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Composition Basics
The document outlines a workshop on photography and film composition led by Merlin, focusing on foundational principles such as shot framing, balance, and advanced composition techniques. It includes practical activities and evaluations to enhance participants' skills, alongside resources for further learning. Key themes include the importance of storytelling in visual media and the emotional connection between subjects and photographers.
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Composition Basics
- 1. COMPOSITION BASICS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY& FILM Cheng Shao Meng (Merlin), ADM/3 Crescent Resident
- 2. Hi, I amMerlin. I am not a photographer, but what I am going to pass on to you today will come in handy regardless of the different types of media works you want to work on.
- 4. WORKSHOP SCHEDULE Time Activity 7.30pm– 7.45pm Registration 7.45pm – 8pm Activity 1: Photo-taking 1 + Camera Testing 8pm – 8.10pm History of Selfie video 8.10pm – 8.45pm Lesson 1 8.45pm – 9.15pm Activity 2: Photo-taking 2 / Break 9.15pm – 9.55pm Before & After Evaluation 9.55pm-10.30pm Lesson 2 / CresPion Through The Lens Exhibition 10.30pm Group Photo / End of Lesson
- 5. ACTIVITY 1 Photo-Taking 1+ Camera Testing
- 6. HISTORY OF SELFIE TheArt Assignment. The Art History of the Selfie | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios. YouTube video. Posted 2 Jun, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfoPJnVrBNM
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- 8. INTRODUCTION • Why dowe need to compose our shots? • How does composing our shots help us in telling a story? • What are the rules and techniques for composing a shot? • This workshop will focus on taking portraiture photos (photos where the subject are people)
- 9. BASIC PHOTO COMPOSITION#1 • Picture Balance & Manipulation of Space 1. Well balanced picture has a settled, stable look 2. Unbalanced picture has an unstable, incomplete look • Increase tension, creates a dramatic impact, & create interest 3. Rule of Thirds • Scene divided vertically & horizontally into three equal parts
- 10. BALANCED IMAGE • CenterScreen Placement – Most stable screen position
- 11. BALANCED IMAGE • CenterScreen Placement – Most stable screen position
- 12. BALANCED IMAGE • CenterScreen Placement – Most stable screen position
- 13. BALANCED IMAGE • CenterScreen Placement – Most stable screen position
- 14. UNBALANCED IMAGE • Movingthe focus from center of the frame – Increase tension & dramatic impact
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- 16. RULE OF THIRD •Scene divided vertically and horizontally into 3 equal parts • Human eye is naturally drawn to a point about 2/3 up a page • When an image is divided in thirds, the areas where the lines intersect are the active place to arrange important elements of an image
- 17. RULE OF THIRD •Aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition
- 18. INTERESTING BREAKUPS • Avoidplacing your center of interest in equally distributed areas of the space
- 19. RECAP • Basic PhotoComposition #1 Well Balanced Picture Unbalanced Picture Rule of Thirds
- 20. BASIC PHOTO COMPOSITION#2 1. Grouping • Grouping creates unity in picture, and pulls it all together 2. Contrast • Greater contrast in a frame attracts the eye & becomes point of interest 3. Overlapping • You can create space with overlapping scale & value 4. Directional Rhythm • You can use scene elements to focus attention on the center of interest
- 21. GROUPING • Grouping createsunity in picture, and pulls it all together
- 22. GROUPING • Grouping createsunity in picture, and pulls it all together
- 23. CONTRAST • Greater contrastin a frame attracts the eye and become point of interest
- 24. CONTRAST • Greater contrastin a frame attracts the eye and become point of interest
- 25. OVERLAPPING • You cancreate space with overlapping scale and value
- 26. OVERLAPPING VALUE • Valuereflects how atmospheric perspective make objects recede into the distance
- 27. OVERLAPPING VALUE • Valuereflects how atmospheric perspective make objects recede into the distance
- 28. OVERLAPPING SCALE • Overlappingobjects immediately puts one in front of another
- 29. DIRECTIONAL RHYTHM • Youcan use scene elements to focus attention on the center of interest
- 30. RECAP • Basic PhotoComposition #2 Grouping Contrast Overlapping (Scale/Value) Directional Rhythm
- 31. BASIC PHOTO COMPOSITION#3 1. Staging Characters • Avoid staging characters in flat perspective & equal distribution in space 2. Frame within a Frame • Isolate the center of interest 3. Concentric Circle • Circular shapes frame the center of interest 4. Golden Proportions 5. Division in Foreground, Midground, Background
- 32. STAGING CHARACTERS • Avoidstaging characters in flat perspective and equal distribution in space
- 33. STAGING CHARACTERS • Usingthe diagonal rule • Linear elements, such as roads, waterways, and fences placed diagonally, are generally perceived as more dynamic than horizontally placed ones
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- 39. FRAME WITHIN AFRAME • Isolate the center of interest
- 40. CONCENTRIC CIRCLES • Circularshapes frame the center of interest
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- 43. DIVISION IN FG,MG, BG
- 44. DIVISION IN FG,MG, BG FG MG BG
- 45. RECAP • Basic PhotoComposition #3 Staging Characters Frame within a frame Concentric Circle Golden Proportion Division in FG, MG, BG
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- 51. EVALUATION • Upload bothyour before and after photos in the CresPion Through The Lens Facebook Group • https://tinyurl.com/CresPionTTL
- 52. LESSON 2 Methodology &Advance Concepts
