Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Photography Contest Tips: No to Mergers

Have you seen a picture with its subject looking really weird? Those kinds of pictures where there are unwanted connections? Those are what we call mergers. Yes, in photography composition, avoiding mergers is a fundamental technique. You can’t surely win a photography contest with mergers on your entries, right? For beginners, mergers are elements in the background that could merge into the foreground of the subject of interest which can cause undesirable output. It’s like taking a photo of your friend with a tree behind its back and you were too focused on the subject and didn’t notice that you were capturing the tree located just above your friend’s head. It turns out like the tree branches are directly connected from the head. Mergers are too common for those who are beginning to learn photography which is why it is very important to learn how to avoid mergers and do a lot of practice. There is lot of examples of photographs displaying mergers in the web and even in some photography contest online for beginners. Even in some photo contest, there are still near mergers found in numerous entries. Near mergers are lines and objects that are too close on the subject of interest. 



According to expert photographers who have already won numerous photo contest and competitions for years, the number one technique in avoiding mergers is to determine the right angle to shoot. If you need to bend down a little bit or move to the right, then do it! When you capture your subject, do not focus on the subject only but also on its background. Winning a picture contest requires perseverance, patience and a lot of effort.

Good framing is also another way to avoid mergers. This technique is often used in entries for a picture contest. Framing is one tip in creating a good composition in photography. Let’s say you are going to shoot a group picture, always bear in mind to align your focus on the camera’s viewfinder. There should be a little space around everyone. Trimmed heads and people cut in half is a big No-no if you have plans to join a picture contest.

Basically, mergers are easy to find but hard to classify. As a beginner who wants to join a certain photography contest someday, learn to master the techniques of good composition which includes avoiding mergers. Never stop learning and practicing because a photo contest means great competitors. Take every opportunity as a challenge and learn from it well.

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