| Author | Message | ||
     den Member Username: Den Post Number: 173 Registered: 03-2006 |
Most of my photographs are taken on the ‘spur of the moment’ where the priorities are to double check settings for ISO, Aperture or Speed, Metering mode, WB, EC, Focus Point(s), AF mode, and lens IS/AF…. Then keep the main subject, if moving, in frame when the shutter is released…. Composition being last and hopefully, there is sufficient frame coverage to fine-tune this needed element in post-processing. Many eschew the use of composition guides as limiting one’s art. But if there was not time to plan the composition when releasing the shutter, then there is a need in the post-processing phase to create subliminal balance/interest/flow of the captured subject elements. An interesting and brief PS tutorial on Composition Guides is here with a downloadable *.zip file of five 4x6 ratio, landscape composition guides [click on the GIF Files download link. The guides can be re-orientated to portrait with the Transformation/Geometry/ Mirror/Rotate transform and/or can have differing aspects [height/width ratios] using the Transformation/Geometry/ Resize transform set to Preserve=None, with an appropriate pixel width and height. To use the Guides in PWP: Img0 = image to be composed ImgG = geometrical composition guide, *.gif Step1: Open Img0 and ImgG. Click on Img0 and open the Composite – Blend transform where Input=Img0, amount=100; Overlay=ImgG, amount=50; and Alignment=2 point (shift/rotate/scale). Rotate and scale ImgG on Img0 to preference while monitoring the Preview. Click OK, creating Img1. Note: Once ImgG has been rotated/scaled, it can be easily repositioned with a ‘control-shift-mouse drag’. If the Guide’s lines do not completely appear in the Preview, zoom in. Illustration1: A 4x6 ratio ‘golden rule’ composition guide is applied and used to level the shoreline.  Step2: Click in Img1 and open the Crop/Add Border transform. Move the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom Margin cropping lines to the outside dimensions of blended ImgG. Select Resizing parameters if needed. Click on the Input image box and select Img0. Click OK, creating cropped, composed Img3. Note: Rotate the cropping rectangle if needed by using ‘shift mouse drag’ when a curved arrow appears. Shift the cropping rectangle with a ‘mouse drag’ when a vertical, single ended arrow appears inside the rectangle. Re-adjust the cropping rectangle sides with a ‘mouse drag’ when a double ended arrow appears over a cropping line. Illustration2: A 4x6ratio cropped, composed, leveled Illstration1.  Note: PWP has an easily accessible ‘rule of thirds’ guide by simply clicking an image window [including Preview] and selecting the Window/ Grid tool, select 3 or 9 [sub-divides each third into thirds again] and OK. Consider the composition guides as truly ‘guides’ not necessarily ‘rules’. There are times when one has artistic enlightenment/inspiration to compose ‘outside the box’ but if you are like me, I am not generally satisfied with my excursions….! If you wear ‘progressive lens bifocal’ type glasses and you want to use something more sophisticated than the ‘rule of thirds’, the geometrical composition guides and suggested workflow are invaluable [the ‘voice of experience’! ;)]. The guides can also be useful in positioning/sizing text over images and Layouts for subliminal impact. | ||
| Darren Plester Member Username: Dplester Post Number: 37 Registered: 09-2005 |
Very nice Den - thanks. I wonder if Jonathan and Kiril could add these different guides to the crop function similiar to the way we can already use the 3 X 3 grid overlaw. I know it would help me. Darren | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 174 Registered: 03-2006 |
Darren.... Several more of the suggested downloadable *.gif geometrical composite guides inaddition to the 'rule of thirds' can be depicted with PWP's Grid lines with no further program changes, once you know what to look for.... Try this: Open up one the *.gif files and the apply Window/ 'Grid' tool and keep increasing the number of grid lines until you get a close match. I think you will find for example, that the 'Golden Ratio/Rule' will correspond to a 8x8 grid and the 'Root5' guide will correspond to a 11x11 grid. The derivative type guides are not so apparant but again once you see a closely matched grid super imposed, you can generally key in on the triangles and diagonals... ...but admittedly, it would be easier without the extra gridlines.... | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 175 Registered: 03-2006 |
An additional suggestion: Combine two of the Geometric Guides The size of the cropping rectangle and the subject placement at one of the intersections of the ‘rule of thirds’ or ‘Golden Ratio/Rule’ grids is not too difficult to understand or even be intuitive without using guides… …but what of triangles, diagonals, and other image ‘form’ content. This is where combining a grid type guide with a derivative guide can be a help in making a ‘conscious’ cropping rectangle rotation that may not have been noticed otherwise… For example, the ‘Golden Ratio/Rule’ guide was combined with a ‘derivative’ guide using the Composite – Blend transform with the ‘Golden Ratio/Rule’ guide as the Input @ amount=100, and the ‘derivative’ as the Overlay @ amount=50. This composite guide was used to locate the blossom raindrop at the lower left ‘Golden Ratio/Rule’ intersection; to determine a very slight rotation for a near conformation to the derivative angles; and to determine size for a near conformation of ‘balance’ or symmetry. Illustration3: Applied composite guide.  A medium resolution post-processing ‘After/Camera’ download image comparison is here. May your ‘good’ images be made ‘better’; your ‘better’ images be made ‘superior’; and your ‘superior’ images be made ‘excellent’! |
