These days cameras are capable of many things. It can focus, work out exposure, choose the perfect shutter speed or aperture along with a host of other functions. However, the one thing a camera can’t do is compose your picture for you.

If you are using an “auto-everything” camera then your main area of control is going to be the composition. There are 2 basic ways to arrange elements:

1. Physically move objects and/or people relative to each other.

2. Move yourself. This is usually the most effective way to control your composition – alter your viewpoint.

The second point is probably the easiest and yet the most important. How often have you thought to yourself, “man, that would make a nice picture", raised the camera to your eye and captured the shot? Many times, I’m sure. You see people do it all the time especially if you’ve ever traveled through Jasper, Alberta. There’s nothing wrong with this of course. However, next time take it a step further and wander around. It’s remarkable how much difference walking a few meters can make.

Driving along the Icefield Parkway, I really liked the contrast of the mountain peak against the blue sky. I pulled over to the side of the highway and grabbed a few shots. I then proceeded to climb down the embankment to see if any other angles provided better views. The above picture is the result of that exploration. The next article in the series: Composition Part Two – The Rule of Thirds