Photographic Composition Elements
It’s been while that I have blogged about any technical aspect of photography but today I feel that I have enough fire in my belly or in my phone to take another look at the familiar topic of Photographic Composition Elements. So if you are learning photography, this might be of interest to you.
Think of a picture like a story. That is nothing new, as we all know it is worth 1000 words. If you want your story to make a lasting impression in 1000 words, you got to make every word count. That means, just what you need and nothing that you don’t.
As an author you have various ways of expressing your thoughts – exciting topical sentences, various figures of speech, personal anecdotes and what not. A seasoned writer knows to maintain the balance so that the reading is effortless and entertaining, and perhaps even thought provoking.
The matter of reading a photograph is quite abstract by nature. We cannot pronounce what we are reading. There is no dictionary to help what we don’t understand. The general viewer, who does not know the photographer and probably was not there when the photo was taken, depends on her life experiences to relate to the photograph. If it is within that scope, such as an image of her baby, to give an obvious example, it will merit attention, a photographic disaster nor withstanding.
What if it is outside that scope?
In that case the gap between the viewer and the photograph is just too much. And think about how many photographs we look at daily. The number has exploded since social media took over our existence. Even if you are halfway to becoming famous, people do not know you. Why would anyone bother to look at your work?
Anyone might, if you have something really interesting or intriguing to say.
Visual elements are “things” that help make your photograph interesting. I don’t know why these work. That is left for psychologists. But I do know how these work.
Visually, these appear as lines, curves, color, light and darkness, a blur and so on. Every photograph has one or more of these things. The question is what it is about these things that make a photograph worth a few seconds of look. The answer is: A good composition makes use of visual elements in a coordinated way.
What do I mean?
As a simple example, think of 2 colors that go well together or 2 that don’t. That should not be too hard. Now think beyond just 2 colors: areas of darkness and lightness and the transitions, lines and curves, surfaces that are rough or smooth, dull or shiny, backgrounds that are busy or simple. Objects that are round or square or triangular. People and other moving things. So now the space around us is more complicated. Now think of choosing what to include in your frame and how those should work together to strengthen your composition and make that choice in less than 1 second. (unless you are photographing still life or landscapes).
So the process that happens in an experienced photographer’s mind is analysis followed by synthesis, and it happens very fast. This is a learning process itself, but anyone can do it and it gets better with practice. And the process starts with moving around in your environment with your camera, even if its just a phone you have.
That’s what I did, after having the idea to write this post. I said to myself: Let me go back to the basics with my phone – that is always with me. Let me see how this learning process can be managed by anyone willing to learn but not having a camera that costs $$$.
I had written a series of blog posts explaining the use of visual elements (lines, pattern, shape, form, color, motion, balance etc.), which can be found here. But this time I wanted to make it more relevant to everyday scenarios from my experience or that could be anyone’s and explain how I analyzed a situation before I took the picture.
I used my phone to take most of these pictures. Some photos were taken with SLR.
Tribeca Citibike Stand
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Pattern, Color, Balance
I had passed by this bike stand several times before on my way to the subway next to it. This time, I happened to notice the single bike parked across from the shiny colorful Citi bikes. The clear separating line of the sidewalk highlighted the divide between the two. Without the lonely, cheerless bike the composition wouldn’t have worked at all. It balanced the Citi bikes by providing subject contrast. The colorful road with interesting motifs further depended the divide between the two sides. You might not agree, but to me, it stopped just being about bikes and started to imply the divide that exists in our world, between excesses and shorfalls. I had to take the picture. I took my phone out and snapped. The original frame had other stuff to the left and top, which I cropped out as that had no relevance to the idea I wanted the image to carry.
Now, if at least one person who saw this picture found this thought provoking, then I would consider this image to be a winner.
Sidewalk Bench at Tribeca
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Color (the lack of it), Pattern
I took this picture minutes before taking the picture of the bike stand above. It is more abstract. I don’t know how to interpret the shot or search for anything more than what it is. The only reason it is interesting to me is that it is a pure illustration of visual elements. It is visual elements for the sake of visual elements. The broader brighter lines of the bench contrasts well with the darker, narrower lines that run in a different direction. Subject contrast works with tonal contrast. The image is monochromatic and that goes well with metal, and in edit, I made it colder to enhance the metallic feeling. Of course, without the raindrops, the shot wouldn’t have been worth taking. Other than the raindrops, perhaps a small spot of color, such as an item lying on the metal grill might have worked as well.
