When we are tired we try to make empty our mind by relaxing. When our clothes are disordered we hang them on coathangers or sort them on color and make stacks. How we do this when we make a photograph.
It is easy to make a chaotical photo. For people is reading a photo which is disordered is. not quite easy. Everybody needs a little order in his life. The frame of a photo is often too busy. Therefore photographers try to eliminate and reduce things which are not necessary in a photo.
An example of a photo which is too busy
Foto: Jan Vlugt
In this photo we see a woman who is washing the hair of a another women and one is waiting as well. We see a lot of color. This is bringing a kind of disorder. The woman in the front asks attention however she is not in focus. When the woman in the front was not in the photo would be more quiet, more ordered. In the background are a lot of dresses destined for a wedding I think. You do not know where to look. The dresses are even asking more attention then hairdressers in the front. The foreground and background are asking for attention. It looks like if there will be told too much. By telling a lot you tell nothing.
What can you do to built order in a photo
- When you photography a person go down. From under you eliminate background
- Look into the corners of a photo before you take it. When there is something distracting change your viewpoint. Before you push the shutter ask to yourself again. Is there more distracting?
- Do not photograph half legs, half arms or even half heads of people
- Go close
- Better photograph a few elements that complements each other than a lot of elements that do not have any connection
- Keep it simple in. a photo
- Try to use lines to your topic
- Search for simple backgrounds
- Take a lot of photographs from one topic, then you get used to eliminate things
An example of a photo which has order
A road leading to one person a few bushes and some fog. Taken from behind the person.Not to much topics here , taken from the back and a lot of contrast in the blacks and whites in the photo. I think when we had seen this photo in color it would be less impressive. The person precisely in the middle asks for our attention.
