. It's sort of a mystery as to what the lines converge to, however. I would have liked to seen the top of the pergola go through the top of the frame. This would have strengthened the composition. The dark areas are pretty muddy and flat. Expose more for those areas and disregard the exposure of the sky. Let it go to white. This way, you would have revealed more detail in the shadows. This also could have been an interesting HDR image. I like the tone of the image.

Tom Alvarez. Technique: Build Foreground.

Building Foreground means you compose with foreground information which will draw you into the image. In this case, the out of focus bloom is just a huge distraction. You might have tried moving back and created a line of 3 blooms going from the foreground right to the upper left in the image. Shoot stopped down all the way to increase Depth of Field and shoot on a tripod because you'd be looking at a slow exposure.

Terza Kurki. Technique: Converging Lines.

Nice image. There is some good subject matter here between the hardscape and landscape. I'm wondering if this would have been more compelling if you would have made it symmetrical. This would break the Rule of Thirds and taken most of the flower bed out of the image. The alternate would have been to crawl into the flower bed on the right and shoot across to the bench and wall. Once you find something you like, shoot it a number of ways.

Terza Kurki. Technique: Fibonacci Curve.

This is not really a Fibonacci. A Fibonacci implies that the circle ends on the "sweet spot" of a Center of Interest. In this case, this spot is really a hole in the vines. It doesn't really work. Rather, I think this would be more of a Rule of Thirds image. It works all right. I'm not nuts about the out of focus leaves on the left side. The vines are an interesting feature but, the more I look at it, a very challenging subject.

Rachel Cain. Technique: Unknown.

This is a pretty good combination of a couple of concepts: Leading Lines and S Curves. I think the image would have been strengthened if you would have been even lower and taken that white sky out of the frame altogether. That would have increased the contrast as the image looks flat to me. Perhaps swing a bit to the left to bring the border of the path right into the corner of the frame. Move up a bit? In doing so, you would take some of the foreground dirt material out of the frame, too.

Jodell Kruse. Technique: Leading Lines.

This is not an example of leading lines. What lines? However, it's a pretty good application of breaking the Rule of Thirds by placing the Center of Interest, the bench, way off on the right hand border of the image. It's not a great image but it's pleasant and pastoral. You enhanced it by shooting from the low angle.

Jodell Kruse. Technique: Leading Lines.

Pretty good application of this technique. The lines of the boat house railing and roof lead you through the image to the background. It's probably a stronger example of framing where the silhouette of the building structure frames the background. Is this compelling? I'm not sure. Neither the sky nor the shore line gives us much to think about. The background is under exposed which detracts from the impact of the image. There's not enough contrast.

Jeremy Petrick. Technique: Vertical Lines.

Definitely vertical lines! Perhaps if the vertical lines revealed or framed something more interesting behind them would this be a better image. As it is, I think it's pretty static even though the technique is right on. It would be nice if it told more of a story.

Jeremy Petrick. Technique: Vertical Lines.

The lines are vertical but the lines intersecting them are not very compelling. I like the mood of this image as well as the use of black and white. Your angle makes the door look tall and somewhat dangerous. Nice work.

Jeremy Petrick. Technique: Rule of Thirds.

This is probably a better example of using Depth of Field as compositional device. Not a bad image. Is it a great image? Doubtful...I don't think it makes a very strong statement about anything.