Downtown from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Shape, Human Interest
This is a view of the financial district from Brooklyn Bridge Park, at sunset, on the same day as the other 2 photos before. I had a photo session coming up at the park and went there to check out the place. I took the subway from Tribeca. Anyway, as I continued my walk by the waterfront, I found the gentleman. He was just waiting to get photographed, I suppose. Obviously without him, there is no shot. But I like the interplay between the rocks and towers beyond the East River. A key element is the pier that sticks out from the left and points towards lower Manhattan. Some scattered clouds add interest to the sky.
Freedom Tower from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Photographic Composition Elements: Lines, Tonal Perspective, Depth of Field, Natural Frame
Anyway, how did I see this? By chance, really! I knelt down to take some shots of the locks couples have left hanging on the railing, a few of which you can also see in this image. This place has been made into a shrine for and by romantic couples. When I knelt down, the Freedom Tower jumped out at me, framed between the two posts. I got super excited. It was such an easy shot, yet so beautiful. And again, the careful arrangement of visual elements can provoke some thought, as the Freedom Tower is such a well known icon. So, how do the visual elements help in my interpretation? The separation between where I am now and where I want to be is emphasized by the tonal contrast and the sheer contrast in scale between the 3 feet high post and the 1800 feet tower. I see the path to freedom. I hear the call to freedom.
Shake Shack by the Brooklyn Bridge Park
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Human Interest
That day, my phone proved to be quite productive. On my way back, I was passing by the Shake Shack and I saw the couple and the man seating by the window. I stopped and took the shot. The main theme here is human interest. I doubt I would have taken the shot if either the man by the window or the couple was not there. Together they tell a story to me, about separate worlds. Do they tell a story to you?
Brooklyn Promenade
Photographic Composition Elements: Light, Human Interest
Before I went down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, I took a walk on the Brooklyn Promenade. As you can see, it provides a familiar yet beautiful view of downtown Manhattan. The afternoon light was quite flattering. Yet, without the biker, the picture is nothing more than a postcard. I had passed by the biker before, as he had stopped to appreciate the view. As I was exiting the Promenade, I heard him behind me. I quickly turned around and snapped with my phone. I was quite lucky to get him at the apex of his turn. The tilt implies motion, although the biker is frozen. The tree to the left and the textured wall to the right provides a very pleasing frame. I decided that I would take a similar shot at the photo session, the following week. You can take a look at that shot here.
Wichcraft, Greenwich Street – a tribute to HCB
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Texture, Tonal Contrast, Motion, Human Interest
Wichcraft is a very popular café on Greenwich Street. It is right across from my workplace. Sometimes, I go there for a cup of coffee in the afternoon. On that day, as I was exiting with my coffee, the metal floor, that is quite typical in downtown, caught my eye and a bulb went on my head. This was different as I waited on my ambush at the corner of the café. Soon enough, I spotted my quarry. She was coming right towards Wichcraft. I took this shot just before she went inside through the door. This is pre-visualization at work. I already knew how I wanted the finished photo to look. The question was if I was going to get it right the first time, with my coffee in one hand and phone in other. While there would be many more going in to the café around 3pm, I couldn’t possibly risk a long absence from my desk or getting spotted as weirdo aiming his phone at peoples feet. Fortunately, it worked to my satisfaction. The decisive moment, really, and a throwback to the classic HCB (Henri Cartier Bresson) shot of the man jumping over the puddle. I was thrilled to see the blur on one foot while the other was planted firm on the ground. This is visual elements on overdrive. The lines on the pillar point to the floor. The texture on the floor take us toward the moving feet, which stands out so well against light reflecting off the floor. The picture wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without the blur on one foot. I didn’t plan on getting that. I just got lucky. So do you think the picture speaks to you more than what it is?
Moody’s, Greenwich Street – tribute to Ray Metzker
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Tonal Contrast, Human Interest, Shape
This is right next to the PATH train and I have walk past this many times, without a second thought. That day, while on my way back, I happened to notice the hand print left on the post. It was matter of chance really. I paused for second and then decided to hang back a while hoping to catch someone going through the posts. People were leaving work and so within a few seconds of getting my phone out, someone passed by. I didn’t aim to get the shot with one foot on the sidewalk and one foot on the road. That would be too much to expect from a phone. But I got lucky and it was the decisive moment. It is a somewhat abstract picture and open to interpretation, in my opinion. So again, I am curious to know if this picture provokes any thought for you, beyond what it is.
