Rule # 1:  Less is More.

 Let simplicity be a though foremost in your mind when photographing any subject.  Make sure that what you
 are photographing has a "subject of interest" that is clearly conveyed to the viewer.  Do not try to fit in every
 bit of information nearby.  These things may not always be of relevance to the picture, and can easily distract
 one's eyes from the main purpose of the photo.  Remember, you are trying to convey a feeling, or message to
 your viewer, so you do not want to confuse them!  If you have ever been to art school, you are well familiar with
 the "less is more" principal.  A few good ways to simplify your pictures are:  1) get up close to your subject,
 and fill the frame with it  2) Avoid backgrounds that are confusing or complicated, as they can detract from your
 subject  3) Do not have more than one or two points of interest, because the subjects will begin to "compete" for
 your viewer's attention

Rule # 2:  The Rule of Thirds

 The rule of thirds is another way to compose your picture.  The rule of thirds simply states that one should think
 of their picture in segments of 3's...and place their subject matter accordingly, therefore avoiding a perfectly center-
 ed, and mostly boring composition.  For example, note this chart:

Say you are photographing a landscape, with a waterfall, rocks and water in the foreground, and sky/trees in the
background.  Now, you could do what the average person would do, and try to fit the waterfall right in the center
of the image.  That can't be too interesting at all.  Or, you could follow the rule of thirds, and try placing the waterfall
in spaces 2 & 3, leaving 1 to be sky and trees.  You could conversly place the sky in spaces 1 & 2, leaving the water-
fall in space 3.  The idea is to break up symmetry in your picture, thus creating a more interesting image.  Look at
the image below, and note it is a good example of the rule of thirds.

See what I mean??  Much more interesting, and more to look at.

Rule # 3:  Avoid Mergers

What is a merger, you ask?  A merger is when two separate objects become one in a photo.  Have you ever
had a picture taken by a friend, or taken one yourself where you have an object growing out of your head??
Take for example, picture #1 that my husband took of me at Longwood Gardens.  Notice I have this great big
OAK tree growing out of my head.  Now, I hardly think anyone wants this to happen on purpose in their photos,
so be on the lookout for it when you are composing.  It will save you a lot of post-photo heartache.  Avoid this
problem by moving your subject (if possible) or yourself to a different spot or angle. Make a habit of looking at
your subject's immediate surroundings as you frame your photo.  Though mergers are generally bad, they can
also be fun, too.  Note picture # 2, an example of a merger I did for fun when I was in high school. (Be kind, this
photo is over 10 years old!!) I had my friend stand in front of a church steeple and raise her hand out with it cupped
upwards. I moved her around until her hand fit right under the steeple, and took the photo.  You can see the results
below.  This could be done with much more interesting objects, like theWhite House, in D.C., or other large,
prominent, heavy objects.  But the key is to have a PURPOSE and EXPLANATION if you use a merger other
than by accident.  "I liked the tree coming out of my head" is not a likely purpose or explanation, and if you try
to tell your photography teacher this (as I have in the past), they probably won't fall for it.
 

Rule # 4:  Framing and Edges

First, I want to go over edges.  "Edges" refers to just that, the edges of your photo, or more accurately, the four
corners of your composition.  Make sure to check all of your corners, before composing a photo.  You will be
looking for corners that are 1) too light or too dark (this can be disruptive, and lead the viewer's eye off of your
picture) 2) objects veering directly through an edge (you don't want to have a tree jutting through the picture and
out to a corner - - avoid this by moving your composition so that the tree is lower, higher, left, or right of the corner)
3) cut off subject matter in the corners, like someone who is exiting your picture frame just as you click your camera
Edges are most important in your composition, because these are essentially four possible exit points.  You don't
want to help your viewer right off the page, you want to captivate their eye, and keep them circling your print.
Make it hard for your viewer to want to look away.
Next, let me go over framing.  Framing is essentially a way to solve the "edges" problem.  Basically, framing is
using objects in the picture to "frame" the photo.  Like a tree and limb running across the top and side of a picture,
and maybe a hill framing the other side, or a person.  Framing closes in your picture, keeping the viewer occupied.
You can frame with anything that makes your picture necessary, but don't go overboard.

Here is an example of a picture where I could have paid better attention to my edges,most notably the upper
right hand corner (refer to pic #1.  Notice how light it is, and how it leads your eye off of the page.  This corner
is really the only offender, note the other edges and how they do not lead your eye off the page.  Picture # 2
is a good example of using an object to "frame" a picture.  Here, I have used the frame of the car to frame the
picture.

                                                                            picture 1                        picture 2

Rule # 5:  Balance and Practice

Balance is also important.  By balance, I mean things like highlights and shadows, contrast and brightness, color,
texture, and geometry of your image.  The above image is also a good example of a well balanced photo.

Practice should be self explanatory, but some people don't realize, that the more rolls of film you take, the better
you get at all of these rules.  Take a piece of paper with you that has written on it the rules of composition.  If you
are particularly good and certain ones, only write down those that are harder for you to remember.  Look at the
paper each time before you take a picture, and eventually it will become habit.  The best advice I can give, is take
lots of pictures.  Take insane amounts of pictures.  Pictures of everything and anything.  Take your camera with
you anywhere you go.  Practice these rules until they are habit.  This will save you large amounts of time developing
pictures in the darkroom, as it is much cheaper to waste film due to bad pictures, then to waste paper due to bad
negatives.  Good negatives are the key to good prints. Your pictures will be the reward!

but alas, RULES WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN...just remember you have to learn them first!!!!

Hope these tips help out the beginner, and maybe even act as a refresher for the advanced.
Happy Photographing!

LESSON 2 / LESSON 3 / LESSON 4 / LESSON 5
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