Frank Wang

A Crash Course in Photographic Composition

Hi Fabian - you'd be amazed at what you can achieve with your phone!   Good eye spotting the pattern in the archway windows.  The only thing you need to do here is to straighten out the lines and perspective a bit.  

The 2nd image (truck) - I like the rectangles and the horizontal lines in the street.  It might have been better a couple of steps to your left to hit that brick &amp; white building dead on with a vertical shot? 

The 3rd image of the building has potential.  You could definitely turn this one into B&amp;W to enhance the pattern of the windows a bit.  

The 4th image -  I'm not sure this one works.  The wood beam in the ground leads my eye out of the image.  I'd look for diagonals that lead your eye into the image instead to use as leading lines.  I almost didn't see the dog.  The shadow created by the fence is an interesting diagonal but it competes with the tree branch shadows as well.  



I really like the colors of the first picture! This is my favorite picture.

Really like the first image - composition, colors, light.. 
Also like the 4th image - just wondering whether there could be a different way of "placing" the tree?

Thanks, I've been thinking about that picture too, I am thinking about going back and taking more photos, taking Frank's advice of getting the entire tree...

I like the first image the  best - the lack of colour adds to the ruins effect of the columns and creates a sort of desolate feel...in a good way!

Hi Fabian,

Nice to see some more photos!  I like the overall tone of your 4th image.  Watch the edges of your frame - I think the image might have been even better if the top of the tree wasn't cut off.  That path on the left side of the image actually looks promising as a potential element.  Did you take any that feature that path more prominently?  You can use it as a diagonal line leading your eye into the image (called a "leading line").  We will talk about that next week!

Image #5 - I like how you incorporated a distinct foreground and background.  If there's room for improvement it's that I'm having trouble finding a focal point.  I think there's just so much going on in the midground it's hard to know where to focus. 

Image #6 - I think you're doing a good job seeing foreground / background. For the next set of images try seeing if you can do the same with shots that feature less, "stuff".  The winding path near the center of your frame - It'd be interesting to see what you can do a shot of just the path and the trees around it so that there are fewer elements in the image competing for attention.  This is the section that caught my eye: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8203147/Skillshare%20Images/Fabian-Crop.png.  

So far so good Fabian, keep it coming! 


Thanks again, with the 4th image my focus was the tree, but when I was editing it I noticed the path and the bench. I want to go back and shoot it, may be have a couple of friends on bench holding a conversation and get the entire tree.  

With the last two images, I see what you mean, when I was cropping them it was had to figure out my focus,  for example #5 the bridge was supposed to be my focal point.   

Hi Fabian, beautiful scene!  Nicely done.  Can't wait to see more.  

Thanks, your instructions helped a lot, I did a lot of experimenting... 

Nice job with the framing.  I think you've got the right idea with the last shot! 

The Capital columns at the National Arboretum, I wish it were spring so there would be more green and some flowers to give it more color.&nbsp;
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/176c9f1f" alt="Washington, DC - image 1 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/176c9f1f 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/176c9f1f 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
Here I am experimenting with framing.
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4b5760a7" alt="Washington, DC - image 2 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4b5760a7 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4b5760a7 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
again with a little straightening and cropping.
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/3699ea0c" alt="Washington, DC - image 3 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/3699ea0c 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/3699ea0c 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/9d3ce2ba" alt="Washington, DC - image 4 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/9d3ce2ba 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/9d3ce2ba 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4f74739d" alt="Washington, DC - image 5 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4f74739d 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/4f74739d 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
&nbsp;
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/afaf64e8" alt="Washington, DC - image 6 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/afaf64e8 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/afaf64e8 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
I didn't have time to really sink my teeth in to this project (lines and geometry), but here are some shots I took with my phone:
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/ec5bd318" alt="Washington, DC - image 7 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/ec5bd318 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/ec5bd318 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/d9c1b834" alt="Washington, DC - image 8 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/d9c1b834 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/d9c1b834 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/665eec7a" alt="Washington, DC - image 9 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/665eec7a 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/665eec7a 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/1744f889" alt="Washington, DC - image 10 - student project" srcset="http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/1744f889 600w, http://s3.amazonaws.com/skillshare/uploads/project/cd8b747fd26d2eff2796da8684b3baea/1744f889 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">

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