*LAST CHANCE* "Learning To See", a course built to give you to tools to take your photos from average to awesome is being removed from sale permanently on 31st December 2022. Start seeing (and creating) better photographs today for just $35. *Click here --> **tpe.teachable.com/p/learning-to-see*
I love how you combine the topic of composition with using photos from one photographer almost exclusively, introducing the work of him and showing examples of the topic at the same time. Great video!
I think the fact that I spent so many years drawing and painting helped me to internalise composition. When it comes to photography I rarely consider the composition consciously, I just look for the image I want. But afterwards you can always see which composition guide was at play.
You've opened up new possibilities for my photography. Other channels have gotten into cameras, gear & knowledge more than I was previously was but your videos spark a new way of thinking. Which is strange because I ultimately knew the info already but for some reason your videos are making me realize more things that I may have or may not have known already. Thank you.
The gatekeeper of composition.....I love it! The funny thing is, I usually start with the rule of thirds, and often end up putting the subject in the center of the frame. I think it largely depends on WHAT your subject is as to where it needs to be in the frame. For example, an isolated subject with nothing else interesting in the frame does well in the center, but if there are multiple interests in the frame, the main interest may be best positioned on the rule of thirds. I don't know, but that just seems to be the way my mind sees it.
Framing is also used in Japanese gardens with a technique called "borrowed landscape", where you frame parts of the background to include in the garden.
I can learn all the technical skills necessary to learn photography. Your channel is the only one I have every found that challenges my eye and thought process when composing images. I learn so much about photography and how it relates to me through your work!! Thank you!!
Another great video Alex and I'm so glad that you're exploring the technical side of photography, whilst interspersing great photographers at the same time as examples. I'd also love you to dive deep into the rabbit hole of these subjects too. The weighting of an image, for example, would be really beneficial to those starting to understand the basics of composition. Great work, as always Sir. You have my utmost respect.
The rules of thirds is there as a rule to master before you can go about breaking them. A great artist has no rules but that doesn't mean he doesnt respect them...the respect must be earned. This is what separates "photographers" from great artists.
Hey, I use to live nearby the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. Home of Edgar Allen Poe. I think of the rule of thirds as the old American show Hollywood squares #. Thanks Alex, Like You, I'm now beginning to focus on the simplicity of the image instead of the whole forest. I believe that this is the better definition of fine art in photography. That's my goal even if it's just one fine art image.
I wonder what it is about dinosaurs that intrigues young children so much. It has been this way through all the years since dinosaurs have been taught in schools and shown in museums. It is one of the universals. Maybe the size or the uniqueness but it is fun to watch the awe and excitement in children when he comes to viewing dinosaurs! A very nice episode. Based on your presentation I did some investigation of Steve McCurry and looked at his photos and website. Always nice to learn something new! Thanks!!!!
Man you really like Steve McCurry. 😀 I think “fill the frame” should be more like fill it with the scene. Or fill it with everything important. Composition is basically just what you choose to put inside the frame and where to cut what you’re looking at. But in the end your photos should reflect you. When I look at your photo, every picture you take should be a selfie. And that’s when you stop thinking about all these rules and tips and get to the good stuff. Very difficult. McCurry is a good example to talk about how photographs look. It could be that you take photographs that are composed like art or it could be that you take them the way you see. We don’t see in perfect compositions. I just did the alphabet challenge and if I host a photo workshop for beginners this would be the entire workshop. It’s an exercise that changes you forever when you want to move beyond the composition basic rules.
Thanks again for sharing your advice & thoughts...I always enjoy your videos in my photography journey.... even as a hobbyist I love to learn more about the process of improving my understanding of taking better photos.... cheers from Australia 😀
Yet another great lesson for the peeps out there. I would add a couple compositional framing examples from painting: Gustave Doré, "La Siesta, Memory of Spain" (1868) Uses chiaroscuro to frame. Frederic Edwin Church, "El Rio de Luz" (The River of Light) (1877) Uses the landscape and light/dark to frame. Gustav Bauernfeind, "At the Entrance to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem" (1886) Uses architecture to frame.
Thank you! Always refreshing to hear your point of view. An additional experience with wide angle, is that sometimes you find you have more in the frame than you expected, and the serendipitous image is a pleasurable finding. Also, depth adds more “story-telling” context than flatter telephoto images might provide. You offer a lot to think about!
