Composition « Tools « Photoshop Tutorials

10. digital manipulation in Photoshop , image manipulation, image composition

Now go into your levels pallet (image -> adjustments -> levels.) Here you want to play with the levels by adjusting the three tabs on the bottom and clean up your line art. The goal is to make the whites whiter first, by taking the middle tab and move it to the left. Make sure you have the preview button checked. Don't make your line art TOO bright, as you won't be able to work with it well. (TIP: Ctrl-z for an easy undo command.) After you clean up the white, click ok and go back into levels pallet again. Now move the center tab to the right to make the black line art darker. Now that its good and black, click OK.

12. Dark Photo Manipulation, photo composition, photoshop manipulation tips and tricks

Well, you just read the basic Now its time to you to use your imagination, like adding more textures, images for a perfect collage. Here's some things of what I usually do: When choosing textures, you have to see what do you want from that texture, if it's a) the colors of it or b) the "shapes" of it (like crackings, relief, and stuff). When choosing a) watch out when you high up the contrast, try not making the saturation too high, so it wont look much realistic. When choosing b) remember to make the saturation low and the contrast high. Plus, always use the burn tool on the darker areas and on the shadows to give more depth.This is very important step, and its applied either to (a) or (b). I personally like color contrast a lot. A good hint is to desaturate most part of your piece and leave only a few things with color. This works well specially on eye manupulation. Try to be original don't stick to just adding textures...it will end up too random. Try adding objects or even rendering of some 3d shapes mix them up.

17. Complementary Colors and Composition - PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Mastering color is an essential ability to any good photographer. To achieve proficiency, a basic knowledge of primary colors and complementary colors is required. We will define these fundamental concepts and teach how to exploit them in order to take better photographs. The great physicist James Maxwell in 1859 demonstrated that each color could be obtained starting from just three colored light beams, one red, one green and another blue. By over-projecting these three beams on a white screen and by carefully dosing their intensities, any color could be attained. This is the basis of the aptly named "additive synthesis". These three colors (red, green and blue, or RGB) are called "primary colors". Adding all the primary colors at their maximum intensities, give rise to white; black is the absence of any light. Each primary color also has a "complementary color". The complementary color of a given primary color is defined as the color that added to the primary color gives the white light. It can be shown (but we will omit the demonstration) that the complementary colors for red, green and blue are cyan, magenta and yellow, respectively. What a photographer must always keep in mind are simply the (fundamental, complementary) color pairs: (red, cyan) (green, magenta) (blue, yellow) Masterful control of complementary colors is essential in composing an image. Juxtaposition of complementary colors always creates striking chromatic contrast. Consequently, if you wish to make an object stand out from its background, you should pick up a background with the complementary color of the object. Good examples are yellow autumn leaves against a blue sky or magenta flowers against green foliage. The main subject will immediately catch the attention of the viewer. It does not matter how small the main subject, if it has a complementary backdrop, will always be an important compositional element. Usually it will draw the whole attention. Similar colors are harmonious and not complementary. When just harmonious colors are present in a picture, color is typically not the main attraction. Other fundamental elements take over, such as form and texture. An example might be green grass against a blue sky. Let me give you a tip: if you are going to take a shot of a green grass, back lighting will produce a fantastic effect, making the green very vivid and glowing. So, keep in mind that direction of sunlight is important, too. Be careful when making compositions with similar colors in black & white photography. Most of the time, what appears clear and well defined in the colored world, will seem confused and lackluster in black and white. Now you know how to compose a highly contrasting image or, on the contrary, a harmonious picture. All of this from a chromatic point of view. Now it is time for the better thing you can do: experiment what you have just learnt. More articles about photography at ilghila.com

18. Digital Camera Tips - Photography Composition Techniques

Most modern digital cameras come with a zoom lens that can take both wide angle and telephoto shots. This is extremely useful. However remember that when the camera is on its furthest telephoto setting, camera shake will become a problem. If you are taking a telephoto shot and the camera chooses a slow to medium shutter speed, the result might be blurred due to the movement of your hands while taking the exposure. Use a tripod - all wildlife photographers use them. They are a pain to carry but improve quality by orders of magnitude.

