Tag Archive for: model

Composition is often overlooked

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Composition is one of those things

During the workshops, we get a lot of questions, of course, and some come back all the time.
But there is one topic that actually hardly gets asked about, but is in essence (in my personal opinion) one of the most important things in your photography.

Ask photographers about their favorite gear, and the conversation can easily turn into a discussion about cameras, lenses, filters, and enough accessories to fill a small van. But there’s one tool that doesn’t cost anything and has a bigger impact on your images than most equipment: composition

So what is composition?

Composition is simply the way you arrange elements within your frame. Think of it as being the director of a movie. You decide who gets the spotlight, where the viewer looks first, and what story the image tells. As you know, a movie works because of its storytelling elements, but if it’s not accompanied by the correct music, tinting, and camera work, the story is much weaker.

Think about the whole uproar that led to the term OAR (Original Aspect Ratio or no sale).
This mostly boils down to a DVD/LD release of the Back to the Future movie where, in a train scene, there was a whole person cut off due to the “conversion” from 21:9 to 16:9. Which meant that whole scene didn’t make any sense at all. In other words, choose the wrong composition, and you’re toast 😀

Landscapes, guiding the eye

In landscape photography, composition helps transform a beautiful location into a compelling photograph. After all, standing in front of an amazing mountain range is easy—the mountain does most of the work. Turning that scene into an image that keeps people looking is where composition comes in.

Leading lines, such as roads, rivers, or fences, can guide the viewer through the frame. Foreground elements add depth and help create a sense of scale. The rule of thirds remains popular because it often creates a balanced image without making it feel static.

And remember: not everything interesting has to be placed dead center. If every subject lived in the middle of the frame, photography would look suspiciously like passport photos.
And sometimes it just works fine. It’s all about what leads the eye and the rest of the frame. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rules, but living by them also means you are limiting yourself. Plus, remember that the rules are there because “something” works and we want to be able to recreate that. In my opinion, it’s much better to just train yourself to see the flow.

In some cases this means showing a full waterfall, and in some just focus on one element.

Composition, sometimes it is better to show one detail

 

But also the lens choice is incredibly important.
When you look at this shot below, for example.
I’m using a wide angle and am almost at the ground level shooting up.
Due to the wide angle, everything gets distorted, which for me personally gives the image something that is drawing me in.
The front cross is placed slightly off center to the right to leave a bit more space. On the left side the small white church was too large when shot with a standard lens, but with the wide angle it pushed the church to the back and created a much more surreal-looking image. But in essence it’s all composition.

composition, here i used a low angle

 

Model photography, directing attention

The same principles apply when photographing people. A model may have a great pose, fantastic styling, and perfect lighting, but poor composition can still weaken the image.
The viewer’s eye should immediately know where to go. Usually, that means the face or eyes, and with the eyes. Always remember that we focus on the closest eye; even if that eye is in total darkness, somehow our eyes tell us it’s all right.

Use framing, negative space (which I still think would have been called positive space because it’s so important), and lines within the environment to support the subject rather than compete with them. Especially when building sets, this is one of the most important things to take into account.

One common mistake is becoming so focused on the model that you forget the background. Suddenly, a tree appears to be growing from someone’s head, or a lamp post becomes an unexpected fashion accessory. Composition is not only about what you include—it’s also about what you exclude. And if you really can’t take something out, it’s often a great solution to just make it part of the scene.

the lantern is just paort of the composition

The connection

Landscape and model photography may seem very different, but composition connects them.
In both cases, your job is to guide the viewer’s attention.

A landscape photographer might use a winding path to lead the eye toward a mountain.
A portrait photographer might use the lines of a building to lead the eye toward a model, or use some flash to make the model jump out from the scene; this is a technique that is also often used with landscape photographers who focus on the smaller parts of the landscape, for example, backlighting a mushroom can have awesome effects. In essence, all the techniques are interchangeable; different subjects, same visual language.
But don’t think that if you are great with landscapes you are a master portrait photographer, or vice versa.
Both “talk the same language,” but both need totally different approaches, which  I think makes it more fun to learn from other areas of photography and use these techniques in your own work.

However, the strongest images are often the simplest.
Remove distractions, organize the frame, and make sure every element has a purpose.

And sometimes just a beam of light from one strobe is enough to draw the viewer exactly to where you want them to go.

Final thoughts about composition

Great composition is less about rules and more about intention. The rules are useful because they teach you how people naturally look at images, but they are not handcuffs. Learn them, practice them, and then use them when they help tell your story.

