The Digital Photo Experience

Here is a quick composition tip and an easy way to remember it: Don’t “amputate” a subject (an animal or a person) at a joint – the ankle, knee, hip, elbow, and wrist; and don’t “decapitate” a subject with the horizon line (or tree line or grass line) in the background. While I was composing my Wild West sunset shot and Botswana elephant watering hole sunset shot, I was paying very careful attention to this rule.

Here is another tip: break that rule when you see fit. While I was in Papua New Guinea photographing the clans along the Sepic River, I was introduced to back scarring, a practice in which a young man has his back scarred to look like the back of a crocodile – an animal that holds magical powers, according to these people. By breaking the aforementioned basic rule of composition, I added impact to the image.

Remember, following the rules is usually good advice, but following your heart is even better advice.

Explore the light,
Rick