20. Composition and Cropping in Photography - PictureCorrect Camera Tips

Composition and cropping are very basic digital photography tools that you can use hand-in-hand to produce stunning results. First you use composition to arrange the main elements of your photo in a pleasing manner. Then you use cropping to fine-tune the image by removing unwanted elements and further adjusting the composition. With practice, you can refine your shots to look as good as you imagined them when you pushed the shutter button. First, let's take a look at the most basic rule of composition, the rule of thirds: Imagine your viewfinder having a grid on it that looks like a tic-tac-toe game. Then arrange the elements of your shot so that the main element is not in the centre square. This is the rule of thirds in a nutshell and a good starting point for basic composition. Next, let's consider leading lines: If there is an element in your shot like a fence or roadway, consider using this element to lead your viewer's eye into the photograph. These kinds of elements work well when arranged on a diagonal to run from lower left to upper right, or lower right to upper left. You could also shoot from the centre of a roadway, and let it take up the whole bottom, tapering towards the upper centre�this breaks (or at least bends) the rule of thirds, but we will talk about that next. Now, you know that rules are made to be broken, so let's take a look at how to break the rule of thirds. The first thing to remember is to trust your eye and your instincts: if it looks good dead centre, shoot it that way. Certain types of shots lend themselves to centre composition. For example: shots of calm water that perfectly reflect the landscape above�quite often the reflection is just as compelling as the landscape, so why not give them equal billing? Note: If there are any distracting elements in your shot�that you just cannot compose out�try to keep them towards the outside of your shot. This will allow you to remove them with post-shot cropping. Another thing to keep in mind when composing your shots is variety�the more raw material you have to work with, the better. Compose your shots in several different ways: with your main subject in the lower third; in the upper third; left of centre; right of centre; with the camera tipped on its end etc. Digital photography is great in this respect: you can shoot as many photos as you want at virtually no extra cost, so why not take advantage? Now, cropping: Once you have your digital photos home and are looking at them on your ...

21. Guide to Composition in Photography - PictureCorrect Camera Tips

When you press your eye to the viewfinder of your camera, a blank canvas is placed before you. Similar to more traditional artists, you can paint a vertical shot or a horizontal shot. That's your first decision in basic composition. "Is my subject up and down, or does it go side to side?" If your subject is up and down, you should be holding your camera in a vertical position. Too often people say, "oh, they can crop that later." Yes, they can. But why let them? This is your masterpiece, why hand them the brush? Second point to consider . . . how big a print do you want? You do realize of course that different size prints have different proportions. In other words, if a group of ten people just barely fit in your 5x7 print and then someone asks you to make an 8x10 print; someone will be missing or cut in half on the larger print. Giving your subject room on either side so that you can enlarge later is NOT the same as letting the lab make up for your mistakes. Third point to consider . . . where on the canvas is your subject going to be? Centuries ago, Greek Artists discovered the eye tends to focus on certain points in any given picture. If you divide your picture into thirds both horizontally and vertically, the points at which those lines intersect are the points where most people tend to focus comfortably. This approach is more interesting than a �Bulls Eye� type snap shot. This is commonly referred to as the "Rule of Thirds". If you get a nice shot, what usually happens? You frame it and put it on your wall. Why do you frame it? Because it draws attention! In the children's story �Charlotte's Webb�, Charlotte concludes that people believe what they see in print. Likewise, people believe if something is framed it must be important. So why wait? When shooting, framing means something in the foreground that sets off, or �Frames� your main subject. Framing helps create a sense of depth by creating opposition. Start framing your shots, while you take them. The last point in basic composition is . . . if it doesn't add to the shot, get rid of it! Get closer. Don't stand twenty feet away and say you're taking a portrait. If your subject consists of one or two main subjects, they should fill up 80% of that viewfinder, not 20%. This takes us back to the beginning. If you're shooting one person standing and the camera is in the horizontal position, you're wasting 80% of your shot. Turn that camera up on edge, step closer, and fill that frame with your subject. Simply put, shoot from the beginning how you want it to look in the end. This Article Written By: Tedric A. Garrison Cedar City, Utah Tedric Garrison has done photography for over 30 years. In college he was an Art Major, and firmly believes that �Creativity can be taught.� Today; as a writer and photographer he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: http://www.betterphototips.com

