Composition

Strong images only come about through a combination of technical excellence and thorough composition. While there is plenty of technical advice, photographers often turn to fine-art sources for the so-called 'rules of composition'. This book, however, acknowledges photography's quite different dynamic and offers a contemporary approach to composition more suited to the medium. The second edition of Basics Photography 01: Composition offers a contemporary approach to composition. Its six core chapters cover historical background and personal motivation, formal elements, space and time within the photographic frame and composition in real-world situations. The Basics Photography series, originally published by AVA Publishing, comprises a collection of titles including: Lighting, Composition, Capturing Colour, Post-Production Black & White, Post-Production Colour, Working in Black & White and Exposure. Easily accessible and highly readable, the books clearly explain and explore fundamental photographic concepts; they are fully indexed and illustrated with clear diagrams and inspiring imagery, building to provide an essential introduction to the subject.

David Prakel

IntroductionBasics: The case for competition; The rules; Viewpoint; Perspective; ScaleCase study - Simplify, simplfy, simplifyExercise - Lenses and perspectiveFormal elements: Point; Line; Shape; Form; Texture; Pattern; Tone; ColourCase study - Aesthetics and the formal elementsExercise - Exploring a single objectOrganizing space: Frames; Balance; Appearance of spaceCase study - Making spaceExercise - Depth of fieldOrganizing time: Time passing; Moments; The decisive moment; SequencesCase study - Moving cameraExercise - Re-photographyOriginality: Finding your own view; Contrasts and humour; Imbalance; Cropping; Colour; Digital imagingCase study - Reinvent an old processExercise - Using 'found' imagesApplication: Landscape; Still life; Portrait; Documentary; Figure; Action/sports; Fine art; AdvertisingConclusionBibliography and WebographyIndexAcknowledgements and CreditsWorking with Ethics