Whether you are photographing a dramatic coastline or a fashion model, composition is what turns a snapshot into a photograph. Cameras capture the scene. Composition creates the experience.

And unlike that shiny new lens you’ve been looking at, composition is available right now—and it doesn’t require a firmware update.

Tomorrow on the blog, we will show you a tips video from our Digital Classroom series that’s all about composition.

 

Workshops

Want to learn everything about light control?
Want to visit a workshop where it’s not just shooting a model with a fixed lighting setup, but see how the setup is built and adjusted to the taste of the group?
And of course learn how to work with poses, backgrounds, small sets, styling, retouching, and a lot more…..

If this all sounds awesome, visit fotografie-workshops.nl and book your workshop.
If you don’t speak Dutch, no problem; let us know a few weeks in advance, and we can switch the workshop to English.
Not possible to travel to the Netherlands?
We’ve got you covered with our 1:1 online workshop.
We have a full streaming setup in our studio. 4 detail cameras and of course the retouching software, so you can see every detail and, of course, ask questions during the day. Plus, you get all the RAW files after the workshop.

A better Rembrandt lighting

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Well ok that might be a bit over the top… or is it?

The Rembrandt lighting is one of the most beautiful lighting setups.
But when you use only one light source it can be a bit dark on the opposite site of the light.

When I started experimenting with lighting setups I love the Rembrandt setup, but as mentioned above the darker side was not something I wanted in all my images.
At first I started by adding a standard reflector on the side, but this was not the success I hoped for. It did open up some shadows, but that was about it. It just didn’t look right.

Adding an extra strobe worked, but it looked terrible.
The reason was simple, at that moment I only had a few light shapers and that meant I had to use a reflector (on the strobe) as my accent light, and when you light a model from the back with a harsh light source you can see all the hairs on their arms and the dust in your studio.

You can prevent this by feathering the light.
This means you aim the light away from your subject and only use the side of the light.
This gives you a much softer quality of light, and the added benefit (or disadvantage) is that you can get beautiful lensflares, because the light is aimed straight at your camera.

But the best lightsource for this kind of setups is the striplight, or a small softbox.
With these you can easily steer your light and they are easy to control against spill light.

But as always… a video works better.
So let’s take a look at a behind the scenes video about the Rembrandt lighting and accents.

Workshops

Want to learn everything about light control?
Want to visit a workshop where it’s not just shooting a model with a fixed lighting setup, but see how the setup is built and adjusted to the taste of the group?
And of course learn how to work with poses, backgrounds, small sets, styling, retouching, and a lot more…..

If this all sounds awesome, visit fotografie-workshops.nl and book your workshop.
If you don’t speak Dutch, no problem, let us know a few weeks in advance, and we can switch the workshop to English.
Not possible to travel to the Netherlands?
We got you covered with our 1:1 online workshop.
We have a full streaming setup in our studio. 4 detail cameras and of course the retouching software, so you can see every detail and of course ask questions during the day. Plus, you get all the RAW files after the workshop.

 

Reflections revisited

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Sometimes it’s ok to repeat

A few blogposts ago I wrote about the workshop with Marit where an attendee brought reflective black material and how we build a reflective setup from this.
You can read the blogpost here.

That blog post focused on the results, but I received numerous responses to those photos.
Therefore, I thought it would be beneficial to delve deeper into reflections and explore their creative applications.

Problem or creative tool?

Reflections are one of those elements in photography that can either ruin a shot or give it something  special. Most of us have experienced the frustration of seeing unwanted reflections in glasses, shiny products, windows, or polished surfaces. Yet the very thing that causes those headaches can also become a powerful creative tool when you understand how light behaves.

The key is realizing that reflections are not random. They follow predictable rules, and once you understand those rules, you can start controlling them.

Why reflections can be challenging

Whenever light hits a reflective surface, part of that light bounces away. In photography, this often means your light source, softbox, camera, or even the photographer becomes visible in the image.

This is especially common when photographing:

Glass products
Jewelry and watches
Cars and motorcycles
Eyewear
Bottles and packaging
Highly polished surfaces

At first we often try to solve the problem by moving the light around endlessly.
Sometimes that works, but often the better solution is understanding the relationship between the light source, the reflective surface, and the camera.
Because it’s all about the angles.

The rule that changes everything

One of the most important principles in lighting is:
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

In simple terms, light reflects away from a surface at the same angle at which it arrives.
This means that if a reflection is visible to the camera, there is a specific geometric reason for it.
Change the angle of the surface, the light, or the camera, and the reflection changes as well.

Once you start thinking in terms of angles, controlling reflections becomes much easier.

