Transcripts
1. Intro: Okay. Do you want to
take better photos? Do you look at your social media feed and
think to yourself, why can't I get
pictures like that. Now, it is true that there are certain locations that make it easier to find stunning
scenes to photograph. However, I want to let you
in on a little secret. It's not about the locations
that make a good photo. It's not even about your gear. The most important
consideration to have in mind for taking
good photos is to be aware of and deliberate
when composing your photos. My name is Avraham and I've been a photographer for
over ten years. In this class, we're going to go into understanding all about composition and learn how it can drastically improve the
quality of photographs. The technical definition of
composition in regards to photography is the arrangement of visual elements
within the frame. Deciding what to
include, exclude, and how to arrange those
elements in the frame, these are all critical to determining how
successful your photo is. In this course,
we're going to go into a deep dive to
fully understand these topics as well as other important
considerations when deciding on your composition. Okay. So if you're excited
about learning how to create great compositions,
at the same time, learning how those compositions affect the story you're telling
through your photographs, then join me on what
I promise will be a very satisfying
journey on learning how to use composition to
create compelling photos.
2. What is Composition?: Let's start off
with some examples demonstrating composition
and how arranging the elements in the scene
can effectively change the mood and story that you're communicating
with your audience. For example, this first
picture is a panoramic shot showing the expanse of the desert and these nomads
who are traveling in it. It tells a story of a vast
harsh desert environment and the people who live there. Contrast that with a crop of the same elements in the frame to create a new composition. Now the story changes. It's now about these individuals and their life in the desert. It's no longer a story
about the location. It's a story about individuals. Wandering around one
day near where I live, I found this fastening scene of this chair in the
middle of no place. Composing the photo this way, with a chair on the far right, gazing as you will off
into the distance, with the sun setting is a
much different feel than if I compose the elements slightly differently and shot
from this other angle, where we still have the chair looking out into the distance, but there's no more
sun, no more feeling of end of day or relaxing
or anything like that. What elements do we need to keep in mind when we speak
about composition? Okay. Well, the main elements to keep in mind are the
shape of the objects, the relative sizes of the
objects to each other, the placement of the objects in the frame and how they relate
to the edge of the frame, and also being sensitive to places in the frame where
there's no elements at all. Picture of this man who is reaching out to purchase
some item in the store. So the main shapes are the man. The produce and also his arm. The arm is a very
important element here because it's connecting
between the two shapes. Further, we have his gaze. He's looking directly at where
he's coking to purchase. That also leads our eye. And also something
interesting to notice is the shape of his body
is sort of arched. It is an arc in his back, and that all this roundness just leads you in and then bang. You get to the arm, you shoot
out to follow his gaze. There's also some lines here that are helping guide the eye. Besides his arm, we have a similar type of angled
line right underneath from this cut window pane that's also leading the eye
up into the produce, and the shelf itself
is also a line. So you have a convergence of about four different lines here at the produce.
You have his arm. You have one window,
you have the shelf, and you also have
another window. All those things help guide the viewer to what's
going on here. Okay. Let's look at this
picture. It's a scene about people who are
eating at a mole. From the way this is composed, it's a story about the
interaction between the customers and the person
working at the store. We have three strong
places of interest. We have the two customers, and also the person
working at the store. The two people who
are the customers are larger and take it
more of the picture, and therefore they
are the main focus. And then you have
the person working who's a little smaller
in the distance. But the way that they're
arranged in a threesome shape here puts them all together as an interaction
between the three. However, what's very fascinating
and what I love about this picture is
that none of them are looking at each
other. Do you see this? Each person is looking down
and through their own world. So for me, the message of this picture is that
it's about a restaurant, which is where
people come together to bond and form relationships. Nonetheless, all the individuals here are in their
own separate worlds. And so this picture is
telling that ironic message. Now they understand a little
bit more about composition, and how those choices
affect the story, I want you to do a
little exercise. Find a few photos
that you enjoy, either that you've
taken yourself or from other photographers and look at them from a composition
perspective. I want you to start to
develop a more critical eye, learning how to unpack
what's going on in a photograph based on the
compositional choices. After that, I'll see
you in the next video.