Thank you for sharing your journey so honestly and openly. I subscribe to four UA-cam photography channels, each one having a distinct personality. James Popsys (travel/adventure photog sharing tips, a few equipment reviews, and just sharing his experiences-good and bad-in an engaging and humorous way). He’s also from the UK. Pat Kay (travel photog sharing his photo-taking skills, in sometimes multi video lessons, and his own photography philosophy-not unlike some of your videos). The Art of Photography (Ted Forbes)…general photographer sharing equipment reviews, show casing other photographers, old and new, and sharing his own photographic musing/philosophy in a very personal way - very similar to what you do. …and you… What I think you all have in common is an engaging, no BS, style without any sense of self-importance. Please know you’re doing it right, at least in my opinion. Keep on keepin’ on. 😉
Love your videos and narration. I so identify with your ideas around composition, and developing the instinctive ability to create interest in my photography.
I remember my dad also saying I should make my subject fill most of the picture. I , too, have said that to some younger photographers as they were just getting started. In the last few years I've heard myself encourage them to also back up and look at the scene as well... mostly because I'd found that to feel right when I was taking the photos. I didn't know why, but I liked the look of some of my work when I was looking at it later. funny, I just didn't know why I liked those pictures.
One thing that I notice is that all those Steve McCurry photos seem to be shot on digital, which gives huge dynamic range, sharpness , contrast and saturation that could never be achieved by film. I shoot mainly film (generally colour negative) and I'm not going to be able to produce show shoppers like we've seen in this video, unless a digital camera is used (which to me seems like cheating). I know that Afghan Girl was shot on film but I think that this was not a typical Steve McCurry photo.
Well done video. I know Steve, and his body of work, but many of the images you use I had never seen before. Is there a particular book or two that you used to get your McCurry images for the video? Your use of these images to illustrate particular aspects of composition was really superb. Thanks.
I love your videos and you have introduced me to photographers that I didn’t know about before. I recently found one for myself and thought you might be interested in his work, if you haven’t already seen him. His name is Edas Wong.
I was a graphic designer before photographer that helps with composition and colour balance. Never underestimate OPPORTUNITY as a leading element in our work too. Would Steve's work look as good if he was stuck in a small village in the UK? hahaha
Question? Im struggling with stock photography, and I want to know how photographers take pictures with lots of peoples faces and publish them for commercial purposes. Do they need a release from each person or is there a way round this????
haha, did that the first day there! Along with the museum of industry, Port Discovery and a few other things. Also went to DC and checked out the Robert Adams exhibition
@@ThePhotographicEye cool! I happen to be in the DC area now, visiting my daughter and two of my grandchildren. I'll be here for another week so I'll definitely check out that exhibit. Thanks, my friend, for the tip.
I think the "rule of thirds" is a hoax perpetuated by a second-rate English artist who was trying to explain the compositions of his betters. Ansel Adams reportedly said something like, "In photography, there are no rules. Just good photographs." I had an opportunity to shoot a lonely tree recently, it was quite far away and I used a long lens to do it. I tried high, low, centre, left, right, and seriously, I could not see any one better than the others. I have also seen an article (in cyberspace, Google can find it) where the author addresses the question. He used a photograph of a wolf running across a snow field to illustrate his point. If my subject seems to be facing left or right, then I often leave space in front, but space behind can work too. I do like parallel lines, converging lines, wavy lines, curved lines.
Not withstanding The creator of this video (great video by the way) photographers today way way way over intellectualize, and over think and over complicate their photography with all these compositions theories, and spending so much time trying to get the exact perfect exposure, the zone system, JPEG or RAW. All these different lenses, scrutinizing all the minutia of all these new digital cameras. The reason the film masters were masters because they didn't have to deal with all the stuff I mentioned above. They could actually concentrate what they were doing. Now a days it's all a distraction from the actual simple ART of photography. Most all of the masters never even took a photography class
*LAST CHANCE*
"Learning To See", a course built to give you to tools to take your photos from average to awesome is being removed from sale permanently on 31st December 2022.
Start seeing (and creating) better photographs today for just $35.
*Click here --> **tpe.teachable.com/p/learning-to-see*
Your videos are just absolute pleasure to watch. I think your narration becomes a frame over these pictures…making it a separate art in itself.
Thank you so much that’s awesome to hear glad you enjoy them
I love how you combine the topic of composition with using photos from one photographer almost exclusively, introducing the work of him and showing examples of the topic at the same time. Great video!
I think the fact that I spent so many years drawing and painting helped me to internalise composition. When it comes to photography I rarely consider the composition consciously, I just look for the image I want. But afterwards you can always see which composition guide was at play.
You've opened up new possibilities for my photography. Other channels have gotten into cameras, gear & knowledge more than I was previously was but your videos spark a new way of thinking. Which is strange because I ultimately knew the info already but for some reason your videos are making me realize more things that I may have or may not have known already. Thank you.
