30 Days to Improve Your Photography (Week 4)

30 Days of Composition - Week 4 

After three weeks we are now in the final week of the 30 Days of Composition.  If you have missed the earlier topics you will find links at the end of this post.

This challenge has give me a number of additional compositional ideas for my photography and I will be putting these into practice from now on.  The last list of prompts is below - with the final prompt, number 30, given right at the end, keep reading!

Here are the next seven prompts:

23. Tiny subject

24. Complementary colour

25. Mono

26. Abstract

27. Repetition

28. S-curve

29. Eye contact

Tiny subject

This could be something that is very small, maybe a small insect etc, or something that isn't small but is small in the overall context of the image.  Here I saw the half moon in a pre-dawn sky as the tiny subject.

Complementary colour

Have you ever heard of a colour wheel? Colour theory identifies different combinations of colours that have a range of visual effects. Complementary colours can also be thought of as opposite colours and if applied together will have the effect of cancelling each other out and leaving a greyscale tone (white / black).  They have a strong contrast when positioned next to each other. 

Colour wheel showing complementary colours

To help with this theme Adobe's colour wheel can be found here.

I found my subject in the garden, this plant has complementary colours in the leaves.

Mono

Find a subject that looks good in shades of one colour, black & white (shades of grey) or shades of another colour tone like pinks or browns etc.  I took an image of my elongated shadow in afternoon sun with the black and white filter on my Panasonic Lumix LX100 camera.

Days 23 - 25

Abstract
When you look at an abstract image you can't identify what it is (easily). It is something out of the ordinary. I have discussed creating abstract images previously so I enjoyed this day's challenge. If you want some inspiration take a look at this post.

My abstract for this challenge is included below. I created this at the Olafur Eliasson 'In Real Life' exhibition at Tate Modern.

Repetition
Subjects that are repeated in the frame can create a pleasing result, they may also show symmetry or convergence as in my image of an old wooden garden table.

S-curve
Think of mountain roads sweeping around, or the flow of a river. An s-curve implies movement, a journey or even a balance.  I struggled with this on the day and finally spotted the path to clearer vision on a visit to the optician!

Days 26 - 28

Eye contact
This was an easy prompt to deliver, an afternoon with family and a splash-about in the Bank Holiday sunshine gave me plenty of opportunities to capture eye contact. This is ideal for people and also for animals and birds, anything living in fact. It gives more intimacy to the image and involves the viewer in the scene.

Eye contact - Day 29

Before we get to the final challenge here are the links to the other weeks' prompts in the 30 day challenge.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

This challenge took place throughout the month of August and is arranged by A Year With My Camera.

At last we come to the final, day 30, challenge. Now we know the rules it's time to break them! but only if it will make a better image.

Break the rules
Forget all the other rules that have been tried, do something different that breaks these rules but only if it works for the image....

Break the rules

I hope you have had fun with the challenge, I have and I believe I have a better idea about how to compose my photographs now. I'd love to hear how you get on, leave your comments below.