Yes, I am starting to get used to manual mode on my Canon once again. But, what I hear from most hobby photographers like myself is, “How do you frame up a great shot?” So, here is how I made photo composition easy for myself, and maybe for you, too!
Most folks, at least when I started in photography, seemed to be more worried about light, the exposure triangle, photo stacking, and which photo editor program is best. Not to mention, all the trinkets and tech that would make us better photographers.
Talk about turning fun into a headache, and an expensive one fast!
Personally, I believe the first thing to learn is composition, after all, every photo tells a story, they say… Besides, like my pops said, “It’s not the tool, kid, it’s the carpenter!“
Making It Easy
First, if you are just getting started with photography, focus on composition.
This is why you should switch to A (Auto Mode). So, what is Automode? It is the mode in which your camera takes control of everything! All you do is point and shoot. It controls aperture, shutter speed, ISO, flash (which I never use), and white balance.
Just frame it up, point and shoot!
I know, I know, like me at first, we want to learn Manual or AP modes now! But I am telling you, wait, trust me, turn it to Auto Mode, and dig into your scenes!
It was a headache learning Manual Mode at first, and when I did, my photos were still bland at best. I kept trying and trying to get it right, only to become more frustrated with every snap.
Then, there was Mark Denney. I started watching his video tutorials on exposure, light, focusing, meter modes, Manual Mode, AP Mode, and on and on. One thing stood out in almost every single one: composition.
He always seemed to mention things like ‘framing up the shot,’ ‘creating the scene,’ ‘scenes should tell stories,’ and my favorite, ‘you can master all the technicalities of your camera, but without good composition, all your photos will fall flat.’
Composition is the ‘serious’ work; it is the hardest work, trust me. Our cameras today are amazing. Afterwards, we have Lightroom and Luminar Neo! Try just pointing and shooting in Auto Mode.
But, even with the best post editing software, you can’t really fix boring, not very often at least.
Heads up! (and down, and all around!)
Our heads sit on top of our shoulders and neck. Usually, we are looking straight ahead in our daily lives. Shooting eye level is good, but not all the time!
Start looking around, use that head of yours, literally.
Like a camera on a tripod that swivels, our heads need to do the same thing. Sometimes, we find ourselves in a boring shooting situation. But, by moving our heads around, we can see things we never noticed before, a perfect scene, a perfect story to tell through our lens.
Composition means to compose, to create, and put together something. Yes, God’s done a beautiful work, and it is our job as photographers, whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, to share the little piece we’ve found.
Yes, it’s that simple! Start in Auto Mode, utilize your head more, compose, create, and enjoy!
God bless and talk soon,
David.
Canon 90D | 70mm