Composition and Design?

[david.wagle]

<p>What are the best books on design and composition? I really feel like my photography can really benefit from me increasing my knowledge of composition. I get the rule of thirds and balance and other basics but I'm still seeing my own work as being pretty weak, from the point of view of composition, compared to what I see from other people in my camera club.</p>

<p>I'm guessing that the best resources here are probably not photography based, but general art or design texts.</p>

[marlon]

<p>Learnin to see Creatively by Bryan Peterson is good. All his books are informative and a very fluid read.</p>

[john_a5]

<p>I don't have any specific recommendations other than you might look towards a basic art book on the principles of design and the elements of art. These are the basic building blocks to constructing an image. Photographers' rules are short hand, and not very accurate in truth, of these principles. Understanding the use of line, shape, color, texture and how they affect balance, emphasis, rhythm and such will go along way to helping you create better images.</p>

<p>My own feeling is that photographers would be better off if they stopped studying the technical ways to make a photograph and spent more time learning how to look and create meaningful work. Take a look at this link and you will see some of the things I am talking about. There are plenty of books and courses on these things out there, although I have yet to see a photo book cover these things or do them justice. (There may have been one but I am not sure it is still available or covers these basic visual principles)</p>

<p>http://www.powayusd.com/teachers/kopstad/how2critiqueart/index.htm </p>

<p>Follow the lesson links and check out what is here.</p>

[stp]

<p>In addition to the suggestions offered by Marlon and John (both of which I've tagged for my own use), you might look at the book by John Daido Loori titled "The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating your Artistic Life." John Loori is a Zen master who also does landscape photography, and he offers an approach that basically helps one "learn how to look" as suggested by John A. above. A similar book but aimed more toward portrait photography is a book by Jan Phillips titled "God is at Eye Level." Both of these books are geared toward establishing a proper frame of mind that should lead to better composition in your photography, but admittedly this approach for improving is not as direct as the suggestions given by Marion and John A. </p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<p>This is the best question about making photographs I have seen in a long time. Bryan Peterson's books are good. "The Nature of Photographs" by Stephen Shore is one I highly recommend as well. </p>

[ed_v.]

<p>"The Photographer's Eye" by Michael Freeman is one of my favorites.</p>

[mark_poseley]

<p>Alain Briot has a series of lectures and articles posted at the luminous landscape website. He is a classicly trained painter turned photographer.</p>

<p>I find a lot of his information relevant and educational. He talks about color, personal style, composition, and many other helpful subjects.</p>

[steve_swinehart]

<p>"Perception and Imaging," by Richard Zakia. This is a interesting book in that it walks you through simple concepts in composition and talks about how the eye works and people perceive things. Has a number of visual exercises that can be done to aid in seeing and composition. </p>

<p>I also like, "Composition: Understanding Line, Notan, and Color," by Arthur W. Dow. This is a book on the Japanese compositional method of Notan that was used in the early 20th century by a number of well known artists. It gives you a way to start looking at things in terms of how lines and dark / light balance interact and the affect of color on both.</p>

<p>My advice would be to get outside of the usual sophomoric crud foisted off as composition for photography and understand that composition is whatever is needed for the image being made - and not specific to the method of making the image. Composition is not a formula, not a set of rules - but an original way of seeing and thinking about how to handle the content of the subject. To that end, I'd suggest going completely outside of photography and look at books like: "Visual Thinking," by Rudolph Arnheim; "Cognition and the Visual Arts," by Robert L. Solso; "The Power of the Center: A Study of Composition in the Visual Arts," by Rudolph Arnheim.</p>

<p>If you want a photographic-specific book, I'd look at "The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression," by Bruce Barnbaum. <a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a></p>

[david.wagle]

<p>I've read a number of photography books, and frankly, they all seem to be pretty basic and they don't really give me a handle on how to think about composition. So, suggestions from other fields is exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!</p>

[dave_s]

<p>Not exactly the answer to your question, but check out the galleries, as well as reading. Look at paintings/prints and sculpture.</p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>So, suggestions from other fields is exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Steve's recommendations give you exactly that, so it's not clear what you are looking for.</p>

[david.wagle]

<p>Ummm, which is maybe why I thanked him and noted that his comment about photography specific books was welcome, but wasn't really the focus of my question?</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>BTW, my take on this is that one trip to the art museum is worth twenty books. I am always awe struck by what I see from great artists and really don't find any books that have taught me anything beyond analysis.</p>

[david.wagle]

<p>Oh, I don't need to see a great artist to see something I can't do, a mediocre one will do :)</p>

<p>I'm hoping that by reading something about analysis I'll maybe get a sense of how to think about composition before I push the shutter button. But what I've found in the photography book space hasn't been much more than extremely basic stuff I already get.</p>

[michael_elenko]

<p>Any of Edward R. Tufte's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edward-R.-Tufte/e/B000APET3Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1303361517&sr=1-4">books</a> on visual communication are stimulating. He also puts on entertaining workshops.</p>

<p>ME</p>

[matt_needham]

<p>If you have a local college take the standard fine arts pre-reqs Drawing 101 and Design 101. These classes will help a lot. Even if you don't think you can draw and don't want to learn, Drawing 101 is more about learning to see the 3D world in 2D, and that's very handy for a photographer.</p>

[alan_zinn]

<p>There are a relatively small number of 2-D principles. It can be fun practicing them with a camera. Want to learn about repetition and rhythm? Photograph fences. Negative space? Do shadows. Call them rules if you like. They are the grammar and syntax of visual representation. These formal elements do not in themselves guarantee "good" or interesting pictures. Don't tell the guys in the camera club. I would look for a <em>pocket guide</em> type of book or copy sections from a more comprehensive 2-D design text to keep with you as you practice. <br>

