10 Myths About the Rule of Thirds. Gestalt Theory and Photographic Composition: Equilibrium | Photo Techniques. Home -> Photography Techniques: Composition & Elements of Design -> Gestalt Theory and Photographic Composition: Equilibrium by Michael Fulks Are there rules for design? This is the first in a series on composition. Since the time of the Greeks, artists and scientists alike have tried to quantify what makes good design or composition. The Greeks came up the "golden rule" which is very close to what we now know as "the rule of thirds.
" Early this century German and Austrian psychologists pursued a similar quest through the school of thought known as Gestalt, a German word meaning "shape. " This is the first in a series of articles about composition using some of the concepts of Gestalt theory. Equilibrium - Our Need for Balance Whether we are aware of it or not, our sense of balance profoundly influences our visual judgments.
Let’s take a water droplet as it rests upon a solid flat surface. When we draw a plain dot we are creating a similar state. No. Gestalt Principles: How Are Your Designs Perceived? When your first impression of a design is positive, when you instinctively see the design as being good, it’s likely because one or more Gestalt principles of perception are at play. When you look at a design and admire one or two of it’s parts, it’s likely because those parts are adhering to one or more Gestalt principles. One of the best things you can do as a designer is to learn these principles and understand what they tell us about how people perceive visual objects and the arrangements of visual objects.
Understanding gestalt principles will give you greater control over your designs, create more harmonious designs, and increase the likelihood that your message is communicated to your audience. What is Gestalt? When human beings look at a painting or a web page or any complex combination of elements, we see the whole before we see the individual parts that make up that whole. The easiest way to understand Gestalt is to look at the various principles. Gestalt Principles Figure/Ground. Photo Cascadia Blog. By Zack Schnepf In the Field Composition Workflow Part 1 – Simplification Having a workflow, both in the field and for post processing is extremely helpful just as having a road map if you get lost is extremely helpful.
That’s what a good workflow is for me, a road map. If I’m struggling to find a good composition, I fall back on my workflow to help get back on track and give me ideas. In this article I’ll walk you through the different phases of my personal workflow in the field. Evaluation and scouting phase: My first tip for composing in the field is to walk the scene first and fully evaluate the options. Arrangement phase: The second step in my field workflow is to put the elements together. Experiment phase: Try more than one composition idea and compare them. Planning Phase: Before the light is at it’s peak I like to have a tentative plan in place to mentally prepare for capture phase. Capture phase: This is it, the moment we’ve been waiting for. Photo Cascadia Blog. By Zack Schnepf In the Field Composition Workflow Part 2 – Landscape Photography Workflow Recently, on the Photo Cascadia blog; Erin Babnik posted a really excellent article about compositional patterns to look for in nature, I thought it was one of the best articles on the PC blog in a while.
Here is a link to her article: I wanted to continue with the theme of composition. In part one I’ll talk about how I simplify my field technique to allow me to focus on composition in the field. In part two I’ll talk about what I look for in the field to build strong compositions, and the tips and tricks I use to help me build compelling compositions in nature. Composition is the most challenging part of photography for me, it’s also one of the most important aspects of a compelling image. Master the technical functions of your camera. Shoot using the manual settings on your camera. How to Solve 5 Composition Conundrums Faced by Landscape Photographers. 2-for-1 special As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!
Click here to take advantage of this offer. Do you ever get frustrated when reviewing your landscape shots? In the field you thought you’d nailed the scene, but back at your computer you now see that things don’t look so great. I know sometimes my frustration seems endless after a landscape shoot. There are just so many questions about how to shoot and compose breathtaking landscapes.
Landscapes are both one of the easiest things to photograph, and the most difficult. It is these details that create conundrums for photographers, especially when it comes to composing a great landscape shot. When I’m out with a photography class, students seem to have several common dilemmas they want solved. 1) How do I choose my point of interest?
Most photography guides say that a great image must have a strong point of interest. 9 Composition Techniques to Use to Improve Your Photography. 7 Tips for Using the Gestalt Theory for Better Composition. Andrew’s newest ebook Mastering Composition is now on special for a limited time only at Snapndeals. Gestalt theory evolved in the 1920’s to explain some of the ways in which people perceive the world around them. The basic idea is that, when faced with a visually chaotic scene, the human mind simplifies it into more recognizable patterns and shapes. Gestalt theory provides an insight into the pattern recognition process that occurs when people look at photographs. Once you understand the principles of gestalt theory, you can use them to improve the composition of your photos.
