Eliminate+Distracting+Elements

Once you have selected your subject or point of interest, do what you can to eliminate those things that distract from the photo. You can eliminate distractions several different ways. One of the easiest ways is to MOVE to a different angle. If possible, you could also move the distraction out of the way. For example, if I'm taking a photo of my dog in my kitchen, but my trash can is in view, it isn't very hard to move the trash can out of the way. (You can always put it back.) Another way to eliminate distractions could be to hold your camera in the portrait position (vertical) in lieu of the landscape (horizontal) position. This will change the view from short and wide to narrow and tall. Also, be on the look out for those sneaky distractions that hide in the background - things like telephone poles or objects that may appear to grow right out of your subject's head or body. If you cannot eliminate distractions with any of these tips, you may be able to EDIT them out in your photo editing program.

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. If you can, upload (and label) the BEFORE and AFTER version of your photos so that we can see what has been done to eliminate distracting elements.