David Noton

THE COMPOSITION
TUTORIALS
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
 David Noton
THE COMPOSITION
TUTORIALS
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
A DAVID NOTON PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK

David Noton Photography 2013

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials by David Noton was first published in 2012
and 2013 by David Noton Photography as a series in Chasing the Light eZine.
First digital book edition published 2013.

David Noton has asserted his right to be identified as author of this work in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

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and display settings.

ISBN 13: 978-0-9576248-0-1

David Noton Photography, Clark House, Milborne Port,

Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 5EB, UK

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 3

INTRODUCTION
As we walked around the lake, my eye toyed with the visual elements in the
scene: the mountains, the water, the sky and the shore. As we reached the
head of the lake the view south revealed potential, even in the grey
unappealing light of an overcast day in the Rockies. The shape of Mount
Burgess itself from this aspect was of a jutting pyramidal peak, all that we
expect mountains to look like. With the sun due to set near enough due east
at that time of year (late September), the peak would be sidelit by the last
rays of the day. The wind-whipped water was grey and choppy, but I knew
how the glacial lake could live up to its name when flat, calm and reflective.
Indeed, the colour of the emerald water in such conditions needs to be seen
to be believed. With a calm evening I knew this scene had all the elements
required to produce a strong picture; all I needed was Mother Nature to
deliver the light, reflections and a few tantalizing clouds in the sky. However,
there was just one thing missing: foreground interest.
4 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials
There is no law proclaiming that all pictures need foreground interest, but I
felt deep in my bones this was one picture that did. Why? Well, there was no
doubt that the mountain reflected in the lake would make a pleasing picture,
but thats about as far as it would go. I knew the composition needed
something more, so we continued scouting along the shore. There, half
submerged, was a shapely piece of driftwood sculpted by nature, leading the
eye in a graceful curve towards the conical mountain. The elements of the
picture snapped together like a jigsaw in my mind; the light was all wrong
then and I didnt even have a camera to hand, but the creative decisions on
the picture had already been made. The hardest bits of finding the location
and piecing together the composition had been done; all I had to do now was
to make sure I was in the right place at the right time for the Decisive
Moment of the evening light painting the landscape. I knew, given the right
conditions and with the strong simple shapes of my intended composition, the
shot would work.
Emerald Lake at dusk with the peak of Mount Burgess beyond,
Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada >
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 16-35mm lens at 24mm, 4 sec at f16, polarizing filter
Mother Natures own art in the form of the beautifully sculpted driftwood,
the stunning scenery, the colour of the water and the quality of the
evening light were the elements that made this picture, but to portray
such perfection I had to carefully craft the composition.
When a photographers eye beholds a composition slotting into place, it all just seems so natural it just looks right. In
such situations, the art of composition can seem effortless; in reality, it rarely is. The composition is the most important
single factor that will determine the success of a picture. How I arrange shapes and colour in the frame is largely an
intuitive, sub-conscious process, or was, until I started writing these composition tutorials. Then I was faced with the task
of deconstructing and analysing everything that Id done instinctively for 30 years, and what a voyage of discovery it has
been. I now know there are sound relevant theories of composition behind all we do within the confines of our frames.
Composition alone is an art, and delving deeply into that art has produced these tutorials. Its been a fascinating process
that has made me a better photographer. Im pretty sure it will do that for you, too.

Chateau St-Ulrich in the Vosges Mountains, Alsace, France

The use of space, the simplicity, the dynamics of the panoramic format, the rule
of thirds, the complementary colour, and the strong diagonal have all played a
part in making this composition work. There are so many interrelated factors that
together determine whether a composition will work.

6 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

 Man at Inle Lake, Shan State,
Myanmar (Burma)
Canon 1Dx, 85mm lens,
1/440 sec at f1.2
The art of composition is all about
knowing what to include and what
to exclude in the image area. Less
is more, often, but sometimes
more provides context and setting.
Confusing, isnt it? Nevertheless,
generally speaking theres a lot to
be said for keeping compositions
as simple as possible.

