Forget the Rule of Thirds, do this instead…

In this video, the speaker discusses the importance of composition in photography, emphasizing the relationship between the main subject and supporting subjects. They argue that while traditional compositional rules like the rule of thirds are useful, focusing on the subject matter and how it interacts with its surroundings is crucial. The speaker shares examples of their own work to illustrate how they decide what to include in a shot to enhance the main subject without causing distraction. They also highlight the need for deliberate decisions when including or excluding parts of a supporting subject and the importance of spacing and waiting when dealing with multiple elements in a scene. The video concludes with a reminder of the personal nature of photography and the joy of curating a portfolio, with a special thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring the video.

Takeaways

• 📸 **Focus on the Subject**: The most important aspect of photography is identifying a compelling subject that catches your eye.
• 🎭 **Supporting Elements**: Supporting subjects should enhance the main subject, not distract from it. They can accentuate the beauty, size, texture, or mood of the main subject.
• 🌳 **Balance Composition**: Decide how much of the supporting subject to include to adequately support the main subject without overshadowing it.
• 📐 **Rule of Thirds Alternative**: Instead of strictly following the rule of thirds, consider how the main and supporting subjects interact to create a powerful image.
• 🚫 **Avoid Clutter**: Be deliberate about the inclusion of supporting subjects and ensure there is space between them and the frame's edge to avoid a cluttered look.
• 🔍 **Selective Inclusion**: Sometimes it's better to include only parts of a supporting subject to maximize the impact of the main subject.
• 📷 **Personal Preference**: The decision on what to include or exclude from a shot is often a matter of personal preference and should be based on what adds to the story.
• 🤔 **Intentional Framing**: Be intentional with your composition choices, whether you include the entirety of a subject or just a part of it.
• 🌟 **Prominence Over Size**: The prominence of the main subject isn't just about its size in the frame, but also the impact it has given its surroundings.
• 🧩 **Jigsaw Puzzle Approach**: When there are multiple potential subjects, think of how they can be arranged to create a scene that is more than the sum of its parts.
• 🏞️ **Use of Negative Space**: Negative space can be a simple yet effective supporting subject that helps to emphasize the main subject.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The primary focus of the video is to discuss composition in photography, specifically the relationship between the main subject and supporting subjects, and how they can be combined to create impactful shots.

What is the significance of the 'supporting subject' in a photograph?

A supporting subject in a photograph serves to accentuate the main subject, potentially highlighting its beauty, size, texture, or mood, and contributes to the overall story of the image without distracting from the main subject.

Why is choosing the right quantity of supporting subject in a photo important?

Choosing the right quantity of supporting subject is crucial because it ensures that the supporting elements adequately enhance the main subject without overwhelming or distracting from it.

What is the role of personal opinion in determining what adds or distracts in a photograph?

Personal opinion plays a significant role as it is subjective and varies from person to person. What one photographer finds enhancing to the story, another might find distracting, making it a key aspect of individual compositional style.

How does the photographer decide what to include or exclude in a scene?

The photographer decides what to include or exclude by considering how each element contributes to the main subject and the overall story of the photograph. They look for ways to emphasize the relationship between the main and supporting subjects and remove elements that detract from the impact.

What is the importance of spacing and waiting when there are more than two elements in a scene?

Spacing and waiting are key to avoid a cluttered or unbalanced composition. It allows the photographer to thoughtfully arrange the elements in a way that each has its space and contributes to the overall harmony of the image.

Why is it necessary to be deliberate about including or excluding the entirety of a supporting subject?

Being deliberate ensures that the composition is intentional and serves the story of the photograph. It prevents the image from appearing cluttered, distracting, or as if elements were included by mistake.

How does the photographer use focal lengths or camera positioning to emphasize the relationship between subjects?

The photographer uses focal lengths or camera positioning to control the prominence and impact of the main subject within the frame, ensuring that the supporting subjects enhance rather than overshadow the main subject.

What is the role of negative space in supporting a subject in a photograph?

Negative space can act as a simple supporting subject by providing a clean backdrop that allows the main subject to stand out without any distractions, thereby increasing its prominence and impact.

How does the photographer approach a scene with multiple competing subjects?

The photographer approaches such scenes by considering how to piece together the competing subjects in a way that they add up to more than the sum of their parts, creating a cohesive and compelling composition.

What does the photographer enjoy about curating their portfolio on their Squarespace website?

The photographer enjoys the process of curating their portfolio on their Squarespace website because it allows them to revisit and sequence their favorite images, considering their tone, storyline, and mood, which is a process they find deeply satisfying.

What is the benefit of using Squarespace for a photographer's portfolio?

Using Squarespace for a photographer's portfolio allows for easy customization and organization of images. It offers a platform where photographers can continually revisit and update their work, making it accessible and engaging for viewers.

Outlines

00:00

📸 The Art of Composition in Photography

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude to Squarespace for sponsoring the video and offers a discount link. They then delve into the topic of composition in photography, which is often the most frequently asked question. The speaker acknowledges the numerous composition techniques available but emphasizes the importance of subject matter over technique. They argue that a boring subject remains dull regardless of the composition rules applied. The focus shifts to considering what to photograph and how, using the analogy of a film's lead and supporting actors to describe the relationship between main and supporting subjects in a photograph. The speaker illustrates this with examples, emphasizing the balance between including enough of a supporting subject to enhance the main subject without overshadowing it.

