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Afternoon with a gnome

January 18, 2015      25 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link it doesn’t cost you any extra, but I might make a small commission. I use this money to help pay for blog hosting, homeschool stuff, and snack cakes.

Last week I had planned to go search around some thrift shops for some supplies for a project, but the weather was really uncooperative so I decided to switch gears and work my way through a photography composition tutorial while Wyatt had a nap. I got to keep my stretchy pants on and I didn’t have to worry about getting frostbite. It was a wise decision.

I got one of my tiny gnomes (similar) outย and went to work.

Rule of Thirds

First up I composed a photo using the rule of thirds. Imagine the scene you’re composing is split up into a 3×3 grid. You want your main subjects to line up along along these imaginary lines to help you achieve balance in your photo.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Some cameras have a grid you can turn on that makes it easier to get your shot composed correctly, but I opted not to use that feature and just wing it. You can see I didn’t do half bad.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Balancing Elements

Sometimes when we place our main subject off-center, we’re left with a void we might want to fill. In that case, you’ll want to introduce a balancing element – something that isn’t the focus of your photograph but will fill the void. This gnome in this photo is composed similarly to the one above, but the addition of the balancing element gives it a whole new feel.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Leading Lines

Out of all the photography composition rules I’ve worked on, leading lines is where I struggle the most. You want to compose your subject in way that the lines of the photo draw the reader to your subject. Here I placed Mr. Gnome along a literal line. It wasn’t until later that I realized I should have adjusted my depth of field for a crisper line, but I’m going to go ahead and blame that on the great distraction of realizing Mr. Gnome’s watering can spout vaguely resembles a penis. *sigh*

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Vantage Point

A lot of us have a tendency to take a lot of photographs right at eye level. I mean, of course we do. It’s easiest to just point the camera ahead of us and take a picture. But by changing our vantage point we can completely change the feel of a photograph. By shooting down on the gnome you get to experience the scene in a totally different way. You also get to see a lot more of that penis-spout. You’re welcome?

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Background

Sometimes background noise can be a distraction from your main subject, and in those instances, you might want to go for something plain that allows your subject stand out. For this photo I used a simple sheet of black poster board as my background, and I love the way it turned out. Easily my favorite picture of a gnome holding a phallic water can.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Depth

It can often be hard to convey the actual depth of a scene through a photograph, but by composing it with elements in the back, middle, and foreground you can help the viewer experience the photo more realistically. Here I used the edge of the shelf in the foreground, Mr. Gnome in the middle, and a few objects scattered at various points in the background.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Framing

Framing is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. You compose your shot with your subject framed in some way. For this shot I introduced a jug and a stack of plates just barely into the frame and placed Mr. Gnome in the middle. This helped to isolate Mr. Gnome and help him stand out more.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

Cropping

There are various reasons you might want to crop in tighter on a subject. It can help a smaller subject stand out. It can help reduce background noise. Or you might want to hone in on details of your subject that can’t be expressed without a tighter crop. Mr. Gnome has a lot of unique details that weren’t captured when he was cropped wider in the picture, but now you can see them in all their glory.

8 rules of photography composition - Everyday Trish

I hope you found my interpretation of these common photography “rules” helpful! Let me know which photo you like best. And tell me, should I keep photographing Mr. Gnome with his inappropriate watering can?

Equipment used in the creation of these photographs:

Canon Rebel t3i (discontinued) – Canon Rebel t5i is the updated model

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens – My favorite lens!

Cropped shot was taken using a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens – Who says a kit lens can’t make an awesome photo?

P.S. I’d love for you to checkout my photography board on Pinterest, as well as my Amazon favorites where I have curated lists of things we genuinely use and love.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rev. Donna Mulvey says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:55 am

    These are adorable! I love these little gnomes, I have a few myself lol

    Reply
  2. Jennifer Pennington says

    January 19, 2015 at 11:18 am

    It’s a tie between the first and the third photo! Those are my absolute favorites! But then after you mentioned the spout looking like a penis, I couldn’t really keep my eye off the phallic water can LMFAO!! hahahah adorably funny dear! Great work though! You’re doing awesome.
    Jennifer Pennington recently posted…Beltane Fest here I COME!!! Exciting News!My Profile

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    January 19, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    haha – such a fun and funny post! I think the last photo (cropped in tight) is my favorite… but they are all silly and made me smile. http://www.GlamKaren.com

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    OMG I can’t stop laughing my ass off about the penis watering can

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    OMG I can’t stop laughing my ass off about the penis watering can

    Reply
  6. Christina D'Arrigo says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:05 pm

    I love it! That gnome is so cute, and the photos definitely made me smile!! Great post ๐Ÿ™‚
    ~Christina
    http://thedancegrad.com
    http://chriskayoga.com
    Christina D’Arrigo recently posted…5 Inspiring People You Should Be Listening ToMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Jen says

    January 20, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    I’m a fan of the close up. Your pictures are always so lovely.
    Jen recently posted…brokenMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Rose Molinary says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:18 am

    Love these! There are some great photography tips in there too! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Rose Molinary recently posted…Top 5 Board GamesMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Vicky says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    Great job on these!! I didn’t quite spot the watering can-penis connection until you pointed it out, but after that, that was all I could see, lol!

