Creative Connections

Go beyond the basics to help tell a story with your shots

THE basic rules governing the positioning of objects and focal points are great for many shooting situations, but they can only give a bare structure to images. Thinking about how the different areas, objects and subjects in the picture interact with each other and add to the story will enable you to go beyond simply where to position them in the frame.

These connections are sometimes obvious and literal, such as a line or an object linking two areas of the frame, but can also be more ephemeral, such as using similar shapes or subjects to add to the story. It can also involve using two strikingly different subjects or colours to create a contrast to add impact or even conflict to the narrative of the image.