A New Way of Composing

by Deanna

I have been very fortunate in the last month to hear two very successful photographers speak on composition and what makes one image picture worthy and others not so much. I even attended a two-day workshop on macro photography with Mike Moats who is an award winning and much published photographer.  After being in the business since 2004, Mike has learned what is a "winning" piece, what non-photographers are attracted to.  It's not the teeny tiny macro that some of us swoon over, (see below) because most non-photographers can not identify with the tip of the flower being in focus while the rest is totally out of focus.

What most people are attracted to, in his years of analyzing what he sells and why, are those images that are a little unusual but still very identifiable.  For example, here is a tulip.....

It's a nice image, pretty colors, but it is so typical of an average everyday tulip, head in top half, stem below.  What Mike encourages us to do is find subjects that are unique for a much more interesting piece of work.  For example here is a beautiful red tulip with its petals curling and raindrops adding that extra layer of texture.

or this....a tulip just beginning to unfurl with the light in the perfect spot.

All three are images of tulips but I think you all would agree that the last two have more interest than the 1st one.

Springtime brings me out with camera in hand searching for the newness of Spring.  I especially am attracted to flowering trees, such beauty for such a brief moment in time. I like the image below, it's one of the many crab apples that bloomed at the arboretum this year, beautiful pink and sharp focus with a nice depth of field. 

But, I like this one better, because it is just a little more unique. Blooms still in tight buds with one just beginning to open. Now this is just my opinion. But that's what art is all about....what you like, what makes you happy. What speaks to you. 

Mike has had his greatest success with what he refers to as his "two subject" pieces. They are his winners.  A background with an object on top.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  And it is, the challenge is to find the right background with an appealing piece on top. I'll show you a couple of my examples of a two subject image.

In this first example, the beautiful dark green foliage is the background and the sweet blue flowers are the 2nd subject in this "two subject" piece.

Here is another example of a two subject image.  Ferns in the background with a ladybug as the 2nd subject.

Now, I am challenging you all to find those unique subjects and see what happens when you focus on a two subject piece.

 And speaking of Focus....our theme for this month is leading lines. We would love to see your "leading lines" images on our Instagram #focusingonlife and in our Flicker group, Focusing On Life. Please join in on the fun. You just might be highlighted in our Focus on You which happens every Friday right here.