Greenwich Street Tavern – Lunch Break
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Human Interest, Line, Balance
I came out of my office building and saw the Greenwich Street Tavern across the street. It was nothing new and people were having lunch. It could have been any other day. But on that day I decided to do something with it. I don’t know why it would happen that way. I suppose, if you get into the knack of looking out for pictures, sometimes you find nothing when you wish you did and sometimes you see something special without having any expectation. So I crossed over to the other side. The mid-day light was harsh, but I was able to turn it to my advantage. The sidewalk reflected light into the café. The buildings in the background were in the shadow. The leaves were rich green with light coming through. The bike was resting against the tree. The foreground shadows on the sidewalk pointed to where I would want someone to be in the frame. It was picture perfect. I just waited for someone to walk by with the backlight. Within a minute a woman walked by and I took the shot. No doubt the woman is a key element in the composition but the bike and the leaves are key balancing elements. So this is how, sometimes harsh light can be tamed. You shoot against the light isolating the subject with rim light against a dark background and the reflected light acts as fill in.
Greenwich Street Tavern – Afternoon Coffee Break
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Human Interest, Line, Texture
This picture was taken just around the corner from the previous picture. But it shows the same use of backlight to isolate the subject against a darker background. The lines of the brick walls lead to the subject. The foreground shadows help to keep the eye on the main subject. The angular light picks out details of the brick surface. What I find interesting is how the shadow of the person merges with the dark ash tray. I didn’t see that so much when taking the picture. If fact, it is very hard to see anything well in the phone screen when it is so bright.
Collister Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Color, Natural Framing, Human Interest, Tonal Contrast
Collister Street is actually an alley near my workplace. Like many other streets in Tribeca, this one too is paved with cobblestones. I was out during lunch hour that day exploring the cobblestones. And I like the short walk on Collister Street. So there I was on that day when I spotted a lady with her dog at the other end of the street. I stopped right there and waited until they were in front of the arched gate, which became a natural frame. Again there is not a whole lot going on here except the color harmony between the red wall and the dog and the contrast of the blond hair against the black arched gate. It would not be a shot worth taking somewhere else. With practice, you will spot opportunities early and be able to ready to take the shot at the right time.
Gigino, Greenwich Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Color, Natural Framing, Reflection, Human Interest
I always walk on the other sidewalk. On that day, I don’t remember why, I was walking on the sidewalk across, and stopped to look at the colorful umbrella. Then I saw the reflections of the sky and the other buildings on the window. At the same time, the waiter came by and started arranging the things on the table. I took my phone out and he looked at me. I clicked. Obviously, the composition would not work if there was nothing interesting within the natural framing provided by the umbrella, the ironwork and the curtains.
SaraBeth’s, Greenwich Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Pattern, Color, Balance, Human Interest
Counting on my good luck, I stayed on the same sidewalk and got this picture. Lines and pattern created by the fence and white table tops and wicker chairs count here, as do the way the person in sunglass looking at me and his blue shirt that echoes the color of the fence. Yet the key component is the man at the end, who acts as a stop and re-directs the eye back within the frame. Otherwise, the strong lines would lead the eye of the viewer out of the frame. I don’t have a generic name for the visual element that man at the end is. So I would just say that he is the balance in the composition.
Citibike Stand, Whole Foods at Greenwich Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Pattern, Color
Like so many other things on Greenwich Street, I walk by this Citibike stand twice day on weekdays. I noticed a couple of empty bike slots. This was the break in the pattern. I shot close to the first bike, intentionally so that it was cropped out of the frame. I supposed that way I could be up-close and personal to something so ordinary. The colors were bold and the patterns and lines were strong. The icing was the person who conveniently appeared at the end to grab a bike.
