The success of an image often directly corresponds to how well it communicates a message, and images that have that kind of impact often feature strong graphics within clean, simple compositions. Produce this kind of image and you’re said to have a creative voice, which means mastery of the factors that most influence the impact of a photograph: composition, perspective, light and lens choice.

The standard guidelines for composition are pretty simple: fill the frame, but don’t put your subject in the middle of it; use the rule of thirds; avoid clutter; find a clean background; and, as the legendary Robert Capa used to say, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” But before you consider any of these, ask yourself this question: what is this image about? Or even better: what do I want this image to say? Pretty much everything in terms of composition will flow from the story you want to tell.

Simplifying your image—avoiding the temptation to include everything in the frame—is the first step in improving composition. Often creating a strong graphic effect starts with finding a clean background against which to place your subject. A clear blue sky is a good option, and it’s often available to you just by moving to a lower vantage point.

Your composition will also be greatly affected by your position relative to your subject. The photo editors at National Geographic like to say that you haven’t covered something unless you’ve explored it from 360 degrees, so check all the angles. Shoot from below or from a low angle; get on a ladder or climb a rope to shoot from above; shoot from the side and any other position you can think of. Move in, move out; look for any possible vantage points, especially those that are hard to get to.

Another consideration is light. The brightest part of an image is where your viewer’s eye will be drawn first, and if that spot isn’t part of or important to your subject, it might just steal the show. So crop it out or recompose to eliminate it (and while you’re at it, check the edges of your frame to make sure there aren’t any extraneous objects hanging around that should also be eliminated).

The perspective you choose will help tell the story and deliver the message of the image, and that perspective is often dependent on the focal length of your lens. A wide-angle lens gives the viewer a sense of place; a telephoto can isolate the subject and thus simplify an image.

Don’t underestimate the power of a wide-angle; when used well, it’s one of the best tools in your bag. My favorites are the 17-35mm [AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED] and 14-24mm [AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED]; both are versatile, incredibly sharp lenses that allow me to show my subject and the surrounding landscape.

A telephoto lens, like the 70-200mm [AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II] zoom, gives me a comfortable working distance and compresses the foreground and background, often for dramatic results.

Before we talk about the photos, remember that while following composition rules will often result in a pleasing picture, rules are still made to be broken, and if breaking them tells the story and delivers the message, then break away. The rules are really only guidelines after all.

	Pilots. For an assignment with the Henry 1 Search and Rescue team in Santa Rosa, California, I wanted a portrait of pilots Emanuele Tsikoudakis and Eric Thomson in their helicopter, wearing their night vision gear. I made the image with my 17-35mm lens at 17mm, just after sunset. I composed using the rule of thirds.
	Climber. My position on a rope high above Jacopo Alaimo and the perspective of my 17-35mm lens convey his precarious position climbing El Matador at Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. The flowing lines of the rock formation really add to the dizzying composition.
	Biker. Quite often it’s in-between moments that say a lot about an activity. Here mountain biker Mike Tittel takes a break on a summer’s day on the Wasatch Crest Trail near Salt Lake City, Utah. I shot this with my 70-200mm lens so that I could compress the foreground and background to focus the viewer’s attention on Mike. From a low angle I was able to include a healthy portion of the sky to simplify the image.

That’s it for this workshop session. Catch you the next time around.

Check out Michael’s work and his latest book, Digital Masters: Adventure Photography, at his website, www.michaelclarkphoto.com. For more photo tips, you can sign up to receive his PDF format quarterly newsletter.