"Thinking Of You"

"Thinking Of You"
© David A. Ziser

I made this image a few years ago but decided to post it today because of the lesson in composition that it offers.  Sure, the image is a cool wedding image with the dramatic backlighting and dark silhouette.  But what is more important in the image is how the couple is positioned in the frame.

As you look at the image you’ll see that the bride and groom are nearly “dead center” in the frame.  But, it doesn’t feel as if they are right in the center of the frame.  Why? Because of their positioning within the “interior frame” of the arch behind them.  Within the arch their faces are in the top right quadrant of the arch – what I refer to as nodal point #3. This is the simple “rule of thirds” composition but instead of applying the “rule of thirds” to the exterior frame, I simple re-framed them with respect to the new “interior frame”.

Notice too that they are at the highest point of the railing’s curve. This also helps lead the viewer’s eye to the subject.  The light above them has the same effect and does the same thing.

Creating a photograph is more that just pressing the shutter release button.  The fun is in designing what you see in your mind’s eye THEN pressing the shutter release.  Learning to see and understanding good composition elements will always make your images more exciting.

Camera specs: canon 1DS Mark III fitted with 16-35mm lens at 21mm, F 4.5 @ 1/20 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David