The gatekeeper of composition.....I love it! The funny thing is, I usually start with the rule of thirds, and often end up putting the subject in the center of the frame. I think it largely depends on WHAT your subject is as to where it needs to be in the frame. For example, an isolated subject with nothing else interesting in the frame does well in the center, but if there are multiple interests in the frame, the main interest may be best positioned on the rule of thirds. I don't know, but that just seems to be the way my mind sees it.
So wonderfully presented. Thanks
Your videos are my coffee in the mornings.
Framing is also used in Japanese gardens with a technique called "borrowed landscape", where you frame parts of the background to include in the garden.
I think you're philosophical and technical tutorials are the best. You're a great inspiration. ❤️🙏
Thanks so much.
McCurry is one of my favorites, despite the "controversy " ..., he's also a fantastic colorist. Always a pleasure to see your video, thanks.
I can learn all the technical skills necessary to learn photography. Your channel is the only one I have every found that challenges my eye and thought process when composing images. I learn so much about photography and how it relates to me through your work!! Thank you!!
Learned something new today. Always inspiring to watch your uploads
Another great video Alex and I'm so glad that you're exploring the technical side of photography, whilst interspersing great photographers at the same time as examples. I'd also love you to dive deep into the rabbit hole of these subjects too. The weighting of an image, for example, would be really beneficial to those starting to understand the basics of composition. Great work, as always Sir. You have my utmost respect.
Your usual wonderful explanations. Thanks.
The rules of thirds is there as a rule to master before you can go about breaking them. A great artist has no rules but that doesn't mean he doesnt respect them...the respect must be earned. This is what separates "photographers" from great artists.
I purchased an A1 this year! great camera, CHEERS!
Hey, I use to live nearby the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. Home of Edgar Allen Poe. I think of the rule of thirds as the old American show Hollywood squares #. Thanks Alex, Like You, I'm now beginning to focus on the simplicity of the image instead of the whole forest. I believe that this is the better definition of fine art in photography. That's my goal even if it's just one fine art image.
Love visiting Baltimore. Thanks for watching
I wonder what it is about dinosaurs that intrigues young children so much. It has been this way through all the years since dinosaurs have been taught in schools and shown in museums. It is one of the universals. Maybe the size or the uniqueness but it is fun to watch the awe and excitement in children when he comes to viewing dinosaurs! A very nice episode. Based on your presentation I did some investigation of Steve McCurry and looked at his photos and website. Always nice to learn something new! Thanks!!!!
You are such a great storyteller
Man you really like Steve McCurry. 😀 I think “fill the frame” should be more like fill it with the scene. Or fill it with everything important. Composition is basically just what you choose to put inside the frame and where to cut what you’re looking at. But in the end your photos should reflect you. When I look at your photo, every picture you take should be a selfie. And that’s when you stop thinking about all these rules and tips and get to the good stuff. Very difficult.
McCurry is a good example to talk about how photographs look. It could be that you take photographs that are composed like art or it could be that you take them the way you see. We don’t see in perfect compositions. I just did the alphabet challenge and if I host a photo workshop for beginners this would be the entire workshop. It’s an exercise that changes you forever when you want to move beyond the composition basic rules.
Thanks again for sharing your advice & thoughts...I always enjoy your videos in my photography journey.... even as a hobbyist I love to learn more about the process of improving my understanding of taking better photos.... cheers from Australia 😀
Yet another great lesson for the peeps out there.
I would add a couple compositional framing examples from painting:
Gustave Doré, "La Siesta, Memory of Spain" (1868)
Uses chiaroscuro to frame.
Frederic Edwin Church, "El Rio de Luz" (The River of Light) (1877)
Uses the landscape and light/dark to frame.
Gustav Bauernfeind, "At the Entrance to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem" (1886)
Uses architecture to frame.
Thank you. All the best. 👍📷😎
Some great ideas here.
Well done video, and well said.
Thank you! Always refreshing to hear your point of view. An additional experience with wide angle, is that sometimes you find you have more in the frame than you expected, and the serendipitous image is a pleasurable finding. Also, depth adds more “story-telling” context than flatter telephoto images might provide. You offer a lot to think about!
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your journey so honestly and openly. I subscribe to four UA-cam photography channels, each one having a distinct personality.
James Popsys (travel/adventure photog sharing tips, a few equipment reviews, and just sharing his experiences-good and bad-in an engaging and humorous way). He’s also from the UK.
Pat Kay (travel photog sharing his photo-taking skills, in sometimes multi video lessons, and his own photography philosophy-not unlike some of your videos).