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 7

 TUTORIAL 13

SELECTIVE FOCUS
Horse portraiture isnt something Im planning to specialize in. Id been The ability to isolate
sent to Iceland to photograph in tandem with a writer a story on the subject from the
the Snaefellsness Peninsula, a name that really rolls off the tongue.
foreground and/or
One definite request imparted by the Art Director prior to departure
background by the
was the need for a shot of the distinctive breed of horses the region is
known for, so when we came across a herd in a suitably scenic and
use of accurate focus
evocative setting I approached them camera in hand and all hell let combined with
loose. Never to work with animals or babies is good advice. minimal depth of
field is a powerful
compositional tool

Horses near Heggstadir, Snaefellsness Peninsula, west Iceland >

Canon 5D Mk II, 35mm lens, 1/1000 sec at f2.8, 0.6 ND grad filter

92 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

The blurry, out of focus
background is just as
important as the sharp
main subject
94 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials
The horses, faced with the only break from the tedium of munching grass likely that day,
started jostling and nipping aggressively for attention. Trying to get a meaningful composition
was certainly challenging, but somehow I managed to walk away with one image that looked
as if one horse had serenely posed for me. In truth the shoot was chaos, but by using a
35mm lens open at f2.8 I dropped the background out enough to suggest the setting whilst
concentrating the viewers attention on my chosen pony. The strong shape of the horses
nose lay on a line of thirds, the sombre light and muted colours were suitably Icelandic, and I
was a happy photographer. The selective use of focus had proved its effectiveness again.
Looking back on all these composition tutorials so far, one theme stands out: the need to
railroad the viewers attention around the frame to maximize the impact. Weve looked at a
multitude of ways of doing that, using lead-in lines, vanishing points, diagonals, zigzags,
patterns, internal frames and symmetry. All of these compositional stratagems for route
marching our viewers attention to where we want it have been handed down by those with
brushes, pallets, oils or watercolours, smocks, berets, and sometimes an ear missing, yet there
is one technique open to us that is unique to photography: selective focus.
In Tutorial 3 and Tutorial 7 weve already seen just how effective selective focus can be.
Whether the subject be Vietnamese ladies in a verdant green rice paddy or a solitary poppy
in a field of barley, the ability to isolate the subject from the foreground and/or background
by the use of accurate focus combined with minimal depth of field is a powerful
compositional tool and a fundamental photographic skill to master. Of course, this is unlikely
to be news to any of you, but as is the case with all fundamentals, it pays to stop and
consider when, how and why the technique works best.
 Detail of the statue of Leonardo da
Vinci in front of the Teatro alla
Scala opera house, Piazza Scala,
Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Canon 1Ds Mk II, 70-200mm lens at
180mm, 1/320 sec at f2.8
Deliberately chopping off Leonardos
head and shooting through out of
focus colour made for a somewhat
alternative approach to this subject,
but I had to do something to enliven
what would otherwise have been a
straight, boring shot of a statue.

Portrait photographers use selective focus virtually all the time to
separate the subject from the background. Even in a studio where no
clutter is allowed to intrude, using a medium long lens of around
100mm at a wide aperture is the preferred modus operandi. That
same technique transfers well into the Great Wide Open: for my travel
portraiture, the lens of choice is either my 85mm f1.2 prime or
70-200mm f2.8 telezoom used wide open. Distractions and clutter in
the background are dropped out by the use of selective focus, but
what becomes apparent after a while of working in the confines of a
temple in Burma is that the blurry, out of focus background is just as
important as the sharp main subject. The tones, shapes and colours of
the blurry background can contribute significantly to the impact of the
image and thats true for all subjects, not just portraits. In a nutshell,
when were using selective focus we need to pay just as much
attention to the blurry bokeh foreground and/or background as to the
sharp subject itself.

