John M. Setzler, Jr. Life in Black and White

Image Composition

As a photographer, I realize that the learning never ends. Once you think you know a lot, you realize how much you don't know. I tend to read a good bit on the subject of photography, and I read regularly. I spend practically no time reading about equipment. Reading about hardware, for the most part, bores me unless I'm shopping for something specific, which isn't often these days. Reading about hardware does not advance my skills as a photographer or an artist.

Most of the reading I do is on the subject of photographs themselves rather than the equipment used to make them. When I first gained an interest in photography, it took me a while to really figure out what I really needed to study in order to improve my photography. I looked at thousands upon thousands of photographs before I realized what I needed to study. The two most difficult concepts of learning to make great photos are ironically simple. In fact, they are such simple concepts that they are incredibly difficult for a lot of photographers to grasp. Every great photograph begins with two fundamental concepts. The first concept is WHAT the photographer chose as the subject. The second concept is HOW the photographer chose to compose it in the viewfinder. The how part tends to be the key for me. When I see a photograph that consumes me, it's obvious that my approval of the subject is in place. The part that comes next is understanding why, beyond the subject choice, the photograph appeals to me so strongly. This understanding is the most difficult part of photography for me. Being able to verbalize why a photographic composition is exceptional is a weak point for myself and most photographers I know. Even though it's difficult, having a clear understanding of these concepts will make you a better photographer. Analyzing composition on a regular basis keeps the concepts fresh in your mind and also makes you consider them more regularly when composing your own photos.

Unfortunately, no one can teach you what to photograph. That's something you have to learn on your own. However, once you decide what your subject will be, you can learn a lot about how to photograph it. The subject of composition can be quite difficult, but studying all of its theories in depth and learning to apply them to your subjects will help you turn a great subject into an extraordinary photograph.

In all of the books I have read on photography, I have two that stand out in the subject of image design and composition. The first one, "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson had been my favorite up until recently. Patterson's book is exceptional in many ways, but I think it is probably a little too complicated for the novice photographer. In fact, most materials on composition are probably too complex for most beginners. More recently, I purchased Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye" at my local bookstore. This book is geared more towards a clear and concise understanding of most of the fundamental concepts of good image design. It makes use of image overlays and diagrams to show the concepts being discussed in the text. Reading through the ideas, I often find myself thinking.... "yea... that's what I was thinking...." without being able to verbalize it on my own.