05:03

🎭 Balancing Main and Supporting Subjects

The speaker continues the discussion on composition by stressing the interplay between main and supporting subjects. They argue that while rules like the rule of thirds are helpful, understanding how to make these subjects work together is equally important. The speaker shares personal experiences of photographing various scenes, such as a mine in Cornwall and wheelbarrows, to demonstrate how including or excluding elements can impact the narrative and appeal of a photograph. They highlight the subjectivity in photography and the need for personal judgment in deciding what adds to or distracts from the story. The importance of spacing and timing when dealing with multiple subjects in a scene is also mentioned, along with the need for deliberate composition choices.

10:04

🌟 Emphasizing Impact Over Prominence

The speaker concludes the video script by summarizing their approach to photography composition. They discuss the process of finding a subject that interests them and then looking for elements that can support and enhance that subject without detracting from it. The speaker talks about the importance of being deliberate with composition choices, whether including the entirety of a supporting subject or just a part of it. They also mention how they enjoy curating their portfolio on their Squarespace website and the joy of arranging and sequencing their photographs. The video ends with another thank you to Squarespace and a teaser for the next video, which will be filmed outdoors.

Keywords

Composition

Composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements within an image to create a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing photograph. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of composition in photography, suggesting that it's not just about following traditional rules but also about understanding how to make the subject of the photo stand out through the use of supporting elements.

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a fundamental principle in photography that suggests an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that the subject should be placed along these lines or at their intersections. The video mentions this rule but suggests moving beyond it to focus on the relationship between the main subject and supporting subjects.

Supporting Subjects

Supporting subjects are elements within a photograph that complement the main subject and help to accentuate it. The speaker uses the analogy of supporting actors in a film to explain their role in a photograph, stating that they should enhance the main subject's prominence without becoming a distraction. Examples from the script include a tree overhanging a caravan and electricity pylons acting as a frame.

Leading Lines

Leading lines are a compositional technique where lines within the image guide the viewer's eye towards the main subject. While the concept is mentioned as a traditional rule, the speaker argues that even with leading lines, a boring subject will still appear boring, highlighting the need to focus on the subject's inherent interest.

Negative Space

Negative space is the area around the subject of an image that is left unoccupied or uncluttered. It is used to emphasize the subject and create a visual balance. The video suggests that negative space can be a simple yet effective supporting subject that helps to isolate the main subject and increase its impact.

Focal Length

Focal length refers to the distance between the camera's lens and the point at which it focuses light onto the sensor. It affects the angle of view and the magnification of the image. The speaker discusses how changing the focal length can alter the prominence of the main subject and the relationship with the supporting subjects.

Packing the Foreground

Packing the foreground is a technique where the front part of the image is filled with visual elements to create a sense of depth and to draw the viewer into the scene. The video briefly mentions this technique as one of the many compositional rules but focuses more on the balance between the foreground and the main subject.

Cropping

Cropping is the process of removing parts of the image to improve its composition or to focus on the subject. The speaker talks about cropping as a way to determine how much of the supporting subject to include in order to support the main subject without becoming a distraction.

Impact

In the context of the video, impact refers to the emotional or visual effect that a photograph has on the viewer. The speaker discusses the goal of photography as creating an image with impact, where the main subject is prominent and supported by other elements in a way that adds to the story of the image.

Personal Preference

Personal preference is the individual choice or opinion on what makes a photograph appealing or effective. The video emphasizes that decisions about composition, such as what to include or exclude, are often based on personal preference and that there is no absolute right or wrong in these choices.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a website building and hosting platform that allows users to create and manage their own websites. The speaker mentions Squarespace as a sponsor of the video and discusses how they use it to curate and display their photography portfolio, highlighting its ease of use and customization options.

Highlights

The video discusses the importance of composition in photography and offers an alternative approach to the traditional 'Rule of Thirds'.

Photography composition often focuses on rules like the 'Rule of Thirds', 'Rule of Odds', and 'leading lines', but these can limit creativity with beginners.

The presenter emphasizes that a boring subject, no matter how well composed, will still result in a boring photograph.

The concept of 'main subject' and 'supporting subjects' in a photograph is introduced, analogous to lead and supporting actors in a film.

Supporting subjects should enhance the main subject, possibly by emphasizing its beauty, size, texture, or mood.

The presenter shares a personal example of a caravan photo, where a tree serves as a supporting subject, enhancing the main subject's narrative.

The challenge in composition is determining the right quantity of supporting elements to include without distracting from the main subject.

The presenter discusses the importance of deliberate inclusion or exclusion of supporting subjects based on their contribution to the scene's story.

Personal preference plays a significant role in deciding what adds to or distracts from a photograph's story.

When there are multiple potential subjects in a scene, spacing and timing are crucial for a balanced composition.

The presenter advises being deliberate with the positioning of subjects within the frame to avoid a cluttered or distracting appearance.

Sometimes supporting subjects are obvious and their inclusion in the composition is straightforward.

In other cases, photographers may need to search for effective supporting elements to strengthen the main subject.

The presenter suggests using focal lengths, camera position, and perspective to emphasize the relationship between the main and supporting subjects.

Supporting subjects can be as simple as negative space or as complex as multiple competing elements that need to be harmoniously arranged.

The video concludes with the presenter's process for selecting and composing a photograph, focusing on the interplay between subjects.

The presenter also highlights the joy of curating a portfolio and the role of Squarespace in showcasing his photography.

A special offer for viewers to start a free trial on Squarespace and receive a discount on their first purchase is mentioned.