- 53. RECAP Composition #1 Composition#2 Composition #3 Balance Picture Grouping Staging Characters Unbalance Picture Contrast Frame within a Frame Rule of Thirds Overlapping (Scale/Value) Concentric Circle Directional Rythem Golden Proportion Division in FG, MG, BG
- 54. ASPECT RATIO • Theratio between the width & height of a film image • Some common aspect ratio: • 4:3 (Academy standard) • 16:9 (Widescreen) • 3:2 (DSLR standard) • 1.85:1 (Academy flat) • 2.35:1 (Anamorphic scope) • 1:1 (Square)
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- 59. ADVANCE COMPOSITION • Advancedistribution of space
- 60. ADVANCE COMPOSITION • Advancedistribution of space
- 61. ADVANCE COMPOSITION • Advancedistribution of space
- 62. CINEMATIC LOOK • Contrast,Colour Correction, Grading, Atmosphere The Cinematic Look – How To Make Your Photographs Look Like Films https://fstoppers.com/documentary/cinematic-look-how-make-your-photographs-look-films-27534
- 63. CINEMATIC LOOK • Contrast,Colour Correction, Grading, Atmosphere The Cinematic Look – How To Make Your Photographs Look Like Films https://fstoppers.com/documentary/cinematic-look-how-make-your-photographs-look-films-27534
- 64. CINEMATIC LOOK “After wantingmore and learning how to compose a better frame, I really got interested in the process of coloring my pictures and making these scenes look like frozen frames out of movies.” “I loved seeing how much a single image could convey and tell a story that doesn't exist. The thing that caught my attention with cinematic photography was the framing and the dramatic lighting in most of the images.”
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- 68. EMPATHY & STORYTELLING •Emotion, Intimacy, Honesty Empathy and Photography https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/empathy-photography/?utm_source=fb- social&utm_campaign=Editorial_EmpathyandPhotography&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Linkpost
- 69. EMPATHY & STORYTELLING “Onesuggested solution for achieving empathy through photography is to forgo highly edited and curated images in favour of the slower, more honest approach of showing the real in all its complexities and mundanities.” “Empathy comes into play between herself and her subject, rather than being something she is necessarily thinking about in terms of a future audience reaction… Arthur’s approach is to sit with the subject for some time, listening to their story, building a rapport and then taking their portrait.”
- 70. EMPATHY & STORYTELLING “Asa documentary photographer, you are always looking for that thing, that gesture, you’re always looking for something that’s not the obvious thing, whereas here you’re being very honest with people.” “It’s not about my own personal intimacy, but finding a way into other people’s world, and finding a way for them to share their intimacy with me. It really is as much about them wanting to share that as it is me looking for it.”
- 71. EMPATHY & STORYTELLING “Istarted to take these pictures that were much more informal, they were much more intimate and represented a slightly different role that I had there – they saw me as a friend.”
- 72. FORMAL PORTRAITURE The ArtAssignment. 15. Photo a Friend - Tanja Hollander | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios. YouTube video. Posted 25 Sep, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0posLr4TTiI (3:22 onwards)
- 73. DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY http://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/singapore-photographer-nicky-loh-captures-the-people-and-rich-heritage-of Singapore photographerNicky Loh captures the people and rich heritage of Commonwealth before it vanishes
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- 77. DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY http://www.bjp-online.com/2014/07/magnum-photos-to-run-documentary-photography-course/ Moss SideEstate, Manchester, England, 1986. Image © Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, 1989 Image © Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos
- 78. DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY 'I'm notin hospice to die but to take photos' http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/im-not-in-hospice-to-die-but-to-take-photos “These are not sad pictures, not sob pictures. They show there's still a bit of life here and I hope people can see a bit of happiness here. Someone once said, if you can't add days to your life, add life to your days.” MR ALAN LEE, on his exhibition, titled "Come Walk With Me".
- 79. DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY Assisi Hospicephoto album https://www.facebook.com/pg/assisihospice/photos/?tab=album&album_id=746113382246128
- 80. SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY COOPH. 7smartphone photography tips for shooting like a pro. YouTube video. Posted 27 Sep, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7ErbZk6VQ
- 81. SUMMARY VIDEO BuzzFeed Tech.6 Tips for Taking Better iPhone Photos. Facebook video. Posted 21 May, 2017. https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedTech/videos/1336401963147443/
- 82. RESOURCES • ADM Library •Photographer Philippe Echaroux Used A McDonald’s Big Mac Box To Create Stunning Portraits: https://designyoutrust.com/2017/08/photographer-philippe-echaroux-used-a- mcdonalds-big-mac-box-to-create-stunning-portraits/ • Documentary Photography 101: Tips, Tricks and Other Important Details: https://contrastly.com/documentary-photography-101-tips- tricks-and-other-important-details/ • History of Photography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxGEymA8ro • How to shoot portraits with a smartphone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NALsNo0qHew
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- 88. CRESPION THROUGH THELENS Next Workshop / Exhibition Details
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- 91. END OF WORKSHOP Feedback/ Group Photo