Fifteen Remarks on Composition

[Alan Klein]

Alan,


Quote

...if I'm happy about what I've done for myself, others will probably like it too.

Please explain how you can extrapolate the latter from the former.

It seems that when I find a girl pretty, others find her pretty as well.  Not everyone, but a lot.  Photos are like that too.  In both cases it really doesn't matter what others think.  Would I pick a girl I didn't think pretty just because others felt she was?    No.  I have to be true to myself.  Making photos is the same thing.

[Isaac]

I can't get into other people's head of what they like.  I'm not a pro so I don;t have to satisfy their requirements.  But if I'm happy about what I've done for myself, others will probably like it too.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't.

Perhaps someone who is actually interested in making pictures that others will like, does in fact do better at making pictures that others will like.

[Alan Klein]

how do you go about making a picture that satisfies others?

[amolitor]

Making pictures to please others is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, but that activity overlaps only rarely with the modern conception of "making art".

"Making art" begins with pleasing the artist. These days.

[Iluvmycam]

Nice article - pretty pix!

I don't do landscapes. Here are some of my thoughts on people compositions in the area of street photography and shooting from behind a subject.

nsfw

https://danielteolijr.wordpress.com/category/composition/

[Iluvmycam]

how do you go about making a picture that satisfies others?

I never do. that is for commercial photogs. They shoot for others.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I never do. that is for commercial photogs. They shoot for others.

Even when I am on a commercial assignment, shooting for others, I do it my way. Actually, "my way" is precisely the reason they hired me. I do take into account their needs, of course, and incorporate it in "my way." Because we do not live in a binary world, i.e., either "for others" or "for myself"... there are at least 256 shades of gray in between.

[mezzoduomo]

how do you go about making a picture that satisfies others?

These days it seems like "Very extensive PP, often including HDR and high saturation" might be one way.

[Isaac]

how do you go about making a picture that satisfies others?

Empathy.

[stamper]

how do you go about making a picture that satisfies others?

Empathy.

[Rainer SLP]

Hi,

I read the article as well as all the postings here and I came for me to the conclusion that

" If I like my photographs, I achieved composition and if not, I did not achieve composition "

" If others like my photographs, I achieved composition and if they do not like them, I did not achieve composition "

¿ So ?

Now another thing is the so called " Rules for Composition " and what if my photographs do not comply with any of those so called " Rules " and people still like them ... ?

... but then I guess, somebody calling himself a Photography Guru, will then always find a rule in the composition

 

Just wandering around with the keyboard ...

[Udo007]

Cropping does not change really the composition.
Cropping can not make an image taken with a 40mm lens to look as if it was taken with a 15mm lens. 
Cropping can not make an image taken at eye level look as if it was taken close to the ground.
Cropping can not make an image shot through the branches of a tree look as if it was taken with the tree in the right half of  the picture.
Cropping can not make an image taken with the light behind the camera look as if was taken with the light coming from the side.
etc.

[elliot_n]

Cropping does not change really the composition.
Cropping can not make an image taken with a 40mm lens to look as if it was taken with a 15mm lens. 
Cropping can not make an image taken at eye level look as if it was taken close to the ground.
Cropping can not make an image shot through the branches of a tree look as if it was taken with the tree in the right half of  the picture.
Cropping can not make an image taken with the light behind the camera look as if was taken with the light coming from the side.
etc.

Cropping can not make a Full English Breakfast. What's your point? (Cropping really does change the composition.)

[NancyP]

1. Cropping DOES change the composition, but doesn't change the viewing direction.
2. Cropping DOES make an image taken with a 15 mm lens look like it was taken with a 40 mm lens, assuming that you have made the necessary correction to barrel distortion and vignetting. Photoshop context-sensitive fill may make an image taken with a  40mm lens look as if it were taken with a 15 mm lens - as long as it is high noon and a clear sky. 

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Cropping can not make a Full English Breakfast.

I was disappointed to learn this. When will LR or PS include a Kippers module or a Steak-and-Kidney-Pie module?   

[Udo007]

My point? Except for changing the aspect ratio of an image, cropping is is at the bottom of the list of what makes a creative picture.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

So few posts, yet so many insightful observations. Can't wait for further contributions!

[AreBee]

Udo007,

Except for changing the aspect ratio of an image...

Not necessarily.