3. How Shapes Affect Mood: Have you ever looked at a
photo and felt a certain way? Calm, excited, powerful, maybe
even a little off balance. It's not just the subject matter itself that can
create these moods. The shapes of the elements
in your frame have a very powerful effect on
the feeling of your photo. In this lesson, we're going
to look at four shapes. Horizontal, vertical,
diagonal, and circular and see how they
affect the mood of your photo. Photos that have strong
horizontal shapes, such as a calm ocean being the sky or a vast
desert stretching to the horizon often
evoke feelings of tranquility, stability,
and serenity. This is because
horizontal shapes are grounding and steadying. They may extend far off to
the sides of the frame, but they are level
and give a feeling of permanence and
something unchanging. Photos of subjects
with strong verticals, such as skyscrapers
or tall trees, can create feelings of strength, power, and even dominance. As vertical shapes, they are
taller than they are wide, and they can also be used to emphasize the height and
grandeur of a subject. When the verticals are thin, they can create a
more delicate mood. Rules are meant to be broken, and this vertical subject
is a perfect example. It's vertical, but there's
no feeling of height or dominance because the subject is shot at the
viewer's eye level. Additionally, the
vertical subject appears like a cutout from
the surrounding solid mass, which gives an overall sense of stability to this
vertical photo. Circles, Wther smooth curves
and lack of sharp edges, create a sense of harmony,
balance, and completeness. Photos featuring
circles like a moon, a close up of a flower, or a group of friends holding hands can evoke
feelings of unity, togetherness, and even infinity. Diagonals break the stillness of horizontals and verticals, creating a sense of movement, dynamic action, and
sometimes even tension. I really love the
strong diagonals and sharp edges in this
abstract subject. Almost like a burden flight
or a person leaping forward, the way it tenuously
stands on a small base, combined with the
unbroken right side creates a lot of
energy and movement. Now, of course, having only
one type of your shape in your composition is very
rare and likely very boring. The point here is to be
aware of the shapes in your composition
and how they work together to create the
mood of your photo. What shapes that we discussed
do you see in this photo? The truth is it has all four. The horizontal and
vertical shapes are immediately noticeable, as well as a large
circle in the middle. But do you feel the energy
and movement in the circle? That's because the
circle is itself made up of hundreds
of small diagonals. Okay. What about this photo? I would classify this as a photo comprised primarily
of circular shapes. And while it's true,
there's a sense of relaxation and calm here. I'm getting another
sense as well. For me, there's a sense of
growth and movement. But why? I think it's because the
leaves are arranged in almost two vertical
columns growing out of branches that sit diagonally
across the frame. When it comes to photography, there's no way to not have a
shape in your composition. That's why it's so important
to take the time to understand the role that shapes have in the mood of your photo. I want you to take a few moments now and look at some photos, identify the major
shapes are in them, and see how those
shapes affect the mood. And remember that while there
are general guidelines to the moods that shapes have in
a photo, exceptions abound. Take your time and develop a more nuanced understanding of the shapes and the effects
they have in the photo.
4. Rule of Thirds: Since so many people have
cameras in their smartphones, taking photos has
never been easier. However, there's a huge
difference between taking a photo and
taking a good photo. If you're watching this class, I'm going to assume that you're here because you want to improve your skills so that your photos can stand
out from the crowd. And when it comes
to taking photos that are visually interesting, the rule of thirds is a very powerful
technique that can help take your photography
to the next level. Imagine a tick tack toe board
on top of your photograph. The rule of thirds divides the frame into nine
equal sections with two horizontal
and two vertical lines intersecting at four points. The goal is to place your subject on one of
those intersecting points. The idea behind composing
with the rule of thirds is that when you place a subject in the
middle of your frame, the photo is
automatically balanced, and that frequently creates a static and predictable
composition. There's no sense of movement or direction for the
viewer's eye to follow, and that can lead to a
sense of visual boredom. There are diferentely
situations when you will want to center your
subject in the frame. However, to create
a composition that grabs the viewer and
holds their interest, you're much more likely
to achieve this when you place your subject using
the rule of thirds. In this shot, the subject is placed using a roll of
thirds and lower left. However, the bend in the road in the distance forms a secondary
focus in the upper right, leading the eye down the
path and into the sceam. The rule of thirds isn't
only when you place the subject at one of
the intersection points. In this shot, the sunset
and flagposts occupy the entire lower third
of the composition while the sky fills the
remaining two thirds. In this photo, not
only do the subject stand out because they are situated using the
rule of Thirds, but they are also located in the area of greatest
total contrast and are also the only organic shapes amid this abundance
of linear form. Now that you understand
a little bit more about using
the rule of thirds, I want you to go out
and get some practice. Take some photos, placing your subject on those
intersection points, and also in the
center of your frame, and see how it can control the energy and mood
of your photo.