These are some of the useful aspects of the gestalt theory. 1. Proximity A pair or group of objects that are close to each other are more likely to be perceived as belonging together than if they are far apart. In this portrait, the proximity of the girl and horse suggest a close relationship between them. 2. Objects that are similar in shape, size or colour are seen as belonging together. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Construction of a Photograph: The Process of Visualization. Hello, my name is Rick Keller. I am an amateur photographer who lives in San Diego, CA, one of many readers of Photography Life, and an occasional participant in its forums. Recently, after having participated in the Photography Life Photo Critique forum and Weekly Critique Section, Nasim Mansurov graciously and enthusiastically extended me an invitation to write a guest article for Photography Life to share more of my film work and discuss the tools and methodology that I use.
I wholeheartedly accepted the invitation. As I pondered this task, it was immediately apparent that I could write such an article in a variety of ways, each of which might lead to a discussion of additional subtopics in both general photography and film photography. As I contemplated a specific topic to discuss, I felt that it would be more meaningful and productive to write an article that is both interesting and educational as opposed to a prosaic description of a few photographs and the choices of tools.
Construction of a Photograph: The Process of Visualization. 12 Expert Tips For Photographing Cityscapes At Night. Jimmy Mcintyre is a travel photographer and educator. His photos have been published in local and national magazines, including the BBC. His online courses on digital blending and post-processing can be found in his official website. In this tutorial, Jimmy shares his expert tips on photographing cityscapes at night and during golden hour. by Jimmy McIntyre It was the fifth time that we climbed this hill at 4 a.m. —the four previous mornings had failed to present us with a decent sunrise over the Hong Kong skyline. Tired, hungry, mosquito-bitten, we sat and waited once more, hoping for a sliver of color to pierce the clouds.
Yet, our faith and persistence were rewarded as the faintest orange glow began to creep through the clouds. And I was reminded how much I love shooting cityscapes. There’s nothing quite like the energy and buzz of a large city. Here are a few tips on shooting and processing cityscape images that I’d like to share with you. 1. 2. Close up of base exposure 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Art of Composition in Photography- Tips and Examples. Guest Article By : Siddharthan Raman The difference between a Snapshot and Greatshot is a composition. The way the photographer view the subject is very different. Siddharth talking about Art of Composition in Photography. Please check the below points with examples. You may interested in the following related posts : 1) Point of View Before picturing something always try to view the field as a photograph, which helps us in getting knowledge of what to cover and what not to. Photo Credit : Adrian Sommeling Photo Credit : Vladimir Zivancevic – krug Photo Credit : Shlomi Nissim Photo Credit : Rahmat Mulyono 2) Simplicity Try to keep the frame very simple, this helps the viewer to focus only on the subject. Photo Credit : Marcus Björkman Photo Credit : Rimantas Bikulcius Photo Credit : Piotrek Lakowski Photo Credit : Peter Svoboda 3) Geometrical Shapes Look for shapes, patterns, symmetries, eye catching geometries, lines & curves.
Photo Credit : Harry Lieber Photo Credit : Ahmad Alsaif 6) Cropping 8. The Basics Of Luminosity Masks In Digital Blending. Jimmy McIntyre is travel photographer. He is currently undertaking a two-year project in Asia—writing two photography guidebooks for China and South Korea. He has taught digital blending workshops in four continents, and he also offers online courses.
You can download his free Easy Panel for Photoshop program, which will create Luminosity Masks for you at the click of a button. But if you’d like to take your Luminosity Mask mastery to a new level, check out his comprehensive Luminosity Masks Tutorial below. by Jimmy McIntyre One day, in the hopefully not-too-distant future, we will carry with us a camera so light and compact that younger generations will laugh at the way we once lugged huge bricks across vast distances to capture a timeless moment. Modern cameras aren’t too far from that now. 2 blended exposures using Luminosity Masks and one long exposure What are Luminosity Masks? Below is a recent shot from Petra in Jordan. Petra, Jordan How do I get Luminosity Masks? Example Image 1 1. 10 rules of photo composition (and why they work) In photography, it’s not just what you shoot that counts – the way that you shoot it is crucial, too. Poor photo composition can make a fantastic subject dull, but a well-set scene can create a wonderful image from the most ordinary of situations.
With that in mind, we’ve picked our top 10 photo composition ‘rules’ to show you how to transform your images, as well as offered some of our best photography tips from the experts who do it on a daily basis. Don’t feel that you’ve got to remember every one of these laws and apply them to each photo you take. Instead, spend a little time practising each one in turn and they’ll become second nature. Photo composition doesn’t have to be complicated. In the real world, you’ll be working with a wide range of subjects and scenes, and this requires a more open-minded approach. The key thing is to understand how all the decisions you make about composition can affect the way a shot looks and how people perceive your photos.
Why it works… Why it works… Art of Composition in Photography- Tips and Examples. Camera composition tips: 1 subject, 6 ways to shoot it. Using different viewpoints and lenses can dramatically alter the look of your photographs. In this tutorial we’ll share some of our best in-camera composition tips and show you how to take one subject and shoot it six different ways for varying effects. Framing your shots isn’t just about using the rules of photo composition such as leading lines, the rule of thirds or including foreground interest. Simply changing position and experimenting with different focal length lenses are two of the best ways that you can get new and more interesting shots. We all fall into the habit of using similar viewpoints when shooting, so here’s an exercise that will help you break this habit and take more successful photos. Find a simple, static subject such as a building, photograph it from the first viewpoint that you find, then find six more viewpoints and compositions.
The key to this is exploring the area and keeping an open mind when it comes to framing and composition. 6 weeks to go! 10 rules of photo composition (and why they work) How to compose a photograph: see images where you never saw them before | Digital Camera World - page 2. Download the panels from our ‘How to compose a photograph’ cheat sheet For those who wish to print out our cheat sheet on How to compose a photograph… we’ve tried to make it a bit easier for you.
Below you’ll find each individual panel from the cheat sheet. We’ve resized each panel to fit onto a standard A4 piece of paper (US readers might need to reduce it slightly further). Click on each thumbnail to see the expanded file – or drag and drop it to your desktop. PAGE 1: How to compose a photograph (free cheat sheet) PAGE 2: Download the panels from our ’How to compose a photograph’ cheat sheet Banish Bad Pictures: 9 quick fixes for common camera complaints10 reasons your photos aren’t sharp (and how to fix them)New camera anatomy: 12 key camera settings to get you started right24 camera features every beginner must memorizeLeading Lines: photography’s most underrated composition device 6 weeks to go! We check prices on over 80m products daily to find the best prices on these great items... 55 reasons your photos aren't working (and what you can do about it) How to See in Black and White [and how HDR can be a Powerful Tool for the Monochrome Photographer]
The very first photographs were shot in black and white. Decades later, even after the advent of color, many photographers—especially those concerned with creating works of art—continued to shoot in black and white. The format remains popular even today: nearly every consumer-level digital camera has a black and white mode available (for outputting JPEGs directly from the camera in monochrome), and all digital darkroom editing suites have at least one (and usually multiple) means of changing a color photograph to black and white. Indeed, there are expensive plugins available for Photoshop that are entirely devoted to the process of converting a color shot into black and white, and there dozens of groups on Flickr and Picassa and 500px that are exclusive to black and white photography. Why? A large part of the reason, as I see it, lay in that very simplicity of the monochrome image.
A Shift in Sight Most of us see the world in color. Wait—color? Shapes, Patterns, and Texture Tone Color. Introduction to Digital Black & White Photography » Krishna Mohan Photography. The Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi We see colour photos very differently from black and white photos, because we don’t actually see the world in black, white, and shades of grey. In colour, we’re looking at and discerning things in a scene based on the actual colours we perceive. Colour helps us to differentiate one pictorial elements from another. In a black-and-white image, we have to look at other ways of separating pictorial elements in the photograph, such as a subject and the background. Burj-Khalifa, Dubai What is the advantage of black & white? Many fine art photographers prefer black and white images for their tendency to distance the subject matter from reality.
Convert images to black and white when the light, form, or texture in the scene is more compelling than the hues or colour of the subject matter. Examples of doors in Classical Architecture Museum, Abu Dhabi Images with a wide range of tonal values tend to work well for black and white imagery. Leaf in color. Introduction to Digital Black & White Photography » Krishna Mohan Photography. More on Composition (In the Eye of the Viewer) | Digital Photography Courses. Construction of a Photograph: The Process of Visualization.