Chapter 3. Composing the Scene

Imagine you're a wildlife photographer. You're stalking a rare, brightly plumaged bird through the undergrowth. You lie in the grass for hours, centipedes and large spiders crawling over your face and neck. Then, when your body is stiff and aching, sun baked and drenched in sweat, the bird alights on a log with a fish in its mouth, the sun glimmering delightfully from the scales. You squeeze the shutter and success is yours.

Now, imagine yourself, instead, in a vast empty film studio. It's bare. Everything is lit in the same uniform, bright, diffused boring light. There's nothing to photograph except a skip full of plywood and canvas sheets. You'll have to make up your own scene.

In this chapter, you will learn how to plan out and set up a scene so that success is guaranteed later. You will discover the following:

• The main ways to start your scene

• Framing the scene using carefully chosen entourage place markers

• Using virtual plywood props and painted backdrops

• How...