22. Composition Dominance in Photography - PictureCorrect Camera Tips

Henry Ford once said �Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.� Although it seems unlikely that Mr. Ford had much time to do anything with photography; truth is truth, and it crosses all boundaries. If you want to become a great photographer; not just a week end warrior, your dominant thoughts need to be on what makes a great photograph. If all the subjects in your image are of equal size, shape, or visual weight, with nothing being clearly dominant, it becomes very difficult for your viewer to know what to focus on. In a great photograph, things that are dominant have the most visual weight. They are the most important, powerful, influential elements in your image. Things that can dominate in a great photograph include: the subject, color, line, size, shape, or texture. The subject is generally the object that you want the viewer to notice most. If you have a field of bright yellow daises for example, that will catch some attention. However, if you find that on one edge a spider has created a huge glowing web; and focus on that, then the daises only become background. By shifting your focus to the spider first, the viewer has a place to start. They may still think that the daises are awesome; but the spider acts as the first page in a great novel. It gives your viewer a reason to want to explore the rest. If you have a dominant color you subconsciously have tapped into the viewer's emotional reservoir. Depending on their own past experiences, different viewers will have different reactions to different colors. Take red for example; it can be thought of as power, strength, or passion, but . . . it can also be associated with anger, violence, or danger. The emotional impact of a burning building with a woman leaning out the window holding a baby in her arms; will not be the same as a father and son roasting marshmallows over a camp fire. Even though both images may have a dominantly red or orange tone, the history of the viewer will greatly impact the success of the image. Dominant lines help to create depth, but more importantly they lead. Face it, lines lead. That's what they do. Now if you're careful they will lead your viewer into your image; but . . . if you're not careful they can also lead them out of the image. They are your supporting actor or actress. They can actually be the main subject, but most often they are satisfied with making your subject look good. They also have a certain emotional impact. Think of the calm peaceful l...

23. Composition in Digital Photography - PictureCorrect Digital Camera Tips

In digital photography you'll find that the 3 main components that make up the success of your images hinge on each other. What I mean by this is: 1. Light 2. Technical knowledge 3. Composition These all depend on each other closely to make up a beautiful digital photograph. It sounds easy doesn't it? Well it is, when you have practiced. But when you are starting out learning how to get better shots with more depth and clarity you can start focusing on the technical but perhaps start forgetting about the artistic side and visa versa. Its common problem when we first start learning digital photography. We realize that we must drill the technical stuff into our heads so we can improve, and what tends to happen is that we get caught up for a bit. We can forget that photography is artistic. And the artistic side of your digital photo needs perfect composition. So here's a handy technique that I discovered for myself to getting that perfect structure in my composition that I now want to share with you. A great way, no a fabulous way to get perfect composition in your digital photos is to practice with your zoom. Start by picking your subject and focusing on it. Let's say it's an apple on a bench. Usually what happens is that people take the angle too far away, getting the distracting background objects in the picture. This takes away the beautiful and freshness of the subject leaving us rather cold as far as an emotional response for the photo. There are a couple of things you can do. You can remove the annoying background clutter and take the apple as a singular subject against a look of �nothingness�. This can be quite an effective shot. Or you can zoom in a little bit at a time and see what composition works well. This is what I can zooming in increments. Zooming in on a subject in increments can be a very effective way to practice getting your composition just perfect. You can take several pictures of your apple using different �zoom lengths� to get the right angle. Be aware that this may impact the light in your photo. Generally how it works is that the closer you zoom in the less light you have to work with because you're closing in on your subject and reducing the physical space that light falls on an area. This really applies if the subject has no luminance of its own. In order to compensate for this decrease in light you can change your aperture. This means altering the F stop on your camera if possible. You may start out from 1 meter away from your ap...

