Studio Breif 2: What Is Image Making?
Composition

Composition is one of the fundamental skills involved in the process of making in images. It involves the layout of visual elements within a frame to create a harmonious whole that communicates the intent of the making.
Good composition should successfully draw focus to the idea(s) which you are trying to communicate through the layout of the various elements within.

4 Main elements to consider with composition:

Depth (fore, mid and background)
Line (line of site, directional lines within the image)
Value (varying values of tone)
Picture Area (frame, dimensions)


Robert Heindel

A harmonious composition is achieved in the above image by using symmetry through the placement of a central figure as well as splitting the various elements such as the car, distant hills/village and central figure within negative space roughly into thirds.
Furthermore the line of direction used (both figures looking off towards the distant hills) helps convey a sombre sense of longing (for the distant village in the distance) or the figure in the car depending on which why you look at it.


Eleni Kalorkoti

A sense of intrigue is create in the above image through the majority of the image being comprised of black negative space which is then dramatically broken up by the pair of scissors that take the viewers focus. This is achieved the stark contrast in values of the scissors and the hair, coupled with the pair of eyes looking towards the scissors. I really like how unconventional this image is in showing a 'some one having a hair cut' and goes to show that good composition doesn't always have to follow all the rules ( ie here there is no real sense of depth). 


Tomer Hanuka

Despite the complexity of the above image it is easily readable due to the clever use of lines of direction with in the composition. Almost all the elements, ranging from the text, police officers and layout of the subway direct your eye to the top left hand corner of the image at the fleeing member of the warriors. This simultaneously creates an image that is readable and direct in communicating the idea behind it ( ie a dramatic sense of movement present within the chase).

This exercise has opened my eyes a lot to some of the main principles of composition and in essence image making. Although it is something that I was aware of before and did consider to some extent I'd never analysed the composition of other's work as exhaustively as during this exercise. It is definitely something I am going to keep applying to the work of other's and in turn my own as, in past tasks composition has let me down as, although I've usually considered the aesthetic aspects of it I have often overlooked how it's main purpose is draw attention to the central ideas of an image.