Turning a problem into a creative effect

Instead of fighting reflections, why not use them?
One of my favorite techniques for creating a truly white background with a full body model is using plexiglass.
However you can also that plexiglass on the floor, or on a box to create cool reflections.
And also with black material under plexiglass it will give you great reflections.
And that’s what we have done with these images.

The setup

A simple setup can consist of:

A black or dark background (depending if you also want some detail in the background)
A clear plexiglass plate
Your subject placed on top
Carefully positioned lighting

When the plexiglass is placed over a black surface, you get a beautiful reflection of the subject while the black material underneath keeps everything clean and gives it great saturation and contrast.
The result is a luxurious mirror like reflection that adds depth and glamour to the image.

Why you don’t see the light source

This is where the magic happens and you have to look through the viewfinder before pressing the shutter (what you see through the viewfinder will be in the final result).
And now take into account “the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection”, and you can position your lights so that their reflections are directed away from the camera.

The camera captures the reflection of the subject in the plexiglass, but not the reflection of the softbox/lightsource itself.
The effect often appears much more complicated than it actually is.

Small adjustments make a big difference

When working with reflective surfaces, a movement of only a few centimeters can completely change the image.

Try experimenting with:

Raising or lowering the camera
Tilting the plexiglass slightly
Moving the light source higher
Changing the distance between subject and background

Instead of making large adjustments, work in small increments and observe how the reflections react, a little goes a long way :D.
The reflection itself becomes a guide, showing you exactly how the light is traveling through the scene.

Reflections as a design element

Many photographers view reflections as something to remove.
But reflections can also become an important compositional tool.

A controlled reflection can:

Add symmetry
Increase visual impact
Create a premium look
Enhance depth
Lead the viewer’s eye through the frame

Whether you’re photographing products, fashion, portraits, or commercial work, reflections can add an extra layer of visual interest that separates a good image from a great one.

Final thoughts

The moment you stop seeing reflections as an enemy and start seeing them as controllable light, your photography changes.
Understanding the simple principle that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection gives you a tremendous amount of control over reflective surfaces.
By combining that knowledge with tools such as black materials and plexiglass, you can create striking images with rich reflections while keeping your light sources completely hidden from view.

Photography is ultimately about shaping light. Reflections are simply another way that light tells its story. The more you understand them, the more creative possibilities become available.

Workshops

Want to learn everything about light control?
Want to visit a workshop where it’s not just shooting a model with a fixed lighting setup, but see how the setup is built and adjusted to the taste of the group?
And of course learn how to work with poses, backgrounds, small sets, styling, retouching, and a lot more…..

If this all sounds awesome, visit fotografie-workshops.nl and book your workshop.
If you don’t speak Dutch, no problem, let us know a few weeks in advance, and we can switch the workshop to English.
Not possible to travel to the Netherlands?
We got you covered with our 1:1 online workshop.
We have a full streaming setup in our studio. 4 detail cameras and of course the retouching software, so you can see every detail and of course ask questions during the day. Plus, you get all the RAW files after the workshop.

 

 

How to shoot awesome shadows

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Shadows are the soul of the shot

And those awesome shadows are not an accident!

Learn how to create cinematic shadows, Venetian blinds effects, and creative lighting setups that transform your photography into a movie-like scene.
Discover how shadows can add mood, depth, and storytelling to your images.

In this episode of How Did I Shoot This One?,  I show you how I created a dramatic portrait using Venetian blinds, hard light, and controlled shadows.

We explore why shadows are the soul of an image, how classic movies like film noir used shadows to create tension, and how you can use the same techniques in your own photography. You’ll learn how light distance, modifiers, grids, and continuous light can help you create sharp shadow lines and a cinematic atmosphere. Whether you shoot portraits, creative photography, or studio work, these techniques will help you take control of your shadows and create more powerful images.

Workshops

Want to learn everything about light control?
Want to visit a workshop where it’s not just shooting a model with a fixed lighting setup, but see how the setup is built and adjusted to the taste of the group?
And of course learn how to work with poses, backgrounds, small sets, styling, retouching, and a lot more…..

If this all sounds awesome, visit fotografie-workshops.nl and book your workshop.
If you don’t speak Dutch, no problem, let us know a few weeks in advance, and we can switch the workshop to English.
Not possible to travel to the Netherlands?
We got you covered with our 1:1 online workshop.
We have a full streaming setup in our studio. 4 detail cameras and of course the retouching software, so you can see every detail and of course ask questions during the day. Plus, you get all the RAW files after the workshop.