Photographer David Koonar of Windsor, Ontario, highlights composition considerations beyond camera settings and lens choice.
WINDSOR, ONTARIO, August 2022 — Every photographer knows the drill of shopping for new camera equipment and sitting down with a guidebook or tutorials for improving photos — lighting, composition, resolution, and so on. David Koonar advises composition is one area where many photographers do not consider all angles before shooting.
A great deal of composition is determined by conscious decisions regarding framing and old standbys, like the rule of thirds. However, the photographer can ease a bit of thinking on a photoshoot by preplanning and focusing on the intended purpose of the photograph. A lot of framing choices can be made based on how a picture will be presented to the public. After that, all other framing choices can become little tweaks versus a complex process.
David Koonar Offers Display Considerations
What is this photo for?
For the amateur photographer, there may not be a lot of opportunities for publication credits or galleries yet. However, it is still important to consider either the intended final destination of a photograph or where the ideal place for it to end up would be, according to David Koonar.
Newspapers
For traditional publications, such as print magazines and newspapers, consider the standard photo orientation and compose many shots around it. For example, print news relies on a blend of landscape and portrait imagery, but the favored view is portrait for pictures with major import and news value to be displayed large. Otherwise, the risk is that side elements, even those that add to the overall integrity of the photo, may be cropped out. David Koonar advises focusing on portrait mode whenever possible if photographing a significant news event, ready for the front page.
Magazines and the web
Magazines and less critical newspaper stories rely on a blend of portrait and landscape photographs, with portrait taking the lead. While certain periodicals, such as National Geographic, use many landscapes, they must cross the gutter. This can alter the impact of stellar composition, particularly for more strictly centered photos. Online publications generally favor terrain due to the ability to fix a wide image across an entire monitor or allow for enlargement to a full phone screen for complete viewing. These “above the fold” photos make it easy to showcase the full depth, resolution, and framing of a picture.
Galleries
When a photographer is advanced enough to sell regularly, feature in displays, and host shows, there is the option of crafting major installations around uniquely composed photos. Scale is no longer restricted to using other photo elements to depict majesty. Instead, the photo itself can be produced at an epic scale to depict soaring heights, vast distances, and intricate details.
Multiple panels can be used to break up a frame and highlight individual elements, and using different display techniques, such as projection and prints, can aid in creating an atmosphere. David Koonar advises working ahead on a project allows for preplanning composition outside of lens and equipment constraints.
