Often when we are creating images, especially landscapes, we can get so focused on the main subject that we forget to think about incorporating a foreground element to help add depth and drama to our scene. There are a number of different approaches we can use. In this short article...
Composition and Art Category Archive - Page 13
The Weston Dream
She posed atop a sand dune with wind-gnarled cypress trees clinging to a rocky precipice in the distance. She was nude of course, and sitting on a bedpan. A dead pelican lay at her kelp-entwined feet. In one hand she held a nautilus, in the other the most sensuous bell...
Attempting Fine Art Style B+W Landscapes
‘Attempting’ and 'style' being the salients word here! Nope, not any kind of expert on this subject either but the style and simplicity of fine art photography is greatly appealing to me, and by explaining why we may consider some important aspects of making compelling images. I have not often...
Challenging Yourself to Improve
I believe it was Cartier-Bresson who said that your first 10,000 photographs are your worst. For many hobbyist photographers, myself included, it may be much more than that, as improving our craft means constantly shooting, experimenting, reassessing, and continually culling our very best from our best. (more…)
Open and Closed Composition: Assignment Discussion
A few months ago, I started the Mastering Composition series of articles. The goal of these articles was not only to give some useful composition tips for beginners, but to also engage our readers with small assignments. The assignment given to you in the first article of the series has...
Composition in Photography: Assignment Discussion
A few months ago, I started working on our Mastering Composition" series articles. The idea behind them was to cover all the basics of composition in photography (and, consequently, visual arts in general) starting with some extremely simple concepts, and also provide assignments for beginner photographers to make the educational...
Interpreting Fine Art Photography
Update: this article seems to have spawn a number of different opinions. Which, we must admit, makes us rather happy - discussion, as someone much brighter than me has said, is an exchange of knowledge. More importantly, argument is an exchange of ignorance. While the photograph described at the beginning...
A Fifty for Creativity
Even just a few hours ago, I was once again asked by a reader what lenses do I use most for my wedding photography. The answer is and always has been the same for my wedding, family or general photography needs - a classic fifty. I am sure hardly anyone...
Open and Closed Composition
In our article on composition, we discussed the definition of the term in photography. We also outlined the main goal of composition and talked about why it is such an important part of any work of art. As we dive deeper, it is necessary to define two discrete types of...
The Art of Composing Photos
With the first article in our new Mastering Composition series, it is only fitting that we start off by introducing our main topic. In this article for beginner photographers, I will outline the general meaning of the term "composition" in art. I will also briefly discuss the goal of composition,...