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 95

When shooting landscapes, we strive for clarity and sharpness right through
the frame from foreground to background virtually all the time. Theres
nothing worse than a poorly executed landscape with the detail of the
driftwood close to the lens, or the mountains in the distance, not quite as
sharp as they should be it just looks awful. The inappropriate selection of
focus point and aperture can easily result in insufficient depth of field, with
the result that neither distant or near objects are sharp. Its the nightmare
situation for landscape photographers that spells doom for a shoot; no image
with such failings would last longer than an ice cream in Saudi Arabia before
being despatched to oblivion by the delete button. Ensuring such woe
doesnt occur is a challenge with which we landscape photographers
constantly grapple, using hyperfocal distance calculators and depth of field
scales. For us, selective focus is to be avoided at all costs; we always need
everything sharp, right? Well, I question that. Whatever we are
photographing, we have various focus options:

Option 1: Front to back sharpness throughout the frame; everything appears

crisp in this classic landscape look. Around the fringes of all Rocky Mountain
lakes lie pieces of beautifully twisted, shaped and textured driftwood, just left
considerately by Mother Nature for us landscape photographers to use as
foreground interest. With the first golden rays of the day painting Pyramid
Mountain beyond, I used a small aperture of f20 with the 16-35mm lens at
25mm, focused at the hyperfocal distance of 1m, to achieve the desired
depth of field from 0.5m to infinite.

Pyramid Lake and Mountain at dawn,

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 16-35mm lens at 25mm,
20 sec at f20, 0.9 ND grad and 0.9 ND filters
For classic landscape views such as this, absolute
pin sharpness is needed from foreground to
background. The merest trace of insufficient
depth of field would stand out horribly.

96 David Noton The Composition Tutorials

 Option 2: The foreground sharp with the background out of focus; the most
common solution for portraiture. At a full moon festival in Burma I came
across this novice monk with a particularly cheeky demeanour (I really must
stop shooting so many monks). Using my favoured super-fast 85mm f1.2
lens wide open, I focused on his eyes and let everything else behind him
become a bokeh blur. Bokeh refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur in out
of focus areas, and one big advantage of fast lenses such as this with wide
maximum apertures is that the bokeh looks fabulous. There is just enough
information to suggest the novices behind, but the subject in the foreground
is firmly separated from the bustle which, combined with the eye-to-eye
contact with the viewer, makes for an engaging portrait.

There is just enough information to

suggest the novices behind, but the
subject in the foreground is firmly
separated from the bustle

Novice monk at the Shwezigon Paya, Bagan,

Myanmar (Burma)
Canon 1Dx, 85mm lens, 1/320 sec at f1.2
With fast lenses such as this 85mm f1.2 used
wide open, focusing on the eyes is critical.

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 97

Generally speaking for
this kind of effect a
medium to long lens is
preferred, but a fast
wide-angle optic will be
able to achieve the
same effect if the
foreground interest to be
blurred is close enough

Dawn in a poppy field in the Valnerina

near Preci, Umbria, Italy
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 24-70mm lens at 68mm,
1/320 sec at f2.8
Its rare to shoot landscapes at maximum
aperture, but I loved the big red blobs of the
out of focus poppies that selectively focusing
on the hills beyond allowed.

Option 3: The background sharp with the foreground a blur; a less common
use of selective focus. Were back to a field of poppies in Umbria again; it
had to happen. Shooting through the profusion of colour in the foreground,
with my 24-70mm lens at 68mm wide open at f2.8 to concentrate on the
mist-clad hillside beyond, the scarlet poppies became big red blurry blobs.
With landscape work in particular its easy to go into automatic mental mode
and just assume front to back depth of field is required, but some subjects
such as Italian poppies sometimes look better as out of focus blurs. Generally
speaking for this kind of effect a medium to long lens is preferred, but a fast
wide-angle optic will be able to achieve the same effect if the foreground
interest to be blurred is close enough. Getting muddy knees is usually a
necessity, and because wide open apertures mean fast shutter speeds, tripods
are rarely needed. Getting down and dirty experimenting with foreground blur
is always fun.

98 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

Option 4: Both the foreground and background a blur, with only the middle distance sharp.
This is a technique beloved by macro photographers, but can prove effective in all sorts of
situations, such as in the midst of the Semana Santa Fiesta in Andalucia. They do strange
things in Spain around Easter that I dont really get, such as dressing up and parading through
the streets, but it all makes for interesting photographic opportunities. As the bearers carrying
some sort of effigy edged towards me, one made eye contact with me through the lens and
that was my Decisive Moment. The picture is made due to the fact that all the faces in front
When the sole point of sharpness
and behind are a blur, whilst the one looking at me with a whimsical expression as if to say within a frame harmonizes with the
Yes, I know this is all madness, but its our culture, OK? is the only one in focus. Its no
accident that his one visible eye, which was my point of focus, is on an intersection of thirds.
rule of thirds, a strong composition
When the sole point of sharpness within a frame harmonizes with the rule of thirds, a strong usually results
composition usually results.