5. Negative Space: The term negative space
may be a little bit confusing because when we
refer to negative space, we're not talking
about something that's missing from
your photograph. Rather, it's talking
about an area that's not occupied
by your main subject. This is typically a
large non busy area like the blue sky in a landscape or the plain
background behind a portrait. If you're placing your subject
using the rule of thirds, so it could be that you have negative space that's occupying
two thirds of your photo. Incorporating
negative space into your photo can have a number of distinct advantages
when considering the composition of your photos. Negative space can be
used to create a sense of balance and harmony
in your composition. Here, the subject is placed
off center on the left, and the negative space on
the right balances it. In this city scape, there's a lovely balance between the heavy massive buildings
and the open spacious sky. Another benefit of
using negative space in your photos is that when you surround the subject
with negative space, you isolate it and draw the viewers attention
to it more effectively. In this photo of this
billboard shot from below, the negative space makes this curious and unusual
structure, the star of the show. Negative space can also influence the mood
of your photograph. Large amounts of negative
space can give a sense of peace and tranquility
or even loneliness. In this photo of a single
flower shot against a blurred background definitely
conveys these feelings. On the other hand, using a minimal amount
of negative space, like in this photo,
can make the scene feel more energetic and dynamic. It probably also doesn't hurt the subject has so many
sharp diagonals and angles. There are a number of
techniques that you can use in order to add negative
space to your photo. The first approach is to consciously include more
space around your subject. By not filling the frame
with your subject, you allow more background and potential negative space
into your composition. Another possibility is to move around your subject to find a simpler background or look for scenes that are minimalistic
to begin with. Okay. Lastly, you can
use the lenses or camera settings that blur the background by creating
a shallow depth of field. Now that you understand a little bit more about negative space, I want you to go out
and take a few photos, incorporating
negative space into your compositions and seeing
how it enhances your photos.
6. Leading Lines: When composing photos, another important
concept to keep in mind is leading lines. These are lines that guide the viewer through
the scene and help draw attention to a certain subject or focus
area of the photo. Looking at photos with
carefully placed leading lines, you can see how quickly
these lines grab your attention and leave
your eye through the photo. Leading lines also have the
ability to create depth in the photo as they guide the viewer deep
into the distance. Leading lines can be real and obvious or suggestive
and subtle. Those that are obvious tend to pull the eye
with more intensity, whereas those that
are more subtle lead the viewer gently along. Here, the wooden poles
of the fence create a leading line that helps draw attention to the birds
perched along it. In this photo, the clouds create leading lines that
guide the viewer towards the mountain
in the distance. This photo of a flower
has leading lines in the petals that lead the eye
towards the flowers center. Here, the leading
line is made up of soldiers and training as they
head off into the distance. Can you find the leading
lines in this photo? They're actually
implied leading lines because while there
are no physical lines, we follow the
direction of the gaze of the women as they text. As you can see from
the examples here, there are leading lines
all around us that we can use to help guide
the viewer through a photo. I want you to take a few
moments now to take some photos and think about how you can use leading lines in
your composition.
7. Framing Your Subject: The last concept
I want to address is the importance of having
a frame to your photo. That is, you want to encourage the viewer to stay
within your composition. You want them to
explore the photo in its entirety without
wandering off of the frame. If you look back at the
previous photos I've shared, you'll see that you can
also accomplish this without using any formal
framing elements, such as through creating a balance between the subject
and a secondary focus or creating a strong pull using leading lines or offsetting the subject with negative space. The important concept here is
to be sensitive to compose your photo in a way that nothing is missing
or unbalanced, that would make the viewer feel that something is
not quite right. However, a very effective
method to accomplish this is to compose your photo so that the subject is framed
by other elements. The ye will be drawn
to the subject, and then as it
naturally begins to take in and explore the
other parts of the photo, it will encounter
these framing elements that help lead the eye
back to the center. In this photo of Aa, the eye is immediately drawn to the subject both because of its placement using
the rule of thirds, as well as the facts the
largest element in the scene. However, the eye then follows
the gentle diagonal of the flowers tapering stem and slowly finds itself heading
towards the top of the photo. Here is where the
dark tree mass in the background comes to
interrupt this eye movement. Thanks to the curved tree shape and the addition of a branch pointing
back into the frame, the eye is led back towards
the Ava focal point. This photo captures
the viewer's interest because of the unusual
story it presents. What is this person doing?
Where is he doing it? The thick columns and other structural elements
frame the subject. Even after the viewer's
eye is led away by following the subject's gaze
towards the lower right, the implied path of that bright yellow crane helps bring the eye back
to the focal point. Here, the subject is the
yellow wild flowers. But the eye has trouble staying on them because they
are pointing to the road and the
winding road itself is a very compelling attraction to the eye as it leads the
viewer deeper into the scene. So how do we get back
to our focus point? It's because that last turn in the road goes
towards the left side of the composition and leads the viewer into the massive
trees in the distance. And those trees begin
with a dark green and transition to a
green that matches the green in the stems of
the yellow wildflowers. In that way, the photo
contains a circular loop for the viewer to follow as they go from the subject
in the foreground, enjoy a meandering stroll
into the background, and then find their
way back again.
8. Summary & Class Assignment: Thank you again so much for
joining me in this class, where we've learned
about how composition can help you create
more compelling photos. We've covered a lot
of different ideas, such as the shapes of photos, the rule of thirds,
negative space, leading lines, and
framing your photos. For the class project, I'd like you to
take one or more of these different concepts
we've discussed and incorporate into a
photo that you'll share in the projects
and resources section. What be amazing is if you could also add in exactly
which techniques we are using and that way we could all learn
and grow together. Thank you again so much. I look forward to seeing you
another skill share class.
Avraham Nacher, Photographer & Procreate Artist
