Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Figure to ground means that a subject or idea (figure) is clearly defined against a background. This can be achieved through technical means, ie depth of field, or compositional means. My preferred method is to make sure that everything in my photographs fit neatly in place. Unless elements are specifically interacting then they do not need to touch. No lampposts coming out of heads in portraits, no walls going through bodies.
Everything where it needs to be, like pieces of a puzzle.
Composition is one of those things that some people just get innately. For others, it’s a constant struggle. We try to obey “rules” and many of us miss taking shots because even though we might like them, other people will think it sucks because it doesn’t fit the “rule of thirds”, the “golden ratio” or some other thing we’ve been told that images are supposed to conform to.
In this video from Jamie Windsor, all those “rules” go completely (mostly) out the window, as he discusses the issues around composition and offers eight somewhat unconventional tips that most of this type of content usually doesn’t go into.
Composition is one of those things that often gets talked about in photography. After all, it’s one of the fundamental aspects of it. If your composition is bad, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got the exposure good or if you’ve even got your subject in focus. We all know about the “rule of thirds” and the “golden ratio”, but there’s so much more to composition than that.
In this video, photographer Joris Hermans talks about the five compositional mistakes he sees being made all the time. Mistakes you should avoid, and how to avoid them.
The number 3 crops up quite often in the world of photography. Here are just a few examples of things that happen in three’s.
When I first started dabbling in portrait photography, I quickly realized that the photographer’s connection to the subject can be the difference between a mediocre portrait and a great one. Communication is one of the most important skills you can learn as a portrait photographer. That’s why in this video, I’m going to show you some simple posing tips and techniques that you can use while taking portraits of males who are not models.
The composition is one of the key elements to create a captivating image that will make an impression on a viewer. In this video, Nigel Danson shares seven tips to help you improve composition in your landscape photos. You can follow them at your very next shoot, and they’ll help you to level up both planning your shots and taking them.
I very often have this strong negative reaction when a newsletter arrives in my inbox or I see an online article where the heading, for instance, reads: “5 rules to follow when composing an image” — or something to that effect.
I would have been far more positive if the heading read: “10 approaches to consider when composing a landscape image”.
I have plenty of personal preferences when it comes to photography. However, I try to avoid making rules or laws based on what I prefer.
Proper composition and food styling are important ingredients of food photography. If you want to take your food photos to a higher level, Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot introduces a mini-series of videos to help you improve composition and take delicious-looking photos of food.
The Rule of Thirds is the first composition rule most of us have learned when we started doing photography. There are times when it works, of course – but sometimes, centering your subject is a much better choice, yet many photographers tend to avoid it. In this video, Haze Kware of Hk Visuals discusses when centering your subjects is a better option and how it can improve your photography.
With image making tech advancing rapidly and high-res devices becoming increasingly affordable, the distinguishing features between amateur and professional photography are not always easy to discern. However, one element which I found that distinguishes the two is what I have come to refer to as VC. It is the stand out feature between the raws coming out of the image making devices of a pro and an amateur, even if both use the the exact same gear.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
His videos have over a hundred million views, have been extensively published by news outlets, and has even received recognition from a few film festivals, such as International Ocean Festival
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