Custom Car Close-up When composing an image, it really pays to pay special attention to the basic elements of design. These graphics include pattern, line, shape, form, texture, color and repetition. Even if the lighting is wonderful and dramatic, if your photo isn’t graphically pleasing, then the chances are the picture will fall short of your hopes. MGM Grand at Night You may already use design elements subconsciously, at least in obvious situations, and most photos do include one or more these components. But many people don’t put much thought about these graphics when it comes to their own photography. Yet, recognizing the building blocks of composition is the first step toward making more successful - and more artistic - pictures. Las Vegas at Night Shooting notes: - Telephoto focal lengths let you zero in on the graphics while leaving out distractions. For the two Las Vegas images above - captured with a "normal" fixed 50mm on a full-frame DSLR - I moved physically closer to fill the frame with my subjects. - A tripod not only helps you achieve the best in image quality, but also lets you more easily fine-tune compositions. At the same time, for many of the scenes shown here, I was able to use a small aperture for more depth of field without having to rack up the ISO to a noisy level. Coastal Color Pattern Here's a rundown of the design qualities of the accompanying photos: - Pattern, Repetition & Color (Custom Car Close-up). - Line, Color & Repetition (MGM at night, Las Vegas). - Shape - Bellagio Fountain (Las Vegas at Night) - Color & Pattern (Coastal Color Pattern). Book Alert: Composition, color and design are key subjects in the new book The BetterPhoto Guide to Creative Digital Photography, co-authored by Jim Miotke and Kerry Drager. Of course, light is important too, so check out Jim and Kerry's upcoming The BetterPhoto Guide to Photographing Light (April 2012).