And design - photography

Rules of composition And design

–Ansel Adams

“There are no rules for good photographs, only good photographs”

What is composition?

• “an arrangement of the parts of a work of art so as to form a unified, harmonious whole” The Art of Photography, Bruce Barnbaum

What is your photograph

of?A thing?

Joel Meyerowitz- cape light

What is your photograph

of?A place?

Alex Soth

What is your photograph

of?Nothing at all?

Aaron Siskind

“a good photograph is knowing where to stand” Ansel Adams

• Where do I stand? -If you stand where everyone else is you will take the same photograph

• Where do I look? - look up when everyone else looks down

• How should I orient my camera? -ask if you need more info high/low or left/right

Photographer unkown

Composition tips

• Choose your focal point wisely

Joel Sternfeld

Composition tips

• Fill the frame

William Eggleston

Composition tips

• Use negative space

Joel Meyerowitz

Composition tips

• Rule of thirds works!

Martin Parr

Composition tips

• Except when it’s better with the focal point in the middle

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Composition tips

• Avoid mergers

Just a bad stock photo

Design tips

• Leading lines

• Direction

• Curve

Stock photo

Design tips

• Frame within the frame

Stock photo

Design tips

• Odd numbers

Elliott Erwitt

Design tips

• Repetition

Andreas Gurskey

Design tips

• Simplicity

Michael Kenna