You've probably spent the bulk of your photographic life working in color,…but of course I've had you shooting in black and white.…So now, I think it's time for you to go back to color and start practicing some…of this compositional vocabulary that we've been working with.…As I said before, it's for the most part exactly like what you've been doing…in black and white.…There are just these extra considerations that you need to weigh when you're…setting up your shot.…Because of that, why don't you start simply, start with images that are still…mostly about tone, interesting plays of light and that kind of thing, but that…maybe have a color accent.…
One little bit of color weight that you can start playing with and from there go more complex.…A very nice place to start is working with portraits because you know exactly…what color values you are going to have to work with and you can try to find…situations that balance those out.…As I said, color is a long course in itself.…We are just trying to get the basics of color worked into the vocabulary that…
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
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: Practicing color composition