Take Better Phone Photos, Part 3, Composition Tip #2

by Jenifer Juris

Last week’s composition tip was using movement to remove distracting backgrounds. Just a few steps or a slight turn can completely change how a photo looks.

This week, we’re going to look at how to use movement in a different way to improve our phone photos. Move forward or backward to fill the frame or capture the scene.

Fill the Frame

One of the ways we can take a photo from average to great is to fill the frame. What do I mean by this? Basically, this means to get in closer to the subject. Remove everything else from around the subject by moving closer before you take the picture.

Here are some visual examples of what that can look like:

Example #1:

The before photo isn’t bad. But there’s no main subject. It’s boring, and the sidewalk and rocks on the ground are a bit distracting. The flowers are pretty, but nothing is standing out.

In the after photo, I took a step or two closer towards the bush and got closer to one of the flowers. Now my photo has a main subject. Your eye knows exactly what to look at, and there aren’t any major distractions.

Example #2:

The before photo includes a lot of distractions. The pillow on the floor. The elliptical on the right edge. The toys on the couch.

The after photo removes almost all of those distractions. And, I get to see Bilbo and Riley up close. Again, all I did was take a few steps closer and snapped a second photo, and it’s much better.

Example #3:

I know this example is very similar to the first example but I wanted you to see this principle at work even when there isn’t something distracting like the sidewalk and rocks in the first example. In the before picture, I have no clear subject. My eyes wander around the photo looking for what’s most important, and nothing stands out.

In the after photo, there is a clear subject. The largest flower is the main event. My mind knows this and is pulled into the second photo right away. It’s a better composition because I moved closer to the subject.

Capture The Scene

While moving closer helps us to fill the frame and capture what’s most important, taking a few steps back can also help us to capture the scene. Backing up a small distance can sometimes give the photo more context or information to make the subject more clear and tell a more full story.

Here are two visual examples from my front yard:

Example #1:

This is a photo of one of my favorite trees in our yard. The tree grew at a crazy sideways angle, which makes it the perfect tree for kids to “climb”. Getting too close to the tree doesn’t show the full context of how odd the tree shape is. I mostly see leaves and grass.

But when you look at the after photo, you can see more of the yard and the sky. This helps to show just how weird the tree’s trunk is. You get more context about the tree from taking a few steps back. Backing up really did help me to capture the scene of this tree in a better way.

Example #2:

This example isn’t quite as obvious. But it still works. If I wanted to show you a picture of my house and where it sits in relation to my front yard, the before photo doesn’t quite get the whole picture across. It’s cutting off the left side of the home, and it feels like the bushes are more of the focus.

When I take a few steps back, I can fit the whole house in the photo. Not only does this make the house the more obvious subject (as opposed to the bushes), but it also shows more of my front yard and gives you more context about what my little spot in this world really looks like.

So, remember to take a second to study the scene before you snap a phone photo. Take a few steps closer, or a few steps back to create a better capture of the memories you’re trying to preserve.

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Author: Jenifer Juris | Contact Us
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