Composition (Sort of)

Right. So, this is me trying to be intellectual. Forgive me if it doesn't quite go to plan.

The image on the left is one I asked my friend to take a couple of months ago, but it has stuck with me for a very specific reason: that reason being, I was very explicit about just how I wanted the camera to be positioned when the shot was taken.

At the time, I wasn't completely certain about why I had to have it the way I described it. It just seemed important, though not for any reason I could fully comprehend.

However, after many takes, I was finally satisfied with the positioning and framing of the image - much to my friend's relief.

Up until recently, I have admired the image for its content, mostly; they are my favourite pair of boots in the whole history of boot-shopping. But after a few discussions about Composition in imagery, I began to wonder if perhaps my nagging for the perfectly angled shot may have meant a little more to me subconsciously than I'd ever realised.

I suppose, in all honesty, it is true. It is virtually impossible to take a photograph - or at least, an effective one at that, one which fully depicts the content you want to display - without first considering the framing and composition of that image. By this, I mean everyone who takes a photograph looks through the viewfinder and carefully aligns the perfect shot. It's natural; a force of habit, for many people. In fact, we are so used to the concept of aiming the camera to the correct spot and snapping that memory up to save for millenia to come, that we do it without even thinking about it. There need be little more than a split-second decision- if that - to agree upon the best angle to hold the camera at, the best lines to follow to make sure the main area of interest is correctly placed into the image, and to ensure that nothing unwanted makes it on-screen as well.

Professionals and amateurs alike, whether it's a multi-thousand pound camera set for taking Wedding photographs or even a cheap disposable camera for a Friday night out, the prospect of taking pictures to treasure happy memories is the same universally. We want to get the most important part of the scene we are witnessing into the frame before we take the shot. This is why composition is so important. Without it, the image could miss a vital piece of informaton which helps the viewer to solve a little more of the mystery that is that specific image.

Take a look at the image above; I have deliberately thought about composition to ensure the key item in the image is centrally-aligned: the boots. Everything else around it is of less importance, hence why I requested that the boots be centrally located in the image. To further enhance this, I have edited the image using post-production techniques to reduce the clarity of the background; including the floor, the table, and the chairs down the left side. I wanted to make sure the boots were slightly more in focus, suggesting to the readers that they are the key element in the image.