Composition matters for every subject. With an everyday subject, we are often highly critical of how the frame is arranged, but in exotic locations we should devote just as much attention to composition rather than settling for a merely documentary snapshot of a lion or snow-covered mountain peak.
Cameras are becoming smarter and easier to operate. As a result, most photographs today are technically sound. Even so, when we return home we may not be entirely satisfied with what we photographed.
Exposure, sharpness, and colours may be in order, yet something is still missing. That “something” probably concerns the composition of the image. Does the main subject receive enough attention, or is a busy background distracting? Does the photograph convey the breadth of the landscape in which we stood? Is the light in the photograph as beautiful as it was at sunrise? In short, have atmosphere, depth, and experience been captured in the image?
This edition answers all these questions in clear language, with straightforward examples and illustrations. It includes many practical tips and observations, while inspiring readers with beautiful photography of accessible subjects.
Topics include division of the frame, guiding the viewer’s eye, foreground, background and balance, less is more, viewpoint, lens choice, types of light and light metering, white balance, monitor and printer calibration, colour composition, focusing, blur, lens aberrations, bokeh, image stabilisation, and the decisive moment.
The purpose of this book is not merely to teach a few tricks, but to encourage us to ask—before pressing the shutter—whether all the ingredients of a good photograph are present within the viewfinder frame.
Focus on Photography: Composition & Light — Pieter Dhaeze
Pages: 250
Price at publication: €29.99
Publisher: Van Duuren. Language: Dutch. This article refers to the Dutch-language edition.
