Composition Grids, Geometry, and Balance
Charles E Hardwidge
http://www.picture-thoughts.com/photography/composition/angle/
http://digital-photography-school.com/4-rules-of-composition-for-landscape-photography
Lots of stuff here on the basic grids, objects and shapes in the shot, and
stuff on colour and light balance.
I've been reviewing my disastrous shoot the other day. There's a few times
where I thought there was something there but couldn't quite find the
narrative. I bagged a chance shot of a powerboat in some docks using the
rule of thirds but fucked up because I'd got the wrong settings, the light
was failing, and I was shaking with cold.
I've got a handful of self portraits. They're a real PITA to do without the
camera being jacked into a screen but an education on composition, lighting,
and poses. The handful I've selected as top shots have mostly been composed
with the rule of diagonals. Maybe it's subjective but I find them more
dynamic than the rule of thirds.
What leaps out to me from Zen is the idea of being there and feeling.
Knowledge, practice, and keeping the ego out of the way of awareness of the
environment is a pretty big deal to me. I figure, you can be too clever for
your own good and letting the brain STFU and getting on with it "just
works". It helps you catch opportunity instead of it doing the woosh thing.
--
Charles E Hardwidge
philo
I was lucky in that when I got my first 35mm camera I was in the Army...
and one of my friends was an excellent photographer who showed me the ropes.
Right from the beginning I always knew what a good scene was...
maybe it's because my parents exposed me to art as far back as I remember.
The big problem I had was in actually getting a decent shot.
There is a huge difference between recognizing what's photographically
significant and actually getting what your mind saw...down on a print.
But heck after 30 years or so...I started getting the hang of it...
Though I say that in a joking around way...it's true!
The mistake I made in the beginning
was simply trying to be "too clever"...
though it's always good to experiment.
One of my early experiments was taking a panoramic shot with a telephoto
lens. I took a series of overlapping shots...printed them...
then took a scissors and very carefully cut and taped them into a real
nice shot. My first attempt was with four individual photos...
but I eventually figured out I could do it with three.
I took that photo in 1970 and look at it every day as it's up on the
wall in my back hall.
All my Army buddies looking down at me from a stair well.
The other day someone came over and looked at it.
"Who are all those boys?" She asked.
Charles E Hardwidge
news:P6GdnSSNiMaRgZbW...@ntd.net...
> I was lucky in that when I got my first 35mm camera I was in the Army...
> and one of my friends was an excellent photographer who showed me the
> ropes.
>
> Right from the beginning I always knew what a good scene was...
> maybe it's because my parents exposed me to art as far back as I remember.
>
> The big problem I had was in actually getting a decent shot.
>
> There is a huge difference between recognizing what's photographically
> significant and actually getting what your mind saw...down on a print.
>
> But heck after 30 years or so...I started getting the hang of it...
>
> Though I say that in a joking around way...it's true!
>
> The mistake I made in the beginning
> was simply trying to be "too clever"...
> though it's always good to experiment.
I was more into books and building stuff so a different spin. All roads lead
to Rome. Realising and feeling comfortable with that is a good step.
I've had a roughly similar experience in the past which is one reason why
I'm taking it slower and looking at other material. I figure, it helps basic
competence and a general feel.
My "sweet spot" isn't great but there's something there. Taking it slowly
will let seeing the picture or painting the picture come together. It's a
weird leap of faith thing.
--
Charles E Hardwidge
Peter
news:GMPOm.8167$Ym4....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
Forget about the grids and books.
Get thee to at least two dozen art museums and galleries.
--
Peter
Albert Ross
<pete...@nospamoptonline.net> wrote:
>Forget about the grids and books.
>Get thee to at least two dozen art museums and galleries.
I learned a lot from photo magazines, back in the day when there
actually *were* good magazines.
Robert Coe
wrote:
: On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:08:00 -0500, "Peter"
It's still possible to learn a lot about what *not* to do from magazine
photos. For example, from the grossly over-Photoshopped stuff they run in
Popular Photography these days.
Community calendars are another source. Each calendar will have 12 to 14
pictures, including the front and back covers. If my experience is any guide,
about half the pictures will be beautiful (if not necessarily very
interesting); three or four will be hideously garish; and the rest will be so
feeble that you just *know* that the photographers must be relatives of the
publisher.
Bob
Albert Ross
>On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:50:18 +0000, Albert Ross <sp...@devnull.com.invalid>
>wrote:
>: On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:08:00 -0500, "Peter"
>: <pete...@nospamoptonline.net> wrote:
>:
>:
>: >Forget about the grids and books.
>: >Get thee to at least two dozen art museums and galleries.
>:
>: I learned a lot from photo magazines, back in the day when there
>: actually *were* good magazines.
>
>It's still possible to learn a lot about what *not* to do from magazine
>photos. For example, from the grossly over-Photoshopped stuff they run in
>Popular Photography these days.
