Avoiding the "Bullseye"

I am starting a series of free tips to help you become a better photographer.

The first one concerns composition. Composition is nothing more than where you put the important parts of the picture in the frame. This implies that you know what is important and what isn't important to the picture, and place the subject accordingly. It also means that you are looking at the whole scene when you line up the shot.Putting the subject in the exact middle of the picture is what we call the "Bullseye syndrome." Ninety-five percent of the time this is exactly the wrong place for the main subject.

The main subject should be placed to one side a little or closer to the top or bottom, except in unusual situations.In the two photos below, the one on the right is more interesting because the person's head is off center and leaning toward the edge of the picture.The one on the left is static by comparison because the person's head and eyes are centered like a bullseye.



I intend to make this a weekly series, so stayed tuned for more tips and forward this to your camera toting friends.

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