Citibank at Greenwich Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Natural Framing, Human Interest, Symmetry, Color, Tonal Contrast
I was about to go inside the building, when I them pass by. Fortunately the phone was in my hand. In a spit second I noticed the light through the rich, green leaves and the symmetry created by the arms, the dogs and the shadows. I am familiar with the natural framing created by the trees and often I have looked for a suitable subject in that frame and that day I got my wish. Any closed shaped that connects key elements within the frame is powerful enough. In this frame the symmetry in the diamond is a double whammy. The backlighting deals with the strong midday sun. The green leaves create a beautiful repartee with the diamond.
Parsippany High School
Photographic Composition Elements: Pattern, Color, Human Interest
I was at an school auditorium where a rehearsal for a community event was going on. The pattern of red seats was crying out to me to create a picture. Whenever there is a pattern, the trick is to place something interesting to provide a break in the pattern. That break is the balance and the key element in the composition I asked my son to go take a seat. But if was looking at the camera it would appear arranged and the overhead lights would create deep shadows under his eyes. So I asked him to look at the ceiling and I clicked. Lot of people liked the picture and none suspected that it was an arranged shot.
Andy’s Family Music Center at Livingston, NJ
Photographic Composition Elements: Natural Framing, Human Interest
I take my son to Andy’s Family Music Center for guitar lessons. I am friendly with Bob, who sometimes stops by. He plays guitar sitting in one of the vacant lesson rooms. He is not a teacher. I guess he comes there to pass the time. That evening I saw Bob playing his own guitar. Instead of taking the shot straight on, I hoped to make the composition more interesting by using the guitars as a frame and a lead into the main subject.
Whole Foods, Tribeca
Photographic Composition Elements: Scale, Human Interest
A shop window poster and a pile of pumpkins creates humor. I paused on my way to work to take this photo. I carefully framed it so the pile appeared to end just before the mouth. You can’t have enough pumpkin at Halloween season – coffee, donuts, soup. Why not gulp one at a time like grapes. That’s how the pumpkins look like next to the giant face.
Empty Cup and Cigarette Box, Tribeca
Photographic Composition Elements: Color, Tonal Contrast
This is again a picture where the concept is visual elements for the sake of visual elements. Like many of such pictures, it is abstract and can mean different things to different people. I photographed it because the simple color and tonal contrasts appealed to me. And could be the end of it, pretty much…or maybe not. It totally depends on the viewer and her state of mind.
Raindrops on my deck
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Texture, Form, Pattern, Color
A brief shower created this wonder on my deck. The sun was peeping out from the clouds after the shower and that light is special indeed. It created amazing highlight and shadows on each raindrop so that it stands out against the simple texture of the deck. You can almost touch each raindrop. Form is a visual element here. Like I have mentioned before, a pattern needs a break to be successful. The red autumn leaf provided the break from the pattern of the deck and the raindrops. Sometimes the wonder is right at your doorstep, you just have to look.
Newstand, Tribeca
Photographic Composition Elements: Scale, Human Interest
A similar image to the one with pumpkins. This time the mouth is hidden by a huge pile of trash bags. Sometimes people talk a lot of nonsense and at other times the voice that need to heard is lost behind noise. There are things to be photographed all around – seemingly ordinary things. The question is can we use those everyday things to tell a story.
Snowy Branches
Photographic Composition Elements: Subject Contrast
One winter morning, while it was snowing, I stepped outside to take the trash can to the curb. It was magical – a true winter wonderland. My mind was racing to find something worth photographing. I looked at the snow on the dogwood tree in the front yard and I figured I should do something with it. I crouched under the low braches and switched my phone to selfie mode so it was looking upward and I was able to see the framing just the way I wanted. To me the contrast in scale between the branches of the tree I was under and the one a little further away was interesting
Landmark, Livingston, NJ
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Scale
This was taken in selfie mode, while I was having lunch at Landmark. While playing with the phone and the glass of beer I observed a possibility of an interesting shot. The gentlemen on either side the glass were probably not chatting at all. The one closer was leaning to the right towards the glass of beer. Then I got lucky. The one on the far side turned his head to his left. For a moment, which was captured for ever, it did seem like they were sharing a conversation. The viewpoint gets the beer the center stage. As if the men exist for the beer, not the other way round.
Barclay Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Scale
I got this shot while on my way back from work, near the WTC Path station. At first I was drawn by the reflection of street lights on the metallic exterior of the building. I took a few shots. A vehicle was parked by the sidewalk, The driver stepped out and popped the trunk. You can see him looking inside the trunk. At that time a man stopped by the other side of the street, waiting for the lights to change so he could cross the street. It appeared that his head was about to get knocked off. I found this chance juxtaposition quite interesting.
