Guidelines for Advanced Composition and Image Design
Compositional Anchor
Text and images copyright Arthur Morris, all rights reserved

Bird-scapes are scenic images featuring a bird, or more often a flock of birds, either as an integral part of the composition, or as an accent or accents. When designing bird-scapes, place a strong compositional element in one of the lower corners of the frame to strengthen the design of the image. A tree, a stand of reeds, or a large boulder placed in one of the lower corners of the frame will anchor the image and help lead the viewer’s eye around the photograph. When photographing large flocks of birds in flight, I often use a tree or a distinctive mountain peak as described above to act as a compositional anchor. If the birds are flying from left to right, for example, I will generally place the “anchor” in the lower left portion of the frame and make photographs as the birds fly past the “anchor” and fill the rest of the frame.

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