Rangefinder Magazine
August 2005

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Don’t get me wrong, I love Photoshop and Corel Painter, but without good lighting and, even more importantly, good composition your senior portraits can only go so far.

This image exemplifies using the rule of thirds in composition. The subject is lit by window light, and the background is ambient lighting.

It’s vital, if you are a professional photographer, to produce the finest creative image you can for your clients. To do this consistently, one needs to have a better than average knowledge of the tools of the trade—lighting, camera technique and computer skills.

One tool that is often overlooked, even among seasoned professionals, is the eye, the “compositional” eye, that is. From all the images I see on various photography forums and in state competitions, the subject seems to be plopped down in front of the camera and bang!, the exposure is made. The space to the left and right of the subject is the same, adequate head room is given, but that’s about it. The subject might be beautiful and have interesting lighting, but strong composition seems to be a dominant weakness. I admit that I do my share of uninteresting compositions. But that’s about all that can be done for a yearbook head-and-shoulders portrait.

While there are probably as many elements of composition as photo opportunities, I’m going to mention two of my favorites. Both the rule of thirds and use of diagonals are time-tested elements of composition that are pleasing to a viewer’s eye.

With nearly every client that comes into my studio, I employ some artistically pleasing form of good composition. Most are asymmetrical forms of composition, which serve to de-center the subject.

	Craig lit this subject using a 4x6-foot Larson softbox. The streaming hair serves as leading lines to the face.

Although some compositions may have equal spacing to the left and right of the subject, I might add considerable amounts of empty space above the subject’s head. By far my favorite compositional style involves the rule of thirds. This style involves placing the point of interest, whether the subject as a whole or a featured part of the subject, for instance, the eyes, off center by approximately one-third of the frame to the left or right, and one-third of the frame to the top or bottom.

Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds, which shares its roots with Pythagoras’ Golden Mean, is probably the oldest compositional standard in the art world. To understand the rule of thirds, visualize two vertical lines dividing your viewfinder into thirds. Now visualize the same thing with two horizontal lines. Your viewfinder now looks like a tic-tac-toe grid. Wherever two lines intersect is a good spot to position your subject. In the world of portraiture, the main center of interest is the face, and more specifically and especially in close-ups, the eyes.

The rule of thirds helps break the bounds of compositional symmetry. The eye and brain are much more intrigued with asymmetry than symmetry.

The Use of Diagonals
Another tool I use in my compositions is having strong diagonal leading lines throughout the composition. Leading lines direct the viewer’s eye toward the subject and are visually stimulating elements of compositions. Such elements can either be incorporated in studio backgrounds or elements of a location. When I’m purchasing background, I look for strong diagonal lines in the design and imagine placing a senior subject at the end of those lines.

This is the gold fire background from Photo Showcase. Notice the background’s diagonal leading lines. Craig used 4x6-foot softbox lighting and a Larson reflector to achieve this image.

Photo Showcase, one of my favorite background companies, incorporates strong diagonals into their abstract backgrounds. See the company’s web site for more information: www.photoshowcase backgrounds.com or call (888) 796-1252.

When on location, I look for design elements of buildings or other structures that can be used as leading lines. Many times these lines are purely vertical or horizontal, which can work in a composition, although they are not nearly as strong as diagonals. Notice the two examples involving the building structure and the vertical lines it creates. Notice how much more interesting and powerful an image becomes when you add an appropriate camera angle (tilting your camera 45°, give or take, to the left or right to fit the subject’s needs). These vertical or horizontal lines now become strong diagonal elements in your image.

To further strengthen the image, combine the use of diagonals with the use of the rule of thirds. This not only produces a photograph that will excite your clients’ imaginations, but can also invigorate judges in print competition.

	In this image the model was leaning against a grain bin used for storing soybeans, the bolts provide our diagonal leading lines to the subject.

Leading lines can be found existing in nature. Tree branches, or winding country roads going off into the distance are both examples of found diagonals that can be used to lead the viewer’s eye to your subject. One of my favorite locations is a local sand and gravel pit. The natural erosion caused by spring rains gives this location wonderful compositional lines that remind me of the Badlands in South Dakota.

This young lady has unusually long, wavy hair, which serves as leading lines to the subject’s eyes. The girl’s face and eyes are positioned at one of the intersections of third lines on the viewfinder grid, for a dynamic use of the rule of thirds. The model is lit by a bank of 9-foot windows. The hair light comes from the room’s incandescent lights.

Hair can also be a design element in your portraits. Spending a little extra time placing the hair just where you want it and angling the head just so will pay off, as your images take on a dynamic new life.

Take the time to have a creative play day with several photographers and one or two models. Drive around your community and countryside looking for interesting man-made and naturally occurring features that you can incorporate into your portraits.

What if you don’t have any backgrounds with good diagonals to them and your community has no interesting structures (which is impossible) to use as leading lines? My advice is to create your own. I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about Photoshop or Painter, but sometimes they are the best ways to create strong diagonals in an image. Simply use your brush of choice and paint away.

If you start to observe more than just lighting, you will begin to see that many of these composition-improving elements are right in front of you, waiting for you to use them to build stronger, more dynamic images.
 
Craig Kienast is a photographic portrait artist living in Clear Lake, IA. Craig is a featured speaker at many national and regional conventions and seminars. Craig’s work can be viewed at www.photock.com/.