Hehe, you got that right!
>Community calendars are another source. Each calendar will have 12 to 14
>pictures, including the front and back covers. If my experience is any guide,
>about half the pictures will be beautiful (if not necessarily very
>interesting); three or four will be hideously garish; and the rest will be so
>feeble that you just *know* that the photographers must be relatives of the
>publisher.
I've actually learned a lot from artists, for example this local guy
http://www.michaelbullen.co.uk/
paints the sort of images I try to capture.
When I grow up I want to be Charlie Waite
I used to like Outdoor Photography (a UK magazine) whose critiques
were unfailingly helpful and positive, unlike the typical "obviously
the mountain should have been higher and to the left of the lake" kind
of stuff common in other mags, buit eventually I was hospitalised with
a severe overdose of grad filters.
Pete
> I've actually learned a lot from artists, for example this local guy
> http://www.michaelbullen.co.uk/
> paints the sort of images I try to capture.
>
> When I grow up I want to be Charlie Waite
> http://www.charliewaite.com/
Thanks for those - inspirational.
> I used to like Outdoor Photography (a UK magazine) whose critiques
> were unfailingly helpful and positive, unlike the typical "obviously
> the mountain should have been higher and to the left of the lake" kind
> of stuff common in other mags...
I can imagine the latter on Michael Bullen's art: noise in sky - use a lower
ISO setting.
Pete
Peter
news:hp2ah51rnmf9u1fab...@4ax.com...
Thank you for those links. I found a lot of inspiration>
--
Peter
Charles E Hardwidge
news:hp2ah51rnmf9u1fab...@4ax.com...
> I've actually learned a lot from artists, for example this local guy
>
> http://www.michaelbullen.co.uk/
>
> paints the sort of images I try to capture.
>
> When I grow up I want to be Charlie Waite
>
> http://www.charliewaite.com/
>
> I used to like Outdoor Photography (a UK magazine) whose critiques
> were unfailingly helpful and positive, unlike the typical "obviously
> the mountain should have been higher and to the left of the lake" kind
> of stuff common in other mags, buit eventually I was hospitalised with
> a severe overdose of grad filters.
Those are some good links. Maybe, not to everyone's taste but top quality
and a useful side by side comparison. They're also an interesting comment on
value and career changes.
--
Charles E Hardwidge
Albert Ross
Yes, I come from a family which contains many small business people,
and also mathematicians. I am totally crap at maths but especially
good at pattern recognition, which has been part of everything I have
done, and completely rubbish in Corporateworld. (I find patterns I am
not supposed to notice). So that's what I am now concentrating on.
Another source of my compositional learning has been some of the BBC
and other film cameramen who can unerringly spot the best point of
view.
Charles E Hardwidge
> Yes, I come from a family which contains many small business people,
> and also mathematicians. I am totally crap at maths but especially
> good at pattern recognition, which has been part of everything I have
> done, and completely rubbish in Corporateworld. (I find patterns I am
> not supposed to notice). So that's what I am now concentrating on.
>
> Another source of my compositional learning has been some of the BBC
> and other film cameramen who can unerringly spot the best point of
> view.
Two separate but very good points.
I note some people don't get the psychology of "professionalism" in another
thread and one I started on The Prisoner's (2009) cinematography is dead as
a doornail. It happens.
Opinion becomes certainty. Certainty becomes fact. This tunnel vision closes
the mind to realities and events. One reason why I practice photography is
to challenge myself to get over that. It also helps be do something
practical and get my ass out of the door.
--
Charles E Hardwidge
Albert Ross
BTDT. I'm doing it now with medical (literature) research, time and
again I read papers which come close to reality, then turn away at the
last moment in favour of dogma. What's entertaining is when a
researcher changes venue and it becomes clear that they had Clue all
along but were inhibited from expressing it presumably through fear of
losing their position by challenging their professor's dogma, while a
different institution allows them free reign to study information.
Some camera club/magazine judges fit that mould too, but with less
lethal consequences.
Learning from other fields is good. Artists get to *make* the mountain
smaller and to the left of the lake if it improves their composition.
Farmers know that to fatten animals you feed them carbs, not fat.
Dieticians believe this does not apply to humans despite the ever
increasing "epidemics" of obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2
diabetes being closely correlated with dietary fat *reduction*.
Careful, I nearly started ranting then . . .
. . . the sun's shining, I shall be off outdoors in a while, see what
patterns I can find.
Peter
>
> Some camera club/magazine judges fit that mould too, but with less
> lethal consequences.
>
An interesting typo if you really meant: "fit that mold." If not, an apropos
pun.
--
Peter
Albert Ross
That's how we spell it in England . . .
Peter
Oh!
I forgot, you can't spell on your side of the pond. <g>
--
Peter