One great way to build your photography skills is to begin a photography project.
In all likelihood, you will want to select an idea that can serve as the basis for the project.
Using triangles as a compositional technique is one idea that you might want to consider.
Triangles and Composition There are numerous compositional techniques in photography.
One that works very well, when there are multiple objects in an image, is the use of triangles.
In fact, triangles are used a lot in portrait and nature photography.
The triangles technique necessitates that three or more objects be placed to form a triangle.
No less than three objects are needed.
This is because the objects must form the three points of the triangle.
The sides of the triangle are formed by imaginary, diagonal lines that connect the triangle points.
When objects are situated in this manner, they result in a very dynamic composition.
A viewer's eyes will tend to travel forwards and backwards following the diagonal lines from one triangle point to another.
For those photos that have more than three objects, the additional objects must lie along the diagonal lines.
Triangles can be used with either a single center of interest or with multiple subjects of interest.
Let's start by considering how the approach is used with a single center of interest.
In this case, one of the objects that resides at a point on the triangle will function as the center of interest.
So, what about the other objects on the triangle? They serve to strengthen the center of interest.
It is crucial that the other objects serve a subservient role to the center of interest.
Some ways that can be employed to achieve this are to reduce the contrast, sharpness, or color saturation of the other objects.
Not surprisingly, not all images have a single center of interest.
Some photographs have more than one object, and all of the objects are of equal importance.
For instance, family portraits often fall into this category.
For those photos with several, equally important objects, each object becomes a center of interest.
When an image is composed with multiple centers of interest, it is very important to set up the image to ensure that all the objects have an equal weight or presence in the image.
No single object should dominate the image.
One example of this use of triangles is a family portrait in which the heads of the family members are arranged into a triangle.
Now, each one of the group members is of equal importance.
So, each individual needs to be given equal weight in the image.
When triangles are utilized, one thing that needs to be kept in mind is that triangles help set the mood of an image.
Images that have a triangle with the base along the bottom of the image, and the apex at the top, present a feeling of stability.
A more dynamic image results when the base is positioned along the top or side of an image.
Your Photography Project The aim of this project is to create a number of images that integrate triangles into the composition.
You can use either single or multiple centers of interest.
In fact, why not try both.