DPI Week 2

29/9/2024 - 4/10/2024 (Week 2)

Lim Yeng San (0366316)

Digital Photography and Imaging / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylors University

LECTURE 

Week 2: Introduction to Composition

The lecturer gave a lecture on basic composition in photography. 

1. Basic Composition

Focal Point

- The main subject of the image

- Human figures often become focal points.

Scale and Hierarchy

- Scale is used to help communicate hierarchy by drawing attention toward and away from certain elements thereby signifying their importance to the communication.

Balancing Elements

- Think of each element as having 'weight' to it.

- Smaller elements may 'weigh' less than larger elements.

- Heavily textured elements might 'weigh' more than flatly coloured elements.

 White Space

- The 'empty space' to balance up the main focus of the composition.

- Balances out the more complicated and busy parts of the composition with space to help the design 'breath'.

2. Rule of Thirds

- The process of dividing an image into thirds by using two vertical lines. The grid yields nine parts with four intersection points.

Fig 1.1: A rule of thirds grid

- More natural looking images are produced by placing elements at the intersection points.

- Any horizon should be placed on either the top or bottom horizontal line.

Functions of The Rule of Thirds Grid

- Use composition techniques that are in line with what's naturally pleasing to the eye

- Creatively use negative space

- Allow conversation between the subject and the background

3. The Golden Ratio

- A mathematical ratio.

- Fosters organic and natural-looking compositions that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye

- Creates a sense a beauty through harmony and proportion

- Useful for determining dimensions of the layout (1:1.618)

Fig 1.2: The golden ratio in landscape layout

Fig 1.3: The golden ratio in portrait layout

4. Framing and Cropping in Composition

Fig 1.4 and 1.5: The most commonly used framing options to cover action in a scene

Single

- Features one character alone in the frame being the primary focus

Clean Single: When no part of any other character is visible in the frame

- Best used to convey a character's isolation

Dirty Single: Includes the presence of another character in the frame

Two Shot

- When the faces of two characters are clearly visible in the frame

- To create visual relationship between two characters

Three Shot / Four Shot / Five Shot / Crowd Shot

- When the faces of many characters are clearly visible in the frame

- To create visual relationship between many characters

- No official limit on the number of characters in a frame 

Over The Shoulder (OTS)

- Acts as a hybrid between a single and two shot

- Focuses on one character at time

- To get the perspectives of both characters

- Gives the feeling of being included in the scene

Point of View (POV)

- Lets the audience experience the perspective of a character

- Often paired with POV audio to further enhance the effect

Insert Shot

- Focusing extremely closely on certain elements

- Can be combined with POV shots or filmed in a third person perspective

Notes taken from: https://youtu.be/qQNiqzuXjoM?si=FbT-Vqb2z9qzrQpH

EXERCISES

Mr. Fauzi instructed us to cut out elements from magazines arrange them in different ways to make three different collage designs. One of the designs will be chosen to be the final design for the submission of the physical collage.

I cut out many different elements from a Top Gear car magazine, my friend's variety magazine and a booklet from The One Academy.

Fig 1.6: The first collage design before modification

Fig 1.7: The first collage arrangement after modification

This design was originally much larger and in landscape layout but after asking Mr. Fauzi, he rearranged the elements into a simpler composition.

Fig 1.7: The second collage arrangement that I came up with

Fig 1.8: The third collage arrangement that I came up with

For the both of these designs, I tried to apply the golden ratio in hopes of creating a spiral-like movement for the viewer's eyes to follow. 

REFLECTION

Working with limited elements was hard but it was an interesting challenge. The rule of thirds and golden ratio were helpful in doing this task. I also had to think of the sizes and colours of the elements when arranging them.