Learning compositional elements for better photos

The bird flying to the feeder is an example of stopped action and a shallow 
depth of  field. I also tilted my camera to give  the viewer a different look.

   Putting a camera up to your eye to take a picture is not always easy.  There are a lot of compositional elements most people adhere to so that their picture is pleasing for their audience.    

   Photographs for photojournalists are divided into four categories; informational, graphically appealing, emotional and intimate.       

 A Silver maple tree at Sidecut Metropark looks bigger then it does in person due to 
 the angle and perception of the picture.

   Informational photos are pictures that basically have the facts right in them and have the who, what, when, where, why and how.

   Graphically appealing pictures are pictures that would be boring but are changed to make them look more interesting.  Photojournalists are limited to what they can take pictures of due to what they are assigned.  They have to think of different ways to make their picture standout more.  They can use different angles, perception, et cetera. 

   Emotional photos are used to make the reader feel something for the person that is in the picture.  Photojournalists want there readers to be able to relate to  what the subject is feeling at that time.  Catching someone crying, laughing, yelling or other emotions make a good photo.

   Intimate pictures are the hardest pictures to take because they are more private.  Photojournalists have to get very close to the person and make their reader feel like they are standing right next to the person even if the picture was taken in someone's house. 

 The waterfall at Sidecut Metropark from this angle gives the illusion of leading 
  lines from the water to the green ground.

   Along with the four basic categories that pictures get put into, there are different compositional elements that not just photojournalists follow, but other professionals do as well.

   Rule of thirds, depth of field, action (stopped, blurred or panned), leading lines, shapes, framing a perspective just to name a few.  Photographers try to keep these simple elements in mind every time they take a picture.      

   Images need to be cropped more tightly for a newspaper than if a person was just taking a casual picture of a loved one.  The pictures get cropped tightly because they want to eliminate distracting elements and have a nice up close shot. 

   A photojournalist is only as good as their equipment.  If their camera is poor quality, it might be harder for them to take good pictures. 

   Photojournalists take pictures in multiple different places, so they need to have the right settings on their cameras.  Having a broad aperture and shutter speed setting is crucial.  In one day, most photojournalist take pictures indoors in low light settings as well as outdoors where the sun is shining.

   A variety of lenses are beneficial to photojournalist.  Having different lenses on multiple cameras is easier than trying to switch your lenses and end up missing the shot.

   Each time I take a picture, I try to keep all of these elements in my head.  I learn something new from every picture that I take.  Even when I get a job in my field, I know that each day will be a learning experience.