24. Black and White Photography Exposure and Composition - PictureCorrect Tips

Black and white photography is a very intricate type of photography and there are a lot of elements that one needs to look out for in order to create stunning and captivating photographs. How do you end up with better black and white photographs? Here are some tips to help you with your black and white photos: Colors Since you are limited by fewer tonal values and hues in black and white photography, it would be best if you choose a subject that is dramatically striking even if there is no color to it. The black and white subject that you wish to photograph should not absolutely rely on color for its impact. The holiday hues of red and green might look good together but they might not be as tastefully pleasing when translated to black and white photography. Therefore, it should be remembered that you would be better off if you chose a subject and background that would be interesting when portrayed in black and white. When choosing subjects, it would be better if you do not rely on the colors for its natural beauty. Try to select a picture with different shadows and variations of light in order to make your black and white photographs effective. Light and shadow The elements of light and shadow is very relevant to the mood that a photograph exudes. In order to see how light and shadows affect the emotion and mood of a photograph, try to take a picture of a particular subject at different times of the day and notice the difference they make. A subject that was photographed on a clear sunny day would definitely have a different mood compared to a foggy or overcast day. In the latter, there would be a much different type of hue and tonal value that you'll be able to capture. Try to capture these differences each and every time the opportunity presents itself. If you can't find a foggy atmosphere, try to shoot during dusk and dawn where there is a lower level of light in your surroundings. Shapes One of the most limiting factors in black and white photography is that color is absent. Therefore, black and white photography heavily relies on shapes and dynamic lines for interest. Leading lines which are curved, slanted lines which overlap across each other are the ones that provide black and white photography the dynamism that it needs. The curved lines that one may find in bottles and vases might be a good subject for black and white photography. You can also experiment your black and white still life pictures with something dynamic such as ergonomic shapes such...

25. Visual Balance in Photography - PictureCorrect Composition Tips

What is balance? Does it mean all things have to be equal? Well, yes and no. There are basically two types of balance. Formal balance is the balancing on opposite sides of a given point, either by one or more elements that are identical or very similar. Think of a nice formal portrait of someone staring straight ahead. If you were to fold this picture in half, it would look the same on both sides. Both sides would have one eye. Both sides would have one ear. Both sides would show half a nose, and both sides would show half a mouth. This is Formal balance; and it is most often recognized by subjects that are uniform in shape, thus creating a rather harmonious effect. Informal Balance is the balancing on opposite sides of a given point, by one or more elements that are dissimilar or contrasting elements. Say we had a picture of a baby playing with some blocks. If you folded that image in half; on one side you would focus on just the baby, but on the other side you would focus on just the blocks. Here you have two entirely different things that do not even remotely look the same, but that's OK. Informal balance is less obvious, because its subjects are often not uniform, in fact they vary greatly. There is nothing wrong with this, because it gives the viewer more to appreciate. Is one type of balance better than another? That depends on what you're shooting. Buildings, monuments and cars are often taken as a formal balance shots, after all . . . that's how they were built. On the other hand; mountains, plants and people often come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Obviously, since I also used people in the first example, you can always choose to shoot any given subject in a variety of ways. This is where both personal style and taste come into play. At one time or another, I'm sure all of us have seen or taken a shot of a mountain reflected off a perfectly still pond or lake. If you get in close enough (leaving out the things on the edge of the lake) the shot almost becomes an abstract work of art. Very interesting, very intriguing, very much a formal balance shot. But what happens if in the lower left hand corner we add a man in a fishing boat trying to net the big bass that's on the end of his fishing pole? Is it any less of an interesting shot now? No. In fact, many would argue that it is now much more interesting. This is Informal balance at its best. Both shots have emotional appeal, but one makes you feel peace and one makes you feel active. This ...

26. Rule of Thirds Aspects in Photography Composition - PictureCorrect Cameras

For beginners in photography, composition can be a real obstacle. Even when you have all the technical skills, it can be difficult to compose a photo that is pleasing to the eye. I have news for you: it is just as tough to teach to others. That's because composition can be so personal. What appeals to me may not appeal to you. However, many photographers, beginners in particular, are not happy with the way their photos look. But often they can't quite put their finger on why. There are plenty of rules and guidelines to help you with composition. Possibly the best known is the Rule Of Thirds. This rule suggests your composition should be divided into a nine-part grid, by running two lines horizontally (a third from the top and a third from the bottom) and two lines vertically (a third from the left and a third from the right). According to the rule, large objects (trees, buildings etc) should be placed on these lines, and small objects are most effective if positioned where the lines intersect. Photos composed around these guidelines have a balanced look. Objects seem to appear exactly where your eye expects to find them. So when you build a composition around the Rule Of Thirds, your photo satisfies the viewer's natural sense of proportion. Some people have an innate sense of visual balance. They have a natural flair for creative composition that does not need to be guided by rules. However, if you were to examine their photos, you would be sure to find that most of their photos fitted the rule perfectly - even if they were not aware of it. The Rule Of Thirds is an excellent place to start if you are a photographer struggling with composition. I recommend to every beginner to learn it, practice it, get so familiar with it that you start to apply it without even thinking. Then, once you are truly comfortable with the Rule Of Thirds - ignore it about half the time. Recently a man walked into my gallery, and before I even said hello I heard him telling his friends: "You see, this is a good photo because it fits the rule of thirds. This is a bad photo because the kangaroo is right in the middle. This sunset is no good because the horizon is too low when it should be here, a third of the way up..." This man was obviously an ardent devotee of the Rule Of Thirds. For him, anything that stepped outside the boundaries of the rule was automatically a bad photo. But is composition really so simplistic? Of course not. The real world is not nearly so neatly organized a...

