Photography Composition Tip: Figure to Ground

Published: 16 February 2017
on channel: Eric Kim

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One of the practical tips I have about composition is to establish a strong ‘figure-to-ground.’ Pretty much that means to have a good contrast between your subject and background.

That means, have a dark figure against a light background. Or a light subject against a dark background.

You can start off by starting with a white wall, and adding a darker subject to it. Or starting off with a dark wall, and adding a light subject to it.

One way you can create a strong ‘figure-to-ground’ in your photograph is to shoot a silhouette of a subject, and have the white space around it all white.

As an example, note this photograph I shot in Hanoi. What I think makes this a great photo is the mood. The strong silhouette, the mood of nostalgia, and in terms of composition — it has a strong ‘figure-to-ground.’

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