Composition in Photography: Let's start here

Composition is the basis of photography and understanding it will lift your work to the next level. In this video, I want to share an exercise that helped me about 20 years ago - a technique that I still use today and every time I pick up a camera.

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Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[whakabuti]

So glad to see this. Need more of the content that actually talks about Photography rather than gear 😄

[maxbembel]

This is some proper old school AoP stuff. No tech review but instructional aesthetics topics. That's why I subscribed in the first place and I really appreciate any minute of it.

[SCrowley]

I had a teacher that emphasized the value of making a lot of variants on your ideas: If you got creative block, he'd have us write a list of 20 ideas on how where the story/project should go next. They could be terrible, obvious, mediocre, etc... it didn't matter.

Somewhere around item 15, you'd usually start to run out of obvious ideas, and most of the time, the best idea on the list was one of the last 4 or 5. It's an effective way to allow yourself creative freedom without judgment, and to force your brain to get out of the "lane" its stuck in, and explore other concepts. Sometimes the idea would be so wildly different it would give ideas on how to improve other areas of the project.

Later, in my Black and White photography/film development class, we had a similar assignment, where we had to shoot an entire roll of a single subject, with no shots looking too similar. I remember how much better the later photos were, both for myself and most of the other students.

When working on a project, I'll often get the "safe" shots at the beginning; partly to make sure I have something I can fall back on, partly so I can just start without having to stress about the first shot too much. But most of the time, those "safe" shots don't end up in the final project. When shooting something like a person crafting, there's often tons of repeated steps, and you have time to move around and get the same action from a dozen camera angles. Those later angles are almost always more interesting and dynamic, because I've already explored the obvious stuff, forcing me to be more creative and to take risks with the composition.

These kind of exercises seem simple, but I often wish that my own graphic design classes had spent more time on these kinds of exercises, and less on the software. The software is easy enough to learn with all the resources online we have now, the actual exercises require you to put in the work; something people are much more likely to do if their grade depends on it.

[craigmeyer]

I returned later in life to College for Photography. It was a fulfilling experience. One of my instructors was my son's HS Chemistry instructor. We had many discussions about adult learning and teen aged learning, and apples and trees, etc. One exercise we did after your so nicely explained figure ground, was using what my instructor called "Cropping "L's." We took an 8x10 or 11x14 picture Mat and cut them at opposite corners so we could collapse or expand the "Frame" to choose our "Ground" dimensions. Then we changed out point of vie for a fixed scene to not only subtract elements butt to make the visual organization the most pleasing, compelling, powerful or harmonious. We moved to make leading lines, align elements on thirds or groups of 2 or 3. It is the next step while still leaving that distracting dial and button laden camera in the bag. The following exercise after break was learning to "Work a scene" with vertical and horizontal compositions, high camera angle low camera angle. Near far, close up almost filling the frame with an element while others fall away into a negative space or background. Except for an intolerable "Drop Rate" you could do an entire semester on this. Needless to say, the "L's" stayed in our bag and we'd use them regularly as the class progressed. Think the cliché Movie Director using his hands to create a frame. I still use it today. And remember Dale Boyer from Foothill College in San Mateo CA.

[ScottHusseyPhoto]

Thank you, Ted. This is exactly the type of content which caused me to follow you several years ago.

[petertaranscorsese]

The comparison with drawing / painting (adding) and photography (subtracting) is such a powerful concept ....I’ve never heard that from anyone before and yet it’s so simple and obvious, once you’ve explained it - brilliant!! I’ll definitely do the practical exercises and photograph each arrangement. Such fantastic stimulation - thanks - Peter.

[sebastianchampagne]

I remember this exercise in my design class, my prof kept referring to "tension" and it took me half the semester to figure out what he was talking about. I still do this exercise in my sketchbook.

[SandorFule]

I have learned so much from you, that l am happy to teach you something now.
Kertész is a hungarian name, means Gardener in english. The pronounciation for americans: Kartays

[fungiformenow]

Wow. 15 minutes on one breath. Respect!

[ashutoshrajbirsingh]

beautiful!
and once again, we need more of these bossman.

[nocturnus]

Gratitude Ted, I am in the process of revisiting Betty Edwards trilogy through the eyes of someone that has been exposed to Julia Cameron’s Artist Way trilogy & the efforts of Danny Gregory. One nugget I think might serve the intertextual insights you are illuminating here are her 5 questions for saturation (Via Drawing on the Artist Within p127): Perceive the edges; Negative Spaces Relationships & Proportions; Chiaroscuro (light and dark, but also illuminated and obscured, known and unknown); and Gestalt. It’s one of those things we need the artistic & creative community to read & develop multiple insights to how one would apply these 5 ways of cogitating & accreting towards creative insights.

[jacobjakus]

Wow. You my new friend are a phenomenal teacher. I’m only 5 minutes in but you teach very very well

[TheBiggervern]

Always thought you had a classic education in photography and art. Thanks for the video.

[deadcorpse]

So excited for this. I hope this is a series. We need more of these. Discussions about theory of visual art, rather than gear.

[bradzaruba]

This will require a second viewing. Excellent information and guidance.

[herenowatthemoment]

We need more of this straight educational content. To the point and practical. Thank you.

[michaelhull]

I was a drummer for a long time, always did "Art" from Childhood, and ended up using a camera to document equipment on Cell Towers for the Big 3.
Wanted to improve my skillset, and took a graphic design class at the local community college in 2003.
The last 3 pages of the photography text book were about "digital".
Almost everything I've learned since has been through looking at other Artists work, not just Photographers. The trick is to internalize the "techniques" in order to recognize the potential.
Great Video, and funny how similar our paths were back in the early 2000's.

[kevinarmstrong]

My career has been spent in construction. I once asked a foreman how he chose a carpenter to employ. He told me that he looks at his tools. Are they good quality, has the man invested in his tools so he can produce his best work? Then how has he looked after them, are they clean and sharp? There are so many gear reviews; tool reviews, but few on how to use them, on the craft. Thanks for this excellent video and I hope you'll prepare more like this.

[be.perfect]

The way you talk is so smooth, just a constant uninterrupted flow of relevant useful information, it's super soothing for the brain ! Thank you 😁

[XillOverdrive]

Watching your video for 15 minutes, I have learnt more about squarespace than I did in the whole week