From the course: Photography Foundations: Composition

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Squares: Weighting the corners

Squares: Weighting the corners

From the course: Photography Foundations: Composition

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Squares: Weighting the corners

The ratio of the width of an image to the height of an image is referred to as the image's aspect ratio. If you're shooting with an SLR, you're most likely shooting with an aspect ratio of 3:2. This is the same as 35 mm film. Some SLRs though, and most point and shoots, have an aspect ratio of 4:3. That's the aspect ratio of standard definition television. HD television has an aspect ratio of 16:9. If your aspect ratio is 1:1, then you're shooting in a square and there is a great tradition of square format photography. If you ever had a medium format film camera, then it probably shot square frames. Shooting squares is different than shooting rectangles though. As we have already discussed when you shoot with a rectangular frame, you tend to balance the image by dividing the frame into thirds and working the thirds. Square doesn't divide into three very evenly, instead while it divides evenly just doesn't divide very well. Instead when you are shooting squares it's a good idea to try…

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