Composition

This assignment aimed to look at some of the basic principles of composition to improve the images and make clear what you want to say with a photograph.

Rule of Thirds

Pictured here is my friend Mallory sitting against a blue shed located in Victoria By the Sea. It was taken on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Fill the Frame

Pictured here is my friend Mallory's multicoloured eye. This photograph was taken in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

View Point

Pictured here is my friend Mallory looking up at me as I stood on a wooden deck. This photograph was taken in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Framing

Pictured here is my friend Mallory posing by an old red barn with vines overgrowing on the walls. This photograph was taken in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Leading Lines

Pictured here is a boat tied to the dock in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Reflection

Pictured here is the yellow door of the Victoria Playhouse, a local theatre in Victoria By the Sea. In the window's reflection is a light yellow home. It was taken on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Foreground & Background

Pictured here is my friend Mallory looking up in front of a lighthouse. This lighthouse is a tourist attraction in Victoria By the Sea. This photograph was taken on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Horizon

Pictured here is the dock against the horizon. On the dock is the restaurant "Casa Mia" and a few souvenir shops. This photograph was taken in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Pictured here is a fall leaf held against the sun. This photograph was taken in Victoria By the Sea on October 18th, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Isolation

Reflection

My friend Mallory and I decided to walk around Victoria By the Sea to complete this assignment. Victoria By the Sea at this time of year is relatively empty as it is a huge tourist attraction in the summer but not so much as the weather gets colder. Although it is small, there is plenty to see. I enjoyed looking around at the cute colourful buildings and trees. Mallory had to be quite patient with me as I changed my camera's settings and told her where to stand and what to do. I tried to complete this assignment entirely on the manual setting, and I think I'm finally figuring out how to get the proper exposure and use the aperture and shutter speed to add to the photo and accomplish what I want.

For each element of the composition, I found a different challenge. The most challenging for me was the rule of thirds. I couldn't figure out how I would compose the photo in such a way that looked good and followed the rule of thirds. Every time I tried, there were so many different things in the image that your eye would go to. So to fix this problem, I made her sit down in front of a shed. I do think I need to work on this quite a bit to fully understand how the rule of thirds works. My favourite element of composition has always been leading lines. I find it's so easy to find and accomplish. I think the boat picture has to be my favourite because of that. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with all of my photos and how they turned out.

I tried to explain to Mallory the different elements of composition as we went, and I think that helped me drill into my head what each one was for the future. Practicing and having these as a guide helps me start to really find the purpose in my photos. I really have to stop and think about what other people will look at and what fits well in the frame. It helped me get out of my own perspective once again and see what others' eyes may draw them to. That will be super helpful for any future photographs.