85 Broad Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Tonal Contrast, Line
This shot is a great example of how converging lines can be used to create depth in a shot.The columns create the lines which converge to the buildings in the back. The repeated bands of light and shade create a nice pattern that is interesting to the eye. You may not realize, that the couple of people in the background play a key role. They act as stoppers. Otherwise the eye will wander away from the main subject of interest, following the strong converting lines to the patch of brightly lit buildings in the back. The eye has the tendency to move towards areas of brightness in a frame. The figures in the back bounce the viewer’s eye back to the main subject of interest – the smoking lady.The light is soft but directional and works nicely to pick out her facial and clothing details.
Broadway
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Tonal Contrast, Line
A very similar shot like the one before, in horizontal format. It is easy to get shots like this in NYC. I took the photo because of the contrast between the dress and the reddish orange wall. It was important to have the people in the far end acting as stoppers, as explained in the shot before.
Freedom Tower
Photographic Composition Elements: Color Contrast, Tonal Contrast, Subject Contrast
Taken shortly before sunset, the glass faced Freedom Tower and the Goldman Sachs building were in shadow and reflected the color of blue sky. The Federal Reserve building was lit up by the warm light of the setting sun. The architectural details were picked up by the interplay of light and shade that sidelight creates. So you have color contrast (blue and yellow), tonal contrast (light and shade) and subject contrast (architecture that is 100 years apart). The only thing missing is a small airplane up in the empty sky.
Freedom Tower
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Subject Contrast, Pattern, Lines
Taken at the same time of the previous shot, I got rid of color as I wanted to focus on the difference in architecture of the Freedom Tower and the Path Station. The single curved line creates an interesting balance to the numerous straight lines. I added some grain to create a little more visual interest.
Nighthawks
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Human Interest
My most favorite painting is Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. I have spent long time looking at that on many occasions. In Hopper’s own words: “unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city.” I am sure many of us who grew up/lived/worked in a big city at times felt how lonely it can be in a crowded place. Even more so today, when we have been seduced by the promise of freedom technology brings to our lives but at the same time builds barriers around us. This photograph is my tribute to Hopper’s Nighthawks. I took this photograph at WeWork Fidi. If you visited this link, you would know the environment there is nothing like it has been depicted here. I converted the image to black and white and carefully adjusted the tones in my hope to experience the same eerie feeling I had when I looked at Hopper’s Nighthawks.
Mountain Ridge Country Club
Photographic Composition Elements: Lines, Tonal Contrast, Human Interest
This is a top favorite. I love the composition and the light is beautiful. There are many visual elements at work here – more than the three I listed It has enough to hold your eye for some time, but the question you have to ask yourself, does it also make you think?
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Photographic Composition Elements: Color, Human Interest, Tonal Contrast
A favorite shot – no doubt and a lot going on with multiple visual elements at play, enough to hold your attention. Again, the question is does it make you think?
Bryant Park
Photographic Composition Elements: Lines, Human Interest, Tonal Contrast, Natural Framing
The vertical lines in the background are the key elements in this composition. The walkway creates a natural frame by providing a break in the line of trees. Additional visual elements were the dark patch on the glass which was really the reflection of the park and the buildings on the other side, the white lines that created an interesting grid and the people sitting all around. I was lucky because only after a brie wait the elderly couple came along with the lady in a gown in a striking pattern in black and white that complemented the background of white grid lines on the dark reflections in the glass.
Madison Avenue
Photographic Composition Elements: Natural Framing, Tonal Contrast, Pattern
This shot is an illustration of visual elements for the sake for visual elements. I do not think the content is telling an interesting story. But that is subjective. Anyway, the strong lines lead into from both sides and the space between is the natural frame. The decision was about to show someone leaving or coming into the frame. Also I had to wait for someone in dark clothing so as to stand out visually.
24th Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Reflection, Human Interest
I was playing with reflection here, but this image is subjective and open to interpretation. Have we let ourselves be imprisoned by the technological marvels we have created, while real life is passing by? I did not think about that when composing the picture, but I knew if I filled up the space between the man and his reflection with someone passing by, the image would be interesting enough.