    I think you tackled these tasks very well. My faves are the 1st one (and you have all kinds of leading lines in that shot as well…he’s positioned perfectly so the grid in the background leads your eye right to him, so you actually have RoT and leading lines in that one :)) and the one with the black background…I love how the colors really pop off the page!
    Vicky recently posted…7 Tips to be an Organized Blogger!My Profile

    Reply
  10. Bianca says

    January 22, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    WOW! I loved this all around! The gnomes are adorable and I’d love to try this some day!
    Bianca recently posted…Notifications just got a boost!My Profile

    Reply
  11. Mo at Mocadeaux says

    January 23, 2015 at 1:30 am

    I think the fourth one (different vantage point) is my favorite but I also love the expression of the dog looking at the gnome and his penis watering can. Great photos, Trish!!
    Mo at Mocadeaux recently posted…Solvang And Los OlivosMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Dawn says

    February 9, 2015 at 11:12 pm

    OMG, my favorite one was the one with no background noise. Right up until you mentioned the penis! Now that’s all I can see. lol

    Reply
  13. Cara (@StylishGeek) says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:43 am

    This is awesome and very entertaining Trish! I love the different photography angles and the final cropping you did. Each scene showed the Gnome in a different light.
    Cara (@StylishGeek) recently posted…Be Your Own Barista!My Profile

    Reply
  14. Adriana Martin says

    March 9, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    Loving this tutorial you provide very good tips for all of us that do photography. Great job!
    Adriana Martin recently posted…Foodie Travel Adventures #ViajaConBWMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Carol Cassara says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    What a fascinating series of photos and something to learn for everyone.
    Carol Cassara recently posted…It’s all about the viewMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Liz Mays says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    I’m partial to the closeup shot. I love taking many shots and picking the best one.
    Liz Mays recently posted…A Vegas Weekend Luxury Hotel Collection ExperienceMy Profile

    Reply
  17. agatapokutycka says

    March 9, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    I rally like the last one; it has an amazing feeling; not sure why but it makes me happy ๐Ÿ™‚
    agatapokutycka recently posted…Healthy Snacks โ€“ Home Baked Apple ChipsMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Jeanine says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    How fun! Gnomes are so adorable Ive always wanted to get a few!

    Reply
  19. Stephanie says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    I really like the last photo- the close-up one. They’re all great though. Great job!

    Reply
  20. Britney says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:24 pm

    Thanks for this! I just learned a little bit more about how to use my camera!
    Britney recently posted…Craft Organizing LabelsMy Profile

    Reply
  21. M from K&M: The Stay-at-Home Life says

    March 10, 2015 at 12:19 am

    You did a great job and your subject is quite cute.

    Reply
  22. Beth@FrugalFroggie says

    March 10, 2015 at 12:56 am

    They are great photos. I never thought about taking pictures of a gnome but they were fun.
    Beth@FrugalFroggie recently posted…FitPregnancy-2 free digital magazine issuesMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Erin says

    March 10, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Oh these are so cute! And magical too. Such a sweet little gnome. Actually brought me back to my childhood and my favorite show David the Gnome.
    Erin recently posted…Monday Morning Coffee Talk: Super Mario BrothersMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Bismah says

    March 10, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    I like the sixth one the best although they are all very cute and funny!
    Bismah recently posted…Little Passports Fundraising For Your School!My Profile

    Reply
  25. Kelli says

    March 31, 2015 at 9:19 am

    I love them all, but 1,4,5 are my favorites! Everything was fine and dandy until you mentioned the penis. Now you’ve made us all have dirty thoughts about this poor gnomes penis can. Thanks Trish! Love you!

    Reply

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Welcome!

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Hey, I'm Trish (and that handsome dude next to me pretending he doesn't want his picture taken is Wyatt). Welcome to my blog! I'm a single, homeschool mom living the introvert life in Southern Michigan. If you're into Chinese food, Netflix, stretchy pants, and leaving the house the least amount possible, we can probably be friends.

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