Effigy bearers in the Semana

Santa processions in Malaga,
Andalucia, Spain
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 85mm lens,
1/800 sec at f1.2
The only bearer looking at the
camera is the one in focus.
It was a moment that passed
in a second.

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 99

 There are times when I just need to expose. I
suppose theres therapy available, but personally I
know that on a summers day all I need to do to
satisfy my need is to roll around in the grass amongst
the garden bushes with a long lens and an extension
tube; Wendy no longer bats an eyelid. Shooting
through some red jobbies in the foreground, I pick
out some seedy jobbies as the point of focus,
subconsciously placing them on an intersection of
thirds. Beyond, green fronds and jobbies make a
verdant out of focus bokeh blur. I shoot wide open
and my craving is sated. The image may never see
the light of day, but at least for now I feel like a
photographer once more. Moreover, selective focus
has yet again saved the day. Sometimes its a way of
making something visual out of seemingly nothing.
You cant beat a bit of bokeh blur.

Tea plucker in the hills above Ella, Central Highlands, Sri Lanka
Canon 5D Mk II, 35mm lens, 1/5000 sec at f1.4
Using a moderate wide-angle lens for portraiture means getting
up close and personal, but the resulting out of focus background
lends an important sense of place that is just as important as the
sharp subject in the foreground.

Selective focus has yet

again saved the day.
Detail of an astilbe in a Somerset garden, England >
Sometimes its a way of Canon 1Ds Mk II, 70-200mm lens at 200mm with
14mm extension ring, 1/250 sec at f2.8
making something visual The combination of a long lens with an extension ring
and a nearby colourful subject makes selective focus
out of seemingly nothing a powerful tool for making arty, graphic shots while
rolling around under the bushes in the garden.

100 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 101
GALLERY CHECKLIST
As a quick reference, here is a checklist based on the content of these tutorials.

The frame Lines Rule of thirds

The vanishing point Simplicity Patterns

Simple shapes Harmony Focus

Empty space Breaking the rules The decisive moment

Frames within a frame Reflections in symmetry Perspective

124 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

 GALLERY CHECKLIST

The frame

Marina, a Quecha shepherd girl,

near Marras on Pampasmojo,
near Cusco, Peru
Canon 1Ds Mk II,
24-70mm lens at 24mm,
1/125 sec at f2.8
Composition is all about what to
leave out of the frame.

David Noton: The Composition Tutorials 125

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David is one of the worlds most renowned landscape photographers, and runs his
own highly successful freelance photography company. His passion for
photography, travel and the worlds most beautiful locations are the defining
influences that have shaped his life, work and creative approach to photography.

David was born in England in 1957 but spent much of his youth travelling with
his family between the UK, California and Canada; he took his first photographs on
a Kodak Instamatic he was given for his thirteenth birthday. After leaving school
David joined the Navy in search of further travels and adventures; it was whilst
sailing the seven seas in the Merchant Navy that his interest in photography grew.

After a few years at sea, David decided to pursue his passion and returned to
study photography in Gloucester, England in 1982; he has been captivated by the
subject ever since. After leaving college in 1985 he began to work as a freelance
photographer specializing in landscape and other travel subjects, which has taken
him to almost every corner of the globe over the last 25 years.

David is now established and recognized as one of the worlds leading landscape
and travel photographers. His images sell all over the globe both as fine art
photography and commercially in advertising and publishing and David has won
international awards for his work that include British Gas/ BBC Wildlife
Photographer of the Year Award in 1985, 1989 and 1990.

David is the author of two previous books, Waiting for the Light and Full Frame;
the former was launched at an accompanying exhibition at the Oxo Gallery in
London that attracted over 27,000 visitors. He also writes regularly about travel
and photography for a range of photography magazines and websites, as well as
his own Chasing the Light eZine.

144 David Noton: The Composition Tutorials

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