Arranging furniture in a room

A photograph is for me the simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second, on the one hand of the meaning of a fact, and, on the other, of a rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that express this fact. – Henri Cartier-Bresson

How do you go about arranging furniture in your living space? It is an odd question coming from someone who devotes the content of this web site to photography, isn’t it? For the moment, let’s explore the ways you arrange your furniture in a room. What’s your thought process when determining where each piece of furniture resides? First you need to consider its forms and functions, then you have must consider different ways those pieces function together as a whole. Does the design arrangement help or hinder the space’s intent and purpose? Those are perhaps some of the questions that you ponder before making a final decision.

Should we not afford our composition with photography the same level of consideration? With different genres of photography, we are given different amount of time to make that decision. Some genres give us a few seconds, while with others, there is a lot more time to ponder. Regardless, the decision is hopefully not done as an afterthought. Composition is a personal relationship between the photographer and the subject, it is a revelation of how we see the world by putting our own spin into our photographs. To me, it is the most crucial component when trying to make a compelling image.

When you take a photograph, you make conscious decisions as to which items you want to include, more importantly, you need to decide how to arrange the objects that are in your image. In a sense, composition is nothing more than consciously arranging the objects in your photographs. As we all perceive the world differently, our ways of arranging those objects will vary too. You and I can stand right next to each other at the same location, yet we can come away with very different photographs because we have different perceptions towards our surroundings.

A strong composition is more than just a random arrangement of objects. Instead, it brings meaning to your photographs, making them more important than they otherwise would be. Pedestrians walking on a street basking in backlit sunlight need not appear as random subjects. Two figures are placed in such a way that they take up the most visual weight in the frame, while a group of smaller figures with lesser significance are placed as though they are the supporting cast. With careful composition, the two groups form this dynamic interplay that elevates an otherwise ordinary street scene into a life theater.

Your composition can tell a story, and it can thread together objects that otherwise would be unrelated. The goal of a successful composition is to elevate the meaning of an image, and by doing so you reveal your point of view. While there are plenty of rules when it comes to studying photography composition, look at them as tools at your disposal. They will help, hopefully guide you to develop your ways to see and frame the world around you, but by no means they should act as limiting factors. As challenging as composition can be, this is where creativity in photography comes in. Honing your skills with composition is key to developing one’s creative vision.