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After speaking to many professional photographers, reading endless volumes on composition written by learned academics, and studying many thousands of photographic images....I have been able to synthasize some amazingly complex theories into 5 simple words. And this works damned well nearly all the time. For good composition, place your visual elements
Neat, and in the middle.

Now we can close the libraries.

Matt. K wrote: For good composition, place your visual elements
Neat, and in the middle.

Now we can close the libraries.

This is the second post from Matt K today I have had to wonder about...

Nothing could be more boring than "Neat, and in the middle"!

How about a little contrast and harmony, balance and unbalance?

I agree that if you want to "record" an object, time, event etc. then bunging it in the middle works just fine. However, and this is where I disagree, if you prefer to "create" images then the rules are there to be broken!

Just my two pence worth =]

I'm a great fan of the KISS method of composition.

KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid. (It's a military thing)

Also

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'

The D70 gives us more than centre focusing capacity so technically I am not going to limit myself to bullseye photography. Apart from that I think some of the most interesting photos I have taken and seen elsewhere are so because of the space in the composed shot. If I could figure out how to post a shot I could show you what I have in mind. Though not a pic from the D70. MattK I have those nirvana moments myself occasionally so I am with you on the revelation side but I think it is one of those that on reflection maybe not (revelation ie), unless you care to elucidate...

People,

There's a lot more to the "centre" of an image than just the middle.

Note that, for instance, of the D70's 5 focus regions, only one is in the middle, while all 5 are located within a central region.

I agree with Matt on this one. I see so many "learned amateur" thinking they've used the rule of thirds to great effect on an image with great expanses of nothing in the frame. With the main subject that's supposed to draw the viewer's attention placed lop-sided or just about to fall off the top/bottom. IMO there's nothing wrong with the horizon on a landscape for example, cutting through in the centre.

Also what Gary said is true - there's more to centre than the middle.

C'mon guys! I swear...get real close and neat and in the middle. Never fails! Now, creativity?...that's another subject. (By the way...neat and in the middle was told to me by a very experianced news photographer. This guy won a lot of prizes with it and it should not be lightly dismissed). But obviously...not for all occasions. But rule of thirds! That stinks!

umm guys.. can i ask a stupid question?

how do you focus on the left/right/top or bottom of the center?

Say, I take a photo of a TV with a speaker on either side but only want to focus on 1 speaker and blur the left hand side of the photo (so its out of focus)

How is this done

Kris,

That's not a stupid question.

First of all, check out page 66 of your manual - focus area selection. That will give you the basics of selecting a particular region as your focus area. Note carefully that this is not selectable in certain exposure modes.

With that under your belt, select A as your mode, and set your aperture to f4 or thereabouts. Opening the lens will reduce the depth of field, which is the effect that you're trying to achieve.

Given that it's night, pop up your camera's flash as well.

Now,, compose your shot, selecting one end or the other as the focal point (page 66, remember<g>), focus, and shoot. Don't be scared to get in close on this either; you'll exaggerate the effect if you're closer, which at this stage is probably desirable.

Hope this helps.

1.Is the rule of thirds more relevant to landscape photography?
2. As to neat and in the middle. Look at Matts picture of the bird and tailwing of the plane that he posted elsewhere for his airport stay. To me, this photo has interest because of the elements photographed, but they are not both neat and in the middle. The planes tail is but not the bird. Balance is important in this shot IMHOand provides a satisfactory image and even a message if you want to stretch the observation.

Thanks Gary, I will do this and put a photo up to see if its worked correctly.

Well, it didnt work

The right side of the focus bracket is BOLD in the viewfinder and showing on the LCD. If i take a photo of some keys and a wallet and put the bracket onto the keys, the wallet is still in focus

Thats in A mode

Kris, you have a private message

Dargan wrote:1.Is the rule of thirds more relevant to landscape photography?
2. As to neat and in the middle. Look at Matts picture of the bird and tailwing of the plane that he posted elsewhere for his airport stay. To me, this photo has interest because of the elements photographed, but they are not both neat and in the middle. The planes tail is but not the bird. Balance is important in this shot IMHOand provides a satisfactory image and even a message if you want to stretch the observation.

By extension, would Neat and in the middle be the rule of seconds?

Greg...rule of seconds? I love it! That's worthy of three leather covered academic books....with numerous complex diagrams, mathamatical formulai, wizards and chants. Pray to the god of composition. By the way...if you get close enough to your subject then its gotta be in the middle. There is no where else to put it?