The+Subject+Should+Stand+Out+from+the+Background

The subject of your photos should be easy to pick out in the photo. There should be no question in the mind of the viewer as to what it was you were trying to capture. Because of this, keep your background in mind. The subject needs to stand out from the background as best as possible. Solid backgrounds are the best option for this rule, but are not always available. Use a solid, simple background (like the wall of a building, or the beauty of a lake) whenever possible. Think about color, too...dark backgrounds provide great contrast to objects, especially colorful ones or basic white or gray ones. Dark backgrounds evoke a feeling of mystery in a photo. Light backgrounds can also provide great contrast and tend to evoke a feeling of peace and happiness. IF you are unable to change a busy background, it is always possible to lessen its impact on a photo by adjusting your aperture or depth of field. This can be done in-camera by adjusting the settings or may be done with most photo-editing software (although it may prove to be somewhat difficult if there is a lot of activity in the photo).

This page is where you can post your photos that demonstrate this important composition rule. Feel free to put as many photos on the page as you'd like. Just be sure your name is in the caption so you can get the credit for it. If you are unsure about how to add a photo or a caption, please refer to corresponding file on the "handouts" page.