Composition Tips

Photography composition you may not know: Rückenfigur

Exactly. You’ve heard of rule of thirds, framing, leading line, fill the frame & negative space, all the classics. All discussed, written & rewritten a bazillion times over, from physical books to blogs & beyond.  Except when we land on something like the rule of odds or Rückenfigur.  What the heck is Rückenfigur? Rückenfigur is German and literally translates as “back figure”.  Coined during the 19th century German Romanticism movement & popularized by landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich in the 1810-1820s. Though this timeframe wasn’t created in the early 1800s as examples of the main figure turned away from the […]

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Mastering Composition: Leading Lines in Dog Photography

One of the well known rules of composition is leading lines. Quite literally a line is the distance between two points. Simple.  In composition, leading lines can be simple or implied, man made or natural. Leading lines lead the viewer’s eye into scene, directing the gaze to land on the subject if done correctly. They can be straight, or curved or even diagonal.  In dog photography, leading lines are wonderful ways to highlight your subject – the dog!  First, learn how to see leading lines.  Step outside, sans dog and look. Your front sidewalk is a leading line, your driveway,

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From Straight to Curved: Playing with Lines in Dog Photography

This image is by my friend Kristine featuring her German shepherd Reilly. The day was hot, the shot a quick one. Reilly is very regal. The leading lines in this image don’t quite work well. The dashes lead you out of the frame with the road, while Reilly’s eyes lead you out of the frame on the left.  I did a couple of “dirty” edits to show her (and you) how different placement of Reilly within the frame would have changed the impact of the lines.  The first “dirty” edit shows a better placement of Reilly farther down the road

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