DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Wise composition tips from masters of photography

Dec 4, 2017 by Dunja Djudjic Leave a Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

No matter if you use the latest full-frame camera or a smartphone, the composition is one of the most important elements of a good photo. This video from Advancing Your Photography channel is like chatting with photography masters about this topic. Photographers Chris Burkard, Bob Holmes, Chase Jarvis and Marc Silber talk about composition and give you plenty of wise tips they use in their work.

The video begins with a composition planning tip from Chase Jarvis. He shares that he prefers exploring the location by just walking around, without the camera pressed against his face. When you spend some time exploring and just looking around, you can see much more and plan your shots better. Jarvis also admits he often fantasizes about making the best possible picture before he starts taking the shots. This often means simplifying the frame, but also adding interest to the photo. In his work, he always tries to figure out how can he add a twist to his image and make it different, which is what turns a good photo into a great one.

Chris Burkard’s advice is to look for simple, little, everyday moments. Look for anything that could spark an interest or a meaning for the viewer. It’s good to have in mind that the most significant thing is often not what you’re seeing but what someone else may be seeing. Think about this too when creating a photo. He also adds that you should look for things that stack up and lead the viewer’s eye. Another remark supporting this is to pay attention to framing, as it can often be the key to a well-composed image.

Bob Holmes likes getting close to his subject and feel as a part of the scene. He advises that you should get fully involved with your subject and give them a 100% of your concentration. According to Holmes, scanning the edges of the frame is also important. As he puts it, we’re responsible for everything within that frame, so we’re also responsible if something that shouldn’t be there ends up in the photo. He mentions that the photos often need a punctuation point, which we can in a way call the “decisive moment.” And when it comes to shooting portraits, he points out that symmetrical composition often works in these cases.

Marc Silber talks a bit more about the “decisive moment.” Although it seems like it happens in a split second, it doesn’t mean you can’t previsualize it. It’s important where you position yourself and your camera. From there, you can previsualize the moment and anticipate the action you’ll capture when the time is right. Silber also points out that geometry is often an important element of the composition.

I always find it inspirational and very useful to hear what the masters have to say about composition and the art of photography. No matter how much I learn and how hard I try to compose my photos properly, I always learn something new or remind myself of something I’ve forgotten. So I hope you enjoyed this video just as much as I did, and that you’ll use some of these wise tips in your work.

[Composition Wisdom: 15 Tips for Amazing Photographs | Advancing Your Photography]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailThe Coolest Photography Gadget Ever – The Bokeh Masters Kit + Giveaway 7 easy composition tips to level up your landscape photography Seven composition tips to boost your landscape photography now Photographer creates painterly masterpieces inspired by the old masters

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Bob Holmes, Chase Jarvis, Chris Burkard, composition, Marc Silber, Photography

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« 5 useful Photoshop tricks in under 90 seconds
How to process and grade drone photos in Lightroom »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Sony teases upcoming ZV-E1 full-frame vlogging camera coming on March 29
  • The Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is silent, glare-free retouching tablet
  • Fall in love with astrophotography with these 10 space objects
  • Hipstamatic app relaunches as a social network, but only for iOS
  • Instagram now has ads even in search results. Sigh

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy