Photographic Composition - A Visual Guide

Introduction
Digital photography has opened the door for everyone to become a photographer, and to discover,
enjoy, and record the beauty that surrounds us. No longer is the pursuit of photography mired in
the technical. “Point and shoot” is now the equivalent of Kodak’s early box camera tagline: “Press
the button and we do the rest.” The ease, fun, and satisfaction of truly instant digital photography
have made us all photographers: Point, shoot, and share.
Although digital technology has simplified the technical aspects of taking photographs, it has
done little to help us in the composing of photographs. Our book provides guidelines for improving
the arrangement of elements in a photograph so as to create a sense of structure and balance.
One might think of it this way: composition is to photography as grammar is to writing. Both
need structure.

Composition
An article in a recent photographic magazine began with a statement that everything photographic
begins with an understanding of the technical aspects of the equipment being used, such as the camera, lens, and filters. We agree somewhat, but would add “not everything.” Of equal importance is the capture of the photograph, which suggests some knowledge of composition.
In mastering composition, one must develop the ability to attend to and see the shapes and forms of objects, textures, lines, masses, and the like, as well as their relationship to each other. This book emphasizes the importance of composition in both the taking of a photograph (capture) and making any adjustments that can improve the photograph after it has been taken (after capture).
Most photographic books that address the need for composition do so in a limited way. This book, on the other hand, is completely dedicated to a comprehensive approach to this important subject. The term “photographic composition” is most often used to define a small set of strict rules, such as the “Rule of Thirds,” that can strengthen the structure of a photograph. We have extended the range of compositional features to incorporate such things as the need for clarity or ambiguity in a photograph, practical examples of portraiture, the use of light and shadows, morphs (the discovery of different shapes and forms in nature), and Gestalt principles of organization from the field of psychology.


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