• Introduction
• Subject
• Composition
  • Perception
    • Gestalt
    • Grouping
    • Space
    • Depth
    • Constancy
  • Elements
    • Lines
    • Shapes
    • Forms
    • Value
    • Color
    • Texture
  • Relation
    • Isolation
    • Placement
    • Patterns
    • Balance
    • Dominance
    • Mergers
    • Framing
    • Layers
  • Scene
    • Lighting
    • People
    • Study
    • Q&A

Photo Composition for Better Photography

Notes from the Web

 

Study

 

 

Take mental photos wherever you go. After a while, you'll recognize compositional elements all around you; in fact, it will be hard to turn the process off.

 

 

Analyze your photos both technically and in regards to composition.

 

• Look thorough your albums and photo boxes. Determine the ratio of bad compositions to good ones. My ratio was dismal, something like 20 to 1.
• Look at your best photos and breakdown the scene into is compositional elements and relationships. Ask why this photo succeeds.

 

 

Analyze the works of others. Sources include:

 

• Books on photography.
• Photos on the web and Usenet (newsgroups)
• TV, Movies, art, and advertisements

 

 

Experiment

 

• Keep shooting; take lots of pictures.
• Work on capturing and isolating individual elements like texture or colors.