Beach RD

Portrait

Building blocks

So still thinking about composition...

A photograph is essentially made up of three layers which you can use to build a composition. You could use any number of these three layers, and in any combination.

The first layer is in 'theatre' terms 'the set'. It is the area within which everything happens. It is immovable. Whatever space you walk into, it is there. It can be a vast landscape of mountains and hills, the rocks of a cliff face breaking into the sea, or a 3x3m empty room. But if you sit in one place it won't change in physical way. it will always form the frame within which the other 2 layers that can be used will interact. It is the best layer to play with because no matter how many shots you take it does not change so one can work whatever angles one likes without a worry of things moving around.

Solid, stable, dependable.

Structure

What makes good composition? Of course there are the basic structures of thirds, shapes, continuity etc that they will lecture you on in photography classes. But that should be second nature to a photographer. As Edward Weston said, "consulting the laws of composition before you take a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before you walk."

They should just be there.

I am wondering what takes composition up a level, changes it from a good picture, to one that could be considered art.

Football boots

So was chatting to someone the other day, about cameras, and he made an interesting analogy.

A good camera is like a good set of soccer boots.
A good player will feel the difference but it won't make a bad player score goals.