2. California Content
Standards
• PK.MA:CR1
• Share ideas for media artworks through guided
exploration of tools, methods, and imagining.
• Adv.Ma:CR1
Integrate aesthetic principles with a variety of
generative methods to fluently form original
ideas, solutions, and innovations in media arts
creation processes
• 6.MA:CR1
Envision original ideas and innovations
for media artworks using personal
experiences and/or the work of others.
• 2.MA:CR1
Explore multiple ideas for media artworks
through brainstorming and improvising.
Lecture Objectives
• Completely understand the concept of composition and
how it applies to photography.
• Learn possible new artist that will give you a new
sense of how photos should be analyzed.
• Understand how not all elements of composition are
applied at once and learn when to identify particular
ones while you are out making photos.
• Expand your own work to a higher level than it was
before studying composition.
3. Composition is one of the most important elements of
a photo. It determines what is in a photo, where
objects are placed, and how they sit in relation to one
another. It is a tool that allows you to control how a
viewer's eye flows or doesn’t flow throughout a photo.
The elements that create composition must be
understood before they can be successfully applied.
4. Rule of Thirds
Simply put the rule of thirds is the frame of a scene cut into 9
equal portions, with areas of focus put on along the intersection
points. This concept is a little bland but can help remove the
tendency to put objects in the center. (Rules are meant to be
broken and I adore a centered photo!)
5. Symmetry
Centering your subject can sometimes be the best solution as
perfectly lined up and symmetric photos can be extremely
satisfying.
6. Balance
Visual weight can be used to create balance
within a photo. As elements are arranged in a
photo, other things must counter their visual
weight. Building compositions with this
mindset can be very rewarding.
7. Question
How do these different
concepts work together?
Obviously elements of
the three overlap, but
how does that work in
terms of the
compositions created by
photographers?
8. Shape
Great compositions are crafted of various shapes and arranged in
a balanced order. Shapes can be found all over from the shapes of
manmade objects like walls, paths and signs and organic shapes
like trees and hills. Shapes can also be found in the form of
negative, like the gaps in tree branches, rails or windows.
9. Pattern and Texture
Patterns and Textures are visually appealing
elements of compositions that won't always be
applied but when they are can be extremely
successful. This can be found through
repetition or the various textures of different
objects throughout a photo.
10. Leading Lines
Leading lines are what bring the
viewers eye throughout a photo.
They can be used to lead the eye
to a distinct object or flow
between objects. The choice is
yours, but without leading lines,
a photo can become messy and
jumbled. Mastering leading lines
will make your photos more
digestible as well as more
interesting.
11. Question
What different elements
of composition can you
identify in this picture?
Describe how these
various elements help
create this photo and
make it successful or
not.
12. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is the idea of
combining two or more different
ideas that clash or contrast one
another. This is a hard thing to
pull in photography and
something I've found to just let
occur on its own. Searching for
juxtaposition can drive you mad,
however when it is found, it can
make some of the best photos
you'll ever take.
13. Simplicity
The concept that less is more can often prove true in photography. It
can be easy to cram lots of things into a composition but sometimes the
best compositions are very plain and bare. It is important the viewer
understands what the subject in a photo is and with minimalistic
photography, you can guarantee they'll know.
14. Artists
There are thousands of amazing photographers who have all come
close to mastering the art of composition. You can look
everywhere from famous fashion photographers to creative street
photographers. One of the best tools to discovering and
understanding these composition tools is to see them in action.
Studying the work of those you look up to will improve your
photography immensely. I have shown you older, more famous
artists but there are new and upcoming photographers whose
work is amazing. 4 Compositional Techniques, by Willem
Verbeeck shows various compositional techniques that he enjoys
to use in his work. I would also suggest you check out Nick Carver,
Dino Kuznik, Mark Forbes, and Nguan. These are just a small
selection of artists but there are many more to discover on your
own.
15. The compositional techniques covered in
this lecture are some of the most important,
however there are many more that can be
explored. Before you leave this lecture I
want you to go through your favorite photos
and see what techniques you can identify. I
would bet that you'll be able to find one or
two and it may be the driving force for why
you enjoy it so much.