The Art of Photography (Ted Forbes)…general photographer sharing equipment reviews, show casing other photographers, old and new, and sharing his own photographic musing/philosophy in a very personal way - very similar to what you do.
…and you…
What I think you all have in common is an engaging, no BS, style without any sense of self-importance. Please know you’re doing it right, at least in my opinion. Keep on keepin’ on. 😉
Thanks for sharing your own images at the beginning of the video Alex, really like those. ✅
Thanks!
useful video.
Love your videos and narration. I so identify with your ideas around composition, and developing the instinctive ability to create interest in my photography.
Thank you
Great tips, as usual
Thank you
I remember my dad also saying I should make my subject fill most of the picture. I , too, have said that to some younger photographers as they were just getting started. In the last few years I've heard myself encourage them to also back up and look at the scene as well... mostly because I'd found that to feel right when I was taking the photos. I didn't know why, but I liked the look of some of my work when I was looking at it later. funny, I just didn't know why I liked those pictures.
One thing that I notice is that all those Steve McCurry photos seem to be shot on digital, which gives huge dynamic range, sharpness , contrast and saturation that could never be achieved by film. I shoot mainly film (generally colour negative) and I'm not going to be able to produce show shoppers like we've seen in this video, unless a digital camera is used (which to me seems like cheating). I know that Afghan Girl was shot on film but I think that this was not a typical Steve McCurry photo.
Great videos. It’s like am in a classroom. Can you please do us a video on The Queen’s Photography and photographers please ?
Thank you
3:54 Parque da Cidade de Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Well done video. I know Steve, and his body of work, but many of the images you use I had never seen before. Is there a particular book or two that you used to get your McCurry images for the video? Your use of these images to illustrate particular aspects of composition was really superb. Thanks.
I found the photos by Steve McCurry shown so interesting, I immediately had to order the book "A life in pictures" from him. 😄
In the words of Pablo Picasso: "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
I love your videos and you have introduced me to photographers that I didn’t know about before. I recently found one for myself and thought you might be interested in his work, if you haven’t already seen him. His name is Edas Wong.
I was a graphic designer before photographer that helps with composition and colour balance. Never underestimate OPPORTUNITY as a leading element in our work too. Would Steve's work look as good if he was stuck in a small village in the UK? hahaha
There must be a feeling of meaning in the picture as the subject or as part of a story. The Composition are used to catch the viewers interest
Question? Im struggling with stock photography, and I want to know how photographers take pictures with lots of peoples faces and publish them for commercial purposes. Do they need a release from each person or is there a way round this????
I'd put colors before composition, though...
The rule of thirds, is like all rules. If you break it, have a reason.
Next time you're in Baltimore, visit the National Aquarium. It's amazing!
haha, did that the first day there! Along with the museum of industry, Port Discovery and a few other things.
Also went to DC and checked out the Robert Adams exhibition
@@ThePhotographicEye cool! I happen to be in the DC area now, visiting my daughter and two of my grandchildren. I'll be here for another week so I'll definitely check out that exhibit. Thanks, my friend, for the tip.
@@JohnDrummondPhoto No problem. The Torpedo Factory gallery/artists studio in Alexandria is also a great place to visit
Great content! What is your name sir?
Hi, I’m Alex Kilbee
I think the "rule of thirds" is a hoax perpetuated by a second-rate English artist who was trying to explain the compositions of his betters. Ansel Adams reportedly said something like, "In photography, there are no rules. Just good photographs."
I had an opportunity to shoot a lonely tree recently, it was quite far away and I used a long lens to do it. I tried high, low, centre, left, right, and seriously, I could not see any one better than the others.
I have also seen an article (in cyberspace, Google can find it) where the author addresses the question. He used a photograph of a wolf running across a snow field to illustrate his point.
If my subject seems to be facing left or right, then I often leave space in front, but space behind can work too.
I do like parallel lines, converging lines, wavy lines, curved lines.
Not withstanding The creator of this video (great video by the way) photographers today way way way over intellectualize, and over think and over complicate their photography with all these compositions theories, and spending so much time trying to get the exact perfect exposure, the zone system, JPEG or RAW. All these different lenses, scrutinizing all the minutia of all these new digital cameras. The reason the film masters were masters because they didn't have to deal with all the stuff I mentioned above. They could actually concentrate what they were doing. Now a days it's all a distraction from the actual simple ART of photography. Most all of the masters never even took a photography class
Nailed it
Love these videos. But I need to respectfully disagree on one point. A good image is one that moves people.
Huzaa! Slaps forehead.
What does *beaple* talking about :/