27. Leading Lines in Photo Composition - PictureCorrect Photography Tips

On the other hand, if you shoot the same sunset and the road runs horizontally from left to right; that would be a negative line. Why? Because it is going side to side and NOT interacting with the main subject, therefore it distracts. It may only be briefly, but most viewers will jump back and forth between the sunset and the road, and wonder where the road is going. Many young couples like to hold hands while taking their picture. That's fine, but if they hold hands and their hands are down at their side, it literately points away from the couple and makes people stare at their feet. On the other hand; if you have them holding hands and they bend at the elbow so their hands are closer to their face . . . that visual line actually points back to the couple. The second photo tip is: lines can reinforce your subject or distract. One of the reasons most portrait photographers avoid hands, is because it is so easy to accidentally shoot them uncomplimentary. Imagine a young couple where the man in a friendly loving manner puts his arm around the young ladies' waist. If the fingers show up in the shot what does that do? They usually end up pointing either to the waist or the stomach. Most women really don't want you looking at their stomach or waist. It's not the viewers fault, but if you have five little lines pointing back to the belly it's very hard NOT to look in that direction. As we have demonstrated when two lines meet they form a point. When two lines actually cross it does something different that is also hard to control. Have you ever heard the phrase X marks the spot?? If a tree branch crosses a fence or a fence crosses a road, its' almost like posting a sigh that says, "Look HERE!" If your subject is in the upper right corner and you have a visual X in the lower left corner, your mind will go back and forth. It will be extremely difficult to just concentrate on the subject. Photo tip number three: avoid the visual X at all cost, unless your subject is directly in the middle of that X. Photo tip number four: lines convey thoughts and feelings. Horizontal lines represent rest or relaxation. Vertical lines often give a mental image of strength. Diagonal lines tend to give a feeling of movement. Curved lines are loose and flexible (usually considered sexier.) Jagged lines suggest energy or conflict. If you are trying to create a calm, peaceful scenic photograph and you have several sharp jagged lines in the image, your photo is already in conflict with i...

28. Composition and Framing - part 1 - photography tutorial - pxlshots.com

For many years my only camera was a Lumix DX-10, and being a compact automated camera there wasn't that much I could do with it, except work my photos with a good composition. This handicap of a camera was actually a very good practice, because it got me to really try hard and experiment new and odd compositions. I really don't like those common-subject-centered-vacation-photos, so... whenever I went on vacation I always tried all sorts of crazy angles and approaches, with some curious results, namely having to explain were I went on vacation... :) My point is, a good composition can greatly improve your photos, or make great photos out of bad / dull subjects. In this tutorial we are going to try out some of the general principles of composition as the well known 1/3, but also give some background attention.

32. An Introduction to Photography Composition | Yanik's Photo School

Here's my first comprehensive article part of my Intro to Photography category. This article on the introduction to photography composition is actually a brief summary that's part of my workshop called: �Introduction to Photography�. Creating a beautiful photograph isn't as difficult as one might think. Some people can instinctively compose their images without any knowledge of photography composition rules. Others might need a little help and think things through before it becomes second nature. We'll look at some basic composition techniques that will dramatically improve your images. By applying one or many of the following rules, your photos will go from looking amateurish to professional. You will also understand why some of the previous images you took work so well and why you and other people like them so much. Before we get started, let me point out that these rules are only guides to help you create beautiful images. You can apply more than one rule in your photos�. or none at all! Remember that rules are made to be broken� sometimes. Here are the photography composition rules what we'll look at in this article: - The Rule of Thirds - Simplicity - Leading Lines - The Natural Frame - Contrasts - Point of View - Rhythm