The ten basic pictures

I was once told that within press photography, there are only about ten basic picture ideas which come up again and again. While I don't quite agree (nor would I want reduce photography to a handful of basic elements), it's fair to say that some really do come up again and again - and in all types of photography.

These are compositional methods and tricks which create a certain kind of image. There is overlap between some of them, and some can be combined. It hardly needs saying, but different situations readily lend themselves to some techniques, others become apparent with a little thought or vision, and yet others are imposed more deliberately and forcefully.

In my blog, I never wanted to write this sort of article: the techniques below are explained (much better) in any beginner's guide. So I'm not sure how I ended up here. Anyway, I've come up with eleven.

What I do want to do is set down the techniques to use for yourselves. They are standard ideas which work. They are starting-points for warming up into a shoot. They are a checklist for when you're stuck. Or they are our fall-backs when all else fails.
The list is rough and dirty. Copy the concise version from the bottom of the page, print it off and laminate it. Keep it for whenever you're stuck on a shoot and need some help.

#1 The 'look-down'
When you are looking directly down at your subject. This has been discussed in my article on Backgrounds - it's a great way to simplify and change a poor background. It's also quite flattering. Stand up on a chair (or whatever).

 #2 The 'look-up' / Rapper's angle

Rap videos all use this technique, all the time. It's not a sympathetic shot, but rather gives a sense of authority, menace, masculinity, heroism etc. It's risky with women, as it can create chins. It's often done with a wide lens, so it can be similar to #3. Beware of problems caused by the change in perspective - feet and hands appear larger. Also beware of exposure issues - if the subject is now against a bright sky you'll need to take that into consideration.

#3 'Wideosis'
This is actually the term for the affliction describing addictive over-use of the wide angle lens. But once in a while going really wide and close is great. The wider, the better. The closer, the better. There's no half-measures here. It works best when you have a good background.

 

#4 The 'look-through' / Framing

The most famous technique of all. It's a vague term which covers quite a lot, as anything can act as a frame. Just find something that can be shot through (it doesn't even need to be a complete shape). It works because it can fill the frame, break up dead space, lead your eye inwards to the subject, suggest elements beyond the frame etc. We think of the obvious examples such as a window or door, or overhanging branches in a photo of a building. Yet for a close picture of a face, say, even a hat is a frame.

 

#5 The 'forever picture'
I'm sure there's a better name for these somewhere. It's where the picture appears to go on forever beyond the edges of the frame. It works best when you have a repeating pattern. You need something to break up that pattern (otherwise it's just wallpaper).

 

 

#6 The 'tilt'
The camera creates an angle. It's a neat trick to fill the frame, create a little energy and impact. But done too often or without reason, it looks truly awful. Just rotate the camera anywhere up to about 35º. Usually it's done when you're close up to the subject and the background (especially the horizon) is not prominent. It can look odd if you have too much horizon in shot, and usually looks odd when you have water in the picture (which looks like it should be flowing out of the frame).

#7 The 'Mondrian' / Kooky composition
Yes, I probably misunderstand Mondrian art. But think lines, empty spaces, pseudo-abstraction and askew framing. It works when you have large white or dark spaces, and have had too much coffee. It permits looseness, yet creates a 'precise' result. It's all about off-composition, tension, scale, and the relationship between the subject and their surroundings (ideally none!). I suppose it's more about the space than it is the subject, as if they have just been put there as a compositional device. It can be a little similar to #3. When it works, it seems the most natural result. The rest of the time it looks unnecessary and forced; a bluffer's gambit. I couldn't find any particularly good examples of this in my own work, but I hope you get the idea.

#8 The 'close-up'
By this, I mean really close. Instead of a nice, safe head-and-shoulders portrait, it might just be a shot of their face. Or half their face. Or less? I suppose it's the opposite of #7, which is to do with using space. This works because it leaves no space at all, and also because of the unusual proximity to the subject. A useful technique for when there's a poor background, too much space between objects (but doesn't suit #7) or when there's really nothing else you can do with a situation. Getting in really close creates new possibilities.