Regatta Playground, West Orange, NJ
Photographic Composition Elements: Converging Lines, Shadows, Texture, Human Interest
Converging lines are a great way to lead into the focal point of a picture. This picture is an illustration of that. To me, this is a demonstration of visual element as a technical point. The sidelight creates interesting shadow adding more lines that converge to the person. The side light also beautifully picks up the texture in the walkway, mulch and the artificial grass. As this was at a park on a pleasant afternoon, there were lots of kids and people all around and I had to be careful about showing any of that in the frame.
6th Avenue and 23rd Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Color, Human Interest, Motion
I was handing out in the corner waiting for something interesting to happen while a vendor was blowing bubbles using toy bubble guns. And she suddenly popped out in front me. Walking fast, she was making a turn towards her left. The slight diagonal of her body is all that takes to convey a sense of motion. The bubbles add to the drama. Do we live in a real world or we don’t know if we are caught up in a make-believe matrix of our imagination?
6th Avenue and 23rd Street
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Reflection
The late afternoon light creates remarkable reflections of the street and the buildings on the exterior glass of this café at 6th Avenue and 23rd Street. I was waiting for something to happen. The woman was standing on the sidewalk and then she went inside the café and sat down. She is partially visible through the reflections and her mood is pensive – she appears trapped in the glass and concrete around her. It is ironical, that on her forehead, you can see “HAVE A NICE DAY” which is reflection of a sign from a bus that happened to stop at the intersection. I did not see this sign when I was taking the shot. But it was a nice surprise during editing. That is the joy of photography.
JKF Airport Terminal 4
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Graphics
While waiting at the arrival lounge of terminal 4, I observed the graphics on the wall and got the idea of doing a composition using it. Even as a background the graphics could be the main element of composition. Obviously, the question was how to balance the composition. Because of passengers coming out, there was a lot of movement, and none of that clutter would do. After a while, a woman took her place at the side and she was going to be the balance in the composition. She even struck a pose. I had to wait for her to look at the right direction. I got 1 chance at the shot and then she looked away and soon after moved away from the spot. Her color coordinated jacket, handbag and shoes in tan had a nice contrast to the blues in the picture. Even the blue suitcase harmonized the color. Wouldn’t have been the same if she was having a red suitcase, for instance.
John Dory Oyster Bar
Photographic Composition Elements: Color Contrast, Human Interest
Street photography requires a quick draw. In many situations, there is hardly any time between the analysis of the scene and the taking of the shot. I saw the red table and the contrast of the white plates and napkins and the small garden on the sidewalk in front of John Dory Oyster Bar on Broadway. I was going to take the shot just for myself – so that I could look at it later for a while. But as I was taking the shot the woman walked across and I had the instinct to momentarily delay the shot, until she reached the doorway. As I was pressing the shutter I could sense the feeling that I get when I know I am clicking with perfect timing. Everything fell into place including the guys in the back and the woman in white dress to the left.
Flatiron Building
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Natural Framing, Texture, Tonal Contrast, Lines
The Flatiron building is probably the most photographed building in New York City. Being close to that building frequently, I see people photographing it pretty much from the same spot. So I thought of challenging myself to find a different perspective. One might argue about the point of taking a picture of the famous building if one might not even recognize the landmark from the photo. But as a photographer, I try to stay away from making picture postcards most of the time. It was the time to head out from work and after a couple of tries, I got the shot I wanted. The curved lines lead into the subject of interest. The soft directional diffused light shows the texture of the wall quite nicely. I was so lucks to get someone dressed in black like that to contrast the white walls of the building. The decisive moment was how the person seemed trapped by the natural frame of the revolving doors.
Flatiron District
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest, Color
I was attracted by how the Empire State Building looked against the thunderclouds. The lighting at that time just before it started raining was magical. The woman asked if it was ok for her to sit at the table. I think she did not want to be in the way and spoil ,my shot. But she didn’t know that she was actually going to be in the shot, which otherwise would be pretty ordinary .i.e. just some buildings. The image has mainly blue and grey tones and so her skin tones stand out remarkably.
Flatiron District
Photographic Composition Elements: Human Interest
A commuter was taking shelter during a rush hour downpour. I sneaked up to take this shot, reaching my phone out while staying hidden, The most interesting aspect is of course his nose sticking out from behind the pillar.
