More Errors!
Here’s an oldie of mine that I took 20 years ago. Do you see the compositional error that makes me twitch every time I look at this photo?
The penguins are placed too close to the corner or the composition. It’s not a horrible composition but it is also not as good as it could’ve been. Moving the penguins out, away from the corner just a smidge would’ve improved the image. Not a big move but an important artistic tweak.
I think there is a certain visual discomfort when an important element of your composition is placed too close to an edge. I see this a lot in critiques especially related to the well known rule of thirds- people put subjects outside the one third compositional points and it just doesn’t look right. The placement is too close to the edge- it looks like a mistake or at least something unintentional and it makes whatever is placed there look uncomfortable.
So try not to compose so tightly that you have no recourse compositionally- give your subject some space, especially subjects that can move. No one puts penguins in the corner, and neither should you!
3 Comments
Brenda
March 28, 2016Dang, I really liked that one… the iceberg looooming over them……
Daniel
March 29, 2016Agreed regarding the iceberg looming. I think the corner/edge placement helps with that effect. My suggested tweak would have been to get some visual separation between the penguins and their background–if only you were ten feet taller!
David
March 30, 2016I agree Daniel. I would like to be presented with the same situation again and see what I would do now. At least I am looking back and seeing improvements I could make instead of wondering how I did so well!