Photography is such a varied practice, with so many different uses. When being done creatively, we’re able to inspire emotions from the audience and portray subjects in purposeful, meaningful ways—even if we’re just trying to portray someone just being fun.

Emotion in photography can be portrayed or created through many different methods, though we often assume it’s the subject of the photograph that creates this, rather than the way the photograph is taken. However, the means of composing the photograph, to put it simply, are just as important, if not more important, than the subject of the photograph itself. If you’re struggling to create emotion or portray a concept the way you want it to be seen, then the following advice might be worth a try.

1. Don’t frame the subject in the middle

   

   If you’re new to photography, I highly recommend looking at information about the well-known Rule of Thirds (click here for a link to further information from Digital Photography School). Even with the Rule of Thirds in mind, simply offsetting or changing the position of the subject within the frame can change the mood of a photograph. Above, the Upstate Hospital campus’s architecture shines, with no piece of it directly in the middle, creating a beautiful and interesting scene, without a single part of the building dominating the screen too much.

2. Try bold or dramatic angles

   

   I’ve always enjoyed taking photographs at bold angles that subjects aren’t often, well, subject to; we don’t think about how things look from other angles, and with these changes, the vibe of a subject can completely change. Here, I took this photo of my etch machine at work from a low angle, one I hadn’t personally gotten down to before. I like to think this gives this machine a solid presence, making it feel large and in charge, even though it’s only 3 or 4 feet tall.

3. Try macro photography

   

   Macro photography (click here for a link to further information on macro photography from Digital Photography School) is one of my favorite ways to bring new life to my photographs. This is an older photo of mine, but one I’ve always really loved; it was for a high school project where we learned how to juxtapose text over an image in Adobe Photoshop. Besides that, the closeup here was that of the edge of a stair in the school’s hallway; a small divot on a stair was given its own life when observed this closely, with some extra flair being given in the text. I fondly remember this one getting the same laugh out of my teacher that it got out of me when I first came out with it.

4. Try different filters or edits

   

   Here, this picture of the tip of my mother’s previous house is made dramatic and dark with just an adjustment to the colors and the contrast. In dark black-and-white, what was originally a plain picture became a photo that feels sinister. Another high school project, as I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with the mundane, every-day things we see in life, and creating a new perspective from which to view them.

5. Have fun

   

   Shown here is my cousin, Rachel. We were goofing around at a family reunion when I realized her vape matched her nails. She asked me to take a picture, so I took my best while she struck a pose, and we both agreed it came out fantastic. I like to think this picture really does portray Rachel’s fun and silly personality.

I hope you enjoyed this short article and that it could inspire your future work. Feel free to leave a comment down below. Thanks!