Author
Released
12/22/2011The course addresses how the camera differs from the eye and introduces composition fundamentals, such as balance and point of view. Ben also examines the importance of geometry, light, and color in composition, and looks at how composition can be improved with a variety of post-production techniques. Interspersed throughout the course are workshop sessions that capture the creative energy of a group of photography students; shooting assignments and exercises; and analyses of the work of photographers Paul Taggart and Connie Imboden.
- Looking versus seeing
- Understanding when and why to use black and white
- Analyzing lines
- Arranging the elements into lines and shapes
- Working with perspective and symmetry
- Changing focal length, camera position, and depth
- Dividing rectangular frames into thirds
- Weighting the corners in square pictures
- Composing photographs of people
- Composing landscape photos
- Working with light: direction, texture, and negative space
- How to shoot color
- Guiding the viewer's eye
- Controlling depth
- Improving composition in post-production
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
- Hi, my name is Ben Long, and welcome to Foundations of Photography, Composition. How many times have you come back from shooting and looked at your images and thought, "Wow, this one really works," and, "This one really doesn't." Sometimes an image doesn't work because of a technical problem. It's blurry, or your hand's in front of the lens or something, but more often, an image works because of how it's composed. Much more than technical understanding or ability, composition is what separates the good photographers from the not so good photographers, and in this class we're going to cover in depth all of the fundamental building blocks of composition.
You're going to examine lots of compositional concepts that you can use no matter what kind of subject matter you're shooting. We're going to explore the process of seeing and look at some techniques to get your visual sense working in a new way. Light is the beginning of all photos. Without good light, it's hard to get good results, but light can also be a subject unto itself and an essential tool for achieving good compositions, so we'll be exploring light in detail. Improving your composition skills is not just a process of learning how to compose. You also need a vocabulary for discussing composition and an understanding of how to look at your own images with a critical eye, so to that end, we'll be performing lots of compositional analysis of my images, as well as the work of three other photographers and an entire class full of students, and finally, we're going to spend time talking about shooting practices, what you need to do in the field to get access to the subject matter you want and how to improve your chances of coming back with a good shot.
We've got a lot of material to cover and a lot of ideas to explore, so come with me now as we dive into the fundamentals of composition.
Related Courses
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Photography Foundations: Lenses
with Ben Long2h 32m Beginner -
Photography Foundations: Black and White
with Ben Long3h 3m Intermediate
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 43s
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Using this course7m 27s
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What you need to know2m 50s
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1. Understanding Composition
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What is composition?2m 1s
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2. Seeing
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Looking vs. seeing2m 25s
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Vision and attention2m 13s
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Dynamic range1m 59s
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Seeing exercises3m 5s
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3. Composition Fundamentals
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Subject and background3m 5s
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Balance7m 20s
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Point of view3m 22s
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Simplicity2m 59s
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Practicing3m 24s
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Why black and white?2m 21s
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4. Geometry: Lines and Shapes
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Lines7m 7s
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Analyzing lines6m 35s
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Exploring a town4m 7s
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The Franklin Hotel2m 7s
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Shapes10m 13s
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Rule of threes1m 36s
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Perspective1m 47s
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Symmetry1m 10s
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Intersections1m 41s
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5. Shooting Best Practices
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Working a shot, revisited3m 21s
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Warming up2m 16s
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6. Balance Revisited
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Tonal balance3m 52s
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Content balance1m 20s
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Composing people3m 42s
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Composing landscapes3m 53s
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7. Light
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It's the light1m 50s
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Direction of light8m 30s
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Texture2m 7s
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Shadows and negative space1m 19s
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Exposure concerns2m 44s
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Light as subject1m 38s
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8. Workshop: Finding Light
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Assignment: Finding light5m 17s
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Shooting the light3m 14s
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9. Color
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The basics of color1m 4s
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When to shoot color3m 56s
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How to shoot color2m 47s
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10. Guiding the Viewer
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Entry and exit5m 41s
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Framing2m 17s
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Narrative1m 55s
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Guiding the viewer's eye1m 14s
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11. Workshop: Foreground and Background
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12. Layers
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Planes5m 13s
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Controlling depth4m 54s
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Juxtaposition2m 58s
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Fear4m 3s
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Layers55s
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13. Post Production
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Resizing an image8m 9s
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Tone8m 54s
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14. Workshop Exhibition and Wrap-Up
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Conclusion
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Video: Welcome