Photographic Composition

"Composition is to photography what rhythm is to music"
Rodney Smith

For your first shooting assignment you will be exploring the rules of composition as they relate to photography. 

Prior to embarking on your in-class shoot, you will familiarize yourself with some basic principles of photographic composition.

You will be responsible for understanding each of these 6 following compositional structures:

Balance

Pattern

Symmetry

Focal Point

Rule of 1/3's

Texture

Contrast

Depth

The following links discuss photographic composition in a fairly traditional way. Good for the nuts & bolts of composition:

http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/master-the-art-of-photographic-composition--photo-1410

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

http://photographylife.com/what-is-composition-in-photography

http://photography.worth1000.com/tutorials/161809/camera-skills-a-guide-to-photographic-composition

The link below is loaded with interesting information about "street photography".  Scroll down to the section on composition and then explore the rest of the site--definitely worth your time if you appreciate documenting real life.

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/start-here/

The next link takes you to a web page that is full of links to articles and web sites about photographic composition.

http://photoinf.com/


Tips on taking compelling photographs, with an emphasis on composition.

http://layersmagazine.com/create-compelling-photographs.html


Task-Come to class on the designated day (it supposed to be Friday, but with Irma in the wings, I will let you know) with your camera. Be ready for an in-class photo-shooting challenge. The challenge will be based on what you learn through your research on composition.