The difference between a snapshot and an image can often by summarized by a sense of intent. In other words, your ability to structure the elements in your photo in such a way as to present a feeling or a story. Everything from color, to subject placement and lighting can influence your images greatly. However, there are a few basic rules to composition that help to guide us in elevating our story telling abilities.
Pat Kay does a fantastic job in breaking down the rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonals and more. He provides great visual examples of how subject placement, based on these guidelines, can add harmony and balance to your images. Of course, once you master the fundamentals you can bend them to your will. These rules are, after all, based upon human psychology and how our brains process information. If the intent is harmony then you can also create chaos or tension.
I often use elements like this in my street photography. I love to create tension by placing subjects in places where our brains would not immediately accept as “correct”. For example, lets take a look at my image called “Waiting for Love”.
In this image I have placed the subject in the bottom right most corner. The text “LOVE” has been places on an interesting line as per the rule of thirds. Therefore, the message of the image is that this balanced and harmonious thing called “LOVE” is being offset by the act of waiting. The lack of space from the proximity of the subject to the border of the image is what is creating the tension from the ideal state to the current, less desirable, state. The bus stop sign is also there to further elaborate on the “waiting” detail of the story.
By no means is this a perfect image, but it serves as an example of my though process for placing the subjects where I did. I hope this gives you a better visual representation of how to interpret and bend the rules to your liking.
I would like to leave you with one last point. By understanding these fundamentals we can better appreciate the work of others. While not everyone has time to head out and experiment with photography on their own, knowing to recognize the spice and flavors in the work of others can be equally enjoyable. Feel free to check out the other videos in this series by Pat. They all elaborate on a great deal more regarding our understanding of visual elements.