 

#9 Using the light
There are certain photographs where the light is the real hook in the picture. I don't mean your typical available light, but on a good day. I'm talking about beams of light from the high windows in a church. Or using a laptop screen to light a face. Or the silhouettes which the spotlights behind public speakers create. Or amazing long shadows which weren't there an hour ago. It goes without saying that wherever we go, we ought to be aware of the light. But more than this, we should be looking for anything unusual which we could take advantage of.

#10 Reflections

Who doesn't like a good old reflection? Mirrors were originally invented to help wedding photographers get pictures of brides getting ready. The only thing to watch for when using reflections, is that you don't appear in the shot too. But remember, it's not just mirrors. Many things throw reflections. After it's rained, pay attention to the puddles. Especially large ones outside old buildings. A reflection can even be a computer screen, reflected in the pupil of someone's eye.

(#11 Part for whole)

The image above of the reflection of the surfer in the wet sand is what I would call a 'part for whole' photo. This is where we remove what is usually considered a required part of a photo. In this case, it's a half-length photo, but of the bottom half. I'm not sure if it's a proper category, because it's not very often these types of images can stand alone. They might form part of a set of images, or work as detail shots to complement the main photograph. For example, a portrait of a painter might include shots of his brushes, or a semi-abstract shot of the edge of a tin of paint, paint dripping from the side. They are pictures in their own right, yes, but usually more generic or suggestive imagery to backup a more formal or expected kind of shot. Certainly just to have one of these 'part for whole' pictures - with nothing else - is a risky strategy.

Technical possibilities

I'm not going to go into these in detail here, but would just mention that there is often opportunity - duty(?) - to try to use these in situations where it mightn't be obvious. Depth of field is not just about photographing chess pieces, you know. And long exposures are not just for making silky waterfalls, or traffic trails on roundabouts. Most news stories about Sotheby's auctions show a painting on the wall, with a blurry person walking past*. Here's the list anyway:

#11 Aperture:
a) Differential focus
b) Ultra-shallow depth of field
b) Bokeh (whatever that is)

#12 Shutter speed:
a) Panning
b) Painting with light
c) Really long exposures
d) Zooming**

#13 Lenses
Fisheye, tilt-shift, whatever - used no more than once a year, these are excellent.

#14 Flash:
With one or two flashes, you can do practically anything. It's a whole other world, a science in its own right.

#15 Photoshop actions / Lightroom presets
Again, once in a while we all rely on some quirky desaturated hyperluminous soft-focus HDR Dragan effect to improve our photographs. But do it too much and you just look rubbish.*** Post-processing is part of producing a good picture. But by definition, it takes place after the event. Too much, and you're becoming less a photographer as you are a retoucher. And if it's all automated, then where's the vision, creativity, or pride?

This list is somewhat tongue in cheek. But having written it, there is a serious suggestion here. We need to know how to ask questions of the photographs we see. There are pictures all around us, all the time. On adverts, in newspapers, on websites, book covers, posters, cereal boxes. The repetition of successful styles and methods allows us to recognise, categorise and analyse them.
We must ask: why does this photograph work? What genre is it? How would we categorise it? What is its message? What similar pictures have we seen? How did they differ?

And then to specifics: how does our eye travel around the picture? How has this been achieved or facilitated? What is the technique or idea in play here? Where is the light coming from? What kind of light is it? What lens was it taken on? Does it use colour, texture, shape, pattern, lines?
By analysing photographs we can learn, copy, and adapt the ideas, and so improve our own work. So don't just look at pictures now, but really begin examine them with your critical eye.

As promised, here's the list again for cutting and pasting. Perhaps you can think of other ones?

#1 The 'look-down'

#2 The 'look-up'

#3 'Wideosis'

#4 Framing

#5 The 'forever picture'

#6 The 'tilt'

#7 Kooky composition

#8 The 'close-up'

#9 Using the light

#10 Reflections

(#11 Part for whole)

* Not a criticism. After all, how many ways are there to enliven a painting on a wall?

** But don't do it. It's (generally) horrible.

***Unless it's so much part of your work, so consistent and complementary to how you see the world, that it becomes your style. In which case you're an artist.