The Complete Guide To Photographic Composition: Photography and the Art of Composition - Softcover

Worobiec, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1446302636 ISBN 13: 9781446302637

Publisher: David & Charles, 2013

Synopsis

Composition is absolutely fundamental to great photography. It is also an extremely complex concept. But with the help of award-winning photographer Tony Worobiec, who has training and background in the visual arts, you will learn the theory, skills and techniques needed to achieve beautiful compositions, alongside Tony's inspiring and striking photographs.

Progressing from a simple introduction to composition and conventional compositional techniques to post camera techniques, such as cropping for effect, as well as a discussion of more challenging concepts and alternative approaches to composition, such as using disharmony, eidetic images and the Gestalt Theory to create a heightened visual statement in your photography. Whether you are an enthusiastic beginner or experienced photographer, The Complete Guide to Photographic Composition is essential reading for all creative photographers.

About this title

About the Author

Tony Worobiec has won awards for photography in the UK and internationally and he has had work exhibited in London's Barbican Gallery and Bradford's National Museum of Photography. He is a founder member and current chairman of the Arena group of photographers and is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a former member of that society's Distinctions Panel for Visual Arts. Tony's work has appeared in many photographic magazines both in the UK and the USA. Tony lives in Dorset.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

What is Composition?

So what precisely is "composition"; it is a term that is applied to a variety of art forms including drama and music. With regards to the visual arts, namely painting, sculpture, graphic design and photography our aim is to organise the visual elements in a way which easily communicates our thoughts to others. I wish to emphasise the point that photography should be viewed within the context of the other visual arts and strategies adopted by painters, sculptors and graphic designers can equally be applied to photography. It is for this reason I would suggest that in order to gain a better understanding of compositional principles, that you acquaint yourself with a broad span of visual activities such as painting and graphic design. I find visiting galleries or perhaps just looking a CD covers a valuable source of inspiration. It does help to ask why this particular example works. Be prepared to look at examples of photography which exists outside your normal comfort zone and ask the same question. I may just add that from a compositional possibly the most skilled photographers work in the advertising industry because their very aim is to grab your attention and to create a mood.

It is sometimes suggested that there are implied "rules" concerning composition; I think strategies is a much better concept. It must also be noted that while certain principles might work in some situations, it may not work in all. Possibly the best known photographic principle is the "rule of the thirds", but to apply it to all or even most situations is to miss the point.

Composition is important and in fact without it, no matter how careful you are with your lighting and other technical considerations, your image will be lacking. It is also an extremely complex concept. Composition means putting elements together, and while photographers will not have the same freedom to construct the image in the same way as a painter or a graphic designer can, we still need to introduce a sense of design and order if our images are to have any meaning. Essentially what you are aiming to do is to direct the viewers eye directly to the parts of the image you consider important. You are also trying to communicate mood and this can be achieved by organising the visual elements.

The more acquainted you are with the visual elements, the easier you will find it to purposefully compose. By understanding the psychological effects of line, tone, colour, texture, scale and proportion has on the viewer you are able construct your images more purposefully. Composition is about analysing the visual elements and then constructing your photograph to best effect.

Points to consider.
There are no "rules" on composition, merely strategies that help to add clarity to the image. Composition requires organising the visual element in a way which helps the viewer understand what excited you when you took the photograph. Many of these strategies have been drawn from other aspects of the visual arts, so it does help to occasionally acquaint your-self with them. Composition is a visual process in which the photographer aims to balance the visual elements into a pleasing arrangement. As many of the concepts underpinning composition are universally understood, if you find your image pleasing to the eye, so will the viewer.

Illustrations.

Example 1. Composition is largely about using the visual elements to communicate clarity and mood. This image is potentially very busy, but because it was captured at night, the rich saturated colours and the dominance of blue that characterises this time of day helps to create a more holistic picture. It also contributes to the "mood" of this image.

Example 2. The way that objects are positioned is relatively random, and the skill of the photographer is to see some semblance of order. In this example, the refrigerator serves as a fulcrum for the remaining objects, so that the broom in the bottom left is balanced by the dangling note-pad, while the white door is countered by the blinds.

Example 3. The lead-in line is a time-honoured technique for leading the eye through the picture. In this example, the diminishing line of poppies leads the eye to the tree in the top of the frame. By acquainting yourself with a variety of compositional strategies, you should be able to make sense of any situation.

Edition details

• Publisher: David & Charles
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1446302636
• ISBN 13: 9781446302637
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160