There are a few different websites I research for inspiration or just to keep up to snuff within the internet / graphics / web design world… Noupe.com is by far my favorite. They have a mega-load of content that can help with Graphic Designers, Web Designer, Web Developers, App Developers, Mobile Design, Photoshop, releases and the like.
This article I thought really put in perspective the steps photographers should be taking to capture a real experience on camera. I’ve been to the Met ALOT in the past few years and as much as I enjoy looking at paintings by various artists photography has been my art poison of choice. It’s all has to do with real experiences, and capturing that I just find to be inspiring and at times life altering… Ansel Adams has always been a personal favorite (corny and cliche but true) of mine and glad to hear he’s mentioned here.
There are 10 steps in all but I’m showing the first 5. Click the link at the end to read all 10.
Written by Ian Plant:
1. Learn to think in the abstract
Famous photographer Minor White once said “One should photograph objects, not only for what they are, but for what else they are.” What he meant by this is that a photographer should learn to think abstractly about composition. Try not to think literally about objects in your scene—don’t think of them as waterfalls, mountains, trees, etc.—but rather think in terms of the shapes they form, perspective (depth and scale), space (the placement and arrangement of elements), and color. This process is an important first step: once you start seeing elements of a scene in abstract terms, then you’re ready to start tackling advanced compositional techniques.
2. Get your feet moving
Ansel Adams once said “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” Thoroughly exploring a scene is the best way to ensure that you find something compelling and original. A little bit of curiosity goes a long way—if you aren’t asking yourself questions like “What would the view look like from that small hill over there?” then you are limiting yourself to only the most obvious shots. If you want to make unique and meaningful compositions, you need to get your feet moving, and experiment with different angles, focal lengths, and relative positions. Only then can you really see what the world has to offer.
3. Use “power shapes” to create bold compositions
Simple shapes such as triangles, circles, radial patterns, curves, lines, and zigzags attract the eye, lending themselves to simple yet bold compositions. Sometimes the shape can be the basis for the composition itself, whereas other times it can merely be the background structure for a more complex composition.
4. Create depth in your photos
Manipulation of the relative size of objects can help you create depth in your photographs and lead the viewer’s eye into the scene. One powerful technique that does this is called forced perspective, which employs optical illusion to make an object appear more prominent than it actually is. This is usually accomplished by getting close to a near object with a wide-angle lens, thus exaggerating its size and visual importance relative to more distant objects. Forced perspective can become a powerful tool used to create dynamic visual relationships between near and far objects.
5. Direct the viewer’s attention
Leading elements are useful for compelling the viewer’s eye into the photo. Leading lines which stretch from foreground to background are especially powerful. Other shapes placed in the foreground can accomplish the same thing; a curving river can encourage the eye to meander throughout the scene, whereas a triangle-shaped rock can point into the composition. Multiple visual elements, arranged properly, can encourage the viewer’s eye to travel deep into the scene; a near-to-far, bottom-to-top visual progression is often particularly effective.
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Read full article from noupe.com