Harrison Parking Lot
Photographic Composition Elements: Light, Human Interest
While on my way back from work one day, it was overcast with a break near the skyline where the color of the sunset matched the color of the orange street lamps. It was the mixed lighting from the lights and the sky that prompted me to hang out for a while until someone was entering the lot. The main editing was to increase the drama by introducing the magenta in the dark grey sky.
Path Train
Photographic Composition Elements: Light, Reflection, Human Interest
I took this photo with my phone on the Path train during afternoon rush hour. Photography is documentary so it is not easy to create a surreal effect in a straight shot. However, due to reflection the outside and the inside have been mixed up in the image – thereby creating a surreal effect. The image is open to interpretation. The identities of the commuters have been obliterated by the bright sky or by editing. Only the hands are visible which seem to echo the chimneys at the diagonally opposite side.
High Line
Photographic Composition Elements: Natural Framing, Line, Human Interest
On a summer weekend the High Line in NYC – a newly completed project of reclaiming abandoned railway tracks – can be very crowded. People were passing by all the time. So I had to wait for sometime before I got a clear shot of the girl with her phone and coffee. The natural frame adds depth to the shot and the gaps in the concrete slabs create a line leading up to her from the foreground.
High Line
Photographic Composition Elements: Natural Framing, Reflection, Linear Perspective, Human Interest
Arches, like triangles are powerful photographic composition elements. The reflection duplicates the arched window to create a natural frame for the passer by. Depth comes from the transition of shadows around the edges to the path of light in the center, the lines of floor tiles and the repeated arches in the ceiling that diminish in size.
Broadway and 23rd
Photographic Composition Elements: Lines, Tonal Contrast, Reflection, Pattern, Texture, Human Interest
On a sunny day this would be unremarkable. But see the elements that have been added by the rain. The pattern created by the drops of rain, the reflection of the passer-by in the cross walk and the texture in the wet road and the wet metal.
WTC Memorial and Freedom Tower
Photographic Composition Elements: Line, Tonal Contrast, Reflection
A 20mm lens at f16 helps to maintain depth of field that this shot requires. The reflections of the buildings onto each others’ glass façade create interesting patterns. It was overcast and I hope my editing evokes the solemn mood at the memorial where thousands of innocent lives were taken. I thought about photo-shopping the silhouette of a flying bird up in the sky, but haven’t done that yet!
East River
Photographic Composition Elements: Motion, Tonal Contrast, Human Interest
One late afternoon, from the Brooklyn Bridge Park, I saw a group of jet skis approaching on the East River. I quickly set shutter to 1/10s and had one good chance at the last jet ski. Fortunately the panning was spot on. It takes skill to pan such a fast moving thing at 1/10s but to get it right at the only chance requires some luck. Just in case you did not know, panning is the act of moving the camera sideways. When the camera is moved at the right speed, there is no relative motion between the camera and the object as it appears in the viewfinder, however everything else turns blurry.
Cafe in Soho
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Balance, Human Interest
I took this photograph from across the street using my DSLR. As I walked across the cafe, I looked at the man and the woman sitting at 2 tables and somehow it felt like I should hang back. So I crossed over to the other side. My hope was to wait until I could get someone walking down the steps on the door to the right of the frame to balance the woman on the left.However something more interesting happened. Just as the waitress was serving, the man walked into the frame to fill the empty door. The leaning waitress and the reclining man complements each other so they appear to be part of a closed figure like a donut. Timing is everything in this shot.
Soho Sidewalk Jewelry
Photographic Composition Elements: Tonal Contrast, Human Interest
This picture is from Soho, where you would find many jewelry vendors on the sidewalk. It is always interesting to observe the interaction between vendor and customers at places like these. This one though was shot in a hurry as I was crossing the street. I saw the girl looking at my direction while she was fixing her necklace. So I raised the camera and clicked, a split second before she realized she was being photographed.
You will also want to learn to look at others’ pictures critically. I don’t mean those that your Facebook friends upload 20 a day. I mean really good pictures. There are some great online galleries. 500px is one. When you like a picture, try to analyze it in terms of visual elements.
Finally, if you don’t have an expensive camera, use your phone and you will get far better results than those who spend $$$ on something they don’t know what to do with.
Your eyes are the best camera you will ever have.
