Photography Composition and Story Telling

When I started taking photography more seriously I realized that the majority of my photos were dull, uninteresting and not very appealing. At that time I realized that I didn't really know how to take great photos. I have found out that my photos were pretty average. Since I didn't want to stay at that level I have decided to study photography more seriously. During this time I found out why some photos just grab your attention and keep it for a while, and others get unnoticed. So what makes some photos stand out?

In my experience, photographic composition plays a huge if not the biggest part in photography. Images that are composed purely don't grab your attention. These are usually mediocre photos without a story behind it. As you already know, stories are very powerful. So a good way to improve your photos is to look for a story before you compose your photo and press the shutter release.

A story could be anything. It could be a child's smile at the birthday party. Emotions can also create great stories. Just think for a while. Don't you agree that most of the photos you like have a story behind it?

If you can find a way to tell a story with your photos, you are on the right way to become a better photographer. If you want your story to be captured in a single picture, it should speak like a headline in a newspaper. The photo should make a powerful statement by itself. The content should be understood immediately without a need for explanations.

Composition is not only about storytelling. If you can't find a story you could capture, you can still compose beautiful, eye catching photos by following the basic rules of composition. Most commonly used rule of composition is the rule of thirds. Even though it's the rule is very popular, it's still under used among amateur photographers.

The rule of thirds helps us avoid putting the subject in the dead center of the picture. If you look closer at the photos you like, you will discover that most if not all have the main subject somewhere of center.

If you follow these two tips, you will see a big improvement in your photos. Just keep exploring and most importantly, enjoy taking photos. Also make sure that you review your photos as soon as possible and make a mental note why some photos stand out from the others.