I taught graphic design, and art history for years. My 2-D texts were by Wucius Wong. Considered classics, they were small, short, and concise. They are now combined into one: <em>Principles of Form and Design</em> and can be found used. I know photographers who have an intuitive sense of formal design. They never took a class but all look at a lot of art. Aesthetics, philosophy, and psychology can be interesting and helpful (especially if you have trouble sleeping). My PH101 instructor started the class with a lecture on Albert Camus!</p>

[alan_zinn]

<p>There are a relatively small number of 2-D principles. It can be fun practicing them with a camera. Want to learn about repetition and rhythm? Photograph fences. Negative space? Do shadows. Call them rules if you like. They are the grammar and syntax of visual representation. These formal elements do not in themselves guarantee "good" or interesting pictures. Don't tell the guys in the camera club. I would look for a <em>pocket guide</em> type of book or copy sections from a more comprehensive 2-D design text to keep with you as you practice. <br>

I taught graphic design, and art history for years. My 2-D texts were by Wucius Wong. Considered classics, they were small, short, and concise. They are now combined into one: <em>Principles of Form and Design</em> and can be found used. I know photographers who have an intuitive sense of formal design. They never took a class but all look at a lot of art. Aesthetics, philosophy, and psychology can be interesting and helpful (especially if you have trouble sleeping). My PH101 instructor started the class with a lecture on Albert Camus!</p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0823056201?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0823056201">Visual Literacy : A Conceptual Approach to Graphic Problem Solving</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0714842087?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0714842087">Art and Illusion : A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0500810303?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0500810303">Sacred Geometry : Philosophy & Practice</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0818504110?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0818504110">Experiences in Visual Thinking</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590302591?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1590302591">The Power of Limits : Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art, and Architecture</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Free-Play-Improvisation-Life-Art/dp/0874776317/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">Free Play : Improvisation in Life and Art</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393311066?ie=UTF8&tag=wonderingmind-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393311066">The Courage to Create</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sculpting-Time-Tarkovsky-Filmaker-Discusses/dp/0292776241/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303400555&sr=1-1-fkmr1">Sculpting in Time : Tarkovsky The Great Russian Filmmaker Discusses His Art</a><br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Adams-Beauty-Photography/dp/0893813680/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303400142&sr=1-1">Robert Adams : Beauty in Photography</a><br>

....<br>

or, just look at the photographs of<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Atget&x=0&y=0"> Atget</a> !</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>David, I would add agreement for Rudolph Arnheim's book "The Power of the Center " (ISBN: 0-520-062441-8), but also his work "Art and Visual Perception" (ISBN: 0-520-02613-6). Another is "Art Fundamentals - Theory and Practice", by Ocvirk, Stinson, Wigg and Bone. I have their 1990 6th edition (ISBN: 0-697-03959-5).</p>

<p>Amongst books from photographers, the older book (1979) "Photography and the art of seeing", by Freeman Patterson (ISBN: 0-442-29779-3), talks to non-gear-related aspects of photography and visualising subject matter.</p>

<p>Some other texts by Harald Mante, originally in German, are good reading of art fundamentals applied to photography. I have seen them translated only into French (Dessain and Tolra, publishers), but English versions I think may exist, perhaps to be found by searching the author on Internet.</p>

[profhlynnjones]

<p>The best I have encountered are books authored and co-authored by Dick Zakia.</p>

<p>Also find out a bit about Gestault Psychology.</p>

<p>Lynn</p>

[david.wagle]

<p>So many fantastic suggestions! Thanks so much to all the responders!</p>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<p>Here's as site that offers some tips on composing quickly...</p>

<p>http://www.digital-photography-school.com/rapid-composition-how-to-compose-a-photo-quickly</p>

<p>Don't know if that's the way you want to seek out scenes to photograph, but it might get you to think in a different way about it. </p>

<p>You have to consider things look very different when viewed through a camera viewfinder frame. How often do you walk around seeking out scenes constantly peering through the camera viewfinder? All those tutorials teach you with images that are already composed after the fact. You'ld have to reverse engineer/retrace that instructors way of seeing and responding which often doesn't happen in reverse.</p>

[Tim_Lookingbill]

<p>mmh, after I posted I looked at your gallery, David.</p>

<p>What's the problem? There's not much you can do with the subjects you've chosen to shoot from what I can see in your gallery.</p>

<p>Can you post a link to one of your camera club member's photos you feel you don't measure up to with regards to composition?</p>

<p>Maybe all you need to do is seek out more interesting subjects and/or use more interesting or unusual camera angles.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>I suspect that the definitive book on photographic composition has yet to be written, if it's even possible to write such a book. I would suggest instead three courses of action.</p>

<p>(1) Study photographs. Magazines are a great source. Go to you local bookstore and look through the magazine rack for 30 minutes. Look at all types of magazines and all types of photos: articles, ads, covers. What makes them work? Would they still work if they were different?</p>

<p>(1a) Study great photographers. Look at the work of the late Tim Hetherington, for instance. Every frame is a master class. Every element is important and perfectly situated. Every border meticulously measured. And the emotion cuts through like a saber.</p>

<p>(2) Take lots of photos. Review them meticulously. Upload them to your computer and start playing with the crop tool. Can you improve them with cropping? If so, keep those improvements in mind the next time you shoot a similar subject. Develop your own "composition rules." Good or bad, they'll be more interesting than anything that you can read. Over time you can refine your rules, discard the ones that don't deliver and polish the ones that do.</p>

<p>(3) Take lots of photos of a single subject. Move around. Try different angles, positions, and magnifications. Think outside the box. WAY outside! Venture into new territory with familiar objects. Review all of the shots. Pick the best one or two and then refine them further. You can learn a lot about composition in ten or fifteen minutes by using this exercise.</p>