Hi, I´m looking for advice about a book. I think the most important and difficult skill to learn is how to compose a pleasant photography, if you can frame, everything else, including exposure, is more easy.

I`m very suspicious about books who promises teach composition only to photographs, I don't want learn by rote the rule of thirds and so on.

Composition is about all visual arts, especially, as the most old, painting... So I'm looking for a book who teaches composition in art, your history and development...

Maybe theres a bible about, like the Ansel Adams trilogy is one for photography. If anyone can indicate me, I"ll be pleased!

[SWEngineer]

Hi Aneopa.

I don't have any particular books to recommend. But I'll share a thought or two.

I`m very suspicious about books who promises teach composition only to photographs, I don't want learn by rote the rule of thirds and so on.

The 'rules' of composition (such as the rule of thirds) have much in common in all 2D art such as painting, drawing, & photography [as you note] if not many 3D art forms as well. And as photography is relatively young, it 'inherited' the rules if you will. So, I'm not sure where your suspicions come regarding composition taught only for photographs. A good book on composition should broadly apply whether approached from a 'classic' (painting) medium or from a photographic one. It comes down to how objects relate to each other, to the space in the image, and how they engage the viewer (human visual physics / psychology).

You (and others) might find some worthy references and useful perspectives in this WetCanvas forum thread: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=398818

Cheers.

-Mark

[philmorley]

Hi, I´m looking for advice about a book. I think the most important and difficult skill to learn is how to compose a pleasant photography, if you can frame, everything else, including exposure, is more easy.

I`m very suspicious about books who promises teach composition only to photographs, I don't want learn by rote the rule of thirds and so on.

Composition is about all visual arts, especially, as the most old, painting... So I'm looking for a book who teaches composition in art, your history and development...

Maybe theres a bible about, like the Ansel Adams trilogy is one for photography. If anyone can indicate me, I"ll be pleased!

realise you asked a while back but Photography Composition Articles Library is full of composition articles (and more than just the rule of thirds

Phil

[FotoPete]

Its getting late but I skimmed through the site and I was amazed. There's alot of material here.

I'll check back later but thanks for the link!

[Donald]

Hi, I'm a designer and artist so 'composition' is something I'm somewhat familiar with. I can't give you a reference to books whose explicit title is composition, there are too many and they are boring.

In my career and hobby two books have been influential: Andrea Palladio's The Four Books on Architecture and Kimberly Elam's Geometry of Design are overwhelmingly concerned with composition, both are beautiful books, both have nothing to do with photography per se, but definitely apply, 500 years and 6 years old respectively.

Alternately, other books I think good at describing composition in 2d 'flatland' are any that dissect art nouveau posters of Cheret, Cassandre, Mucha, etc. Elam's book does this. They are simple, beautiful examples of art and design that succeed primarily due to composition.

My primer on composition: you need to be able to visually recognize and understand 3 things: line, figure ground, colour.

The photographic 'rule of thirds' is a simplistic adaptation of artistic line. Human eye naturally follows line, how you create line is unlimited: colour, shadow, express linework. Good composition invariably has identifiable line to it, smooth flowing, balanced or juxtaposed, often geometrical. Sometimes pattern is easier to identify and compose with, however, all pattern is built of regular line.

Figure ground is the most difficult by far: how the figure relates to its ground, sometimes called fore, middle and background. In my opinion, majority of photographers have no understanding or feeling for figure ground. I advise spending more time looking through the camera viewfinder at the background than at the subject of your shot.

Colour is a huge topic...

[philmorley]

hi, Also try the local library for books for painters / artists not necessarily photography

on photoinf is this article

Photography Composition Articles: Landscape Composition Rules.

which I particularly like, the author uses paintings to demonstrate his points

Phil

[davek]

hi, Also try the local library for books for painters / artists not necessarily photography

on photoinf is this article

Photography Composition Articles: Landscape Composition Rules.

which I particularly like, the author uses paintings to demonstrate his points

Phil

Wow. Awesome article. Thanks for the link.

[jfdavis58]

Classical composition is typically about classical looks. Fine if you want to look like everybody else who has studied the classics. Some of that works for photography, but I think mostly it doesn't. Most of the high impact photographs are more about timing than anything else; except one thing: intimate knowledge of the equipment. Try this book: Learning to See Creatively, Revised, Bryan Peterson, Amphoto Books, ISBN 0-6174-4181-6. It's a start on 'seeing' like a camera; some interesting and fun 'experiments'.

Hi, I´m looking for advice about a book. I think the most important and difficult skill to learn is how to compose a pleasant photography, if you can frame, everything else, including exposure, is more easy.

I`m very suspicious about books who promises teach composition only to photographs, I don't want learn by rote the rule of thirds and so on.

Composition is about all visual arts, especially, as the most old, painting... So I'm looking for a book who teaches composition in art, your history and development...

Maybe theres a bible about, like the Ansel Adams trilogy is one for photography. If anyone can indicate me, I"ll be pleased!

Thank you all for your helpful answers.

I1ll explore all advices and later I post here my conclusions.

I´m sorry didn't post here before, but by a mistake the post was not signed....

[benjikan]

Hi, I´m looking for advice about a book. I think the most important and difficult skill to learn is how to compose a pleasant photography, if you can frame, everything else, including exposure, is more easy.

I`m very suspicious about books who promises teach composition only to photographs, I don't want learn by rote the rule of thirds and so on.

Composition is about all visual arts, especially, as the most old, painting... So I'm looking for a book who teaches composition in art, your history and development...

Maybe theres a bible about, like the Ansel Adams trilogy is one for photography. If anyone can indicate me, I"ll be pleased!

Here is "The Book"...It is called "You" your intuition, your soul, your sense of balance, composition, anti-composition, breaking rules etc. and the projection of your "ID". That is the only "BOOK" you need...

Ben

[DAP]

If you want a book about general composition check out "The simple secret to better painting" by Greg Albert. As the title suggests it focuses mainly on composition in painting, but everything translates to photography quite well. It is chock full of classic rules of composition with plenty of example paintings to illustrate the point. It is a good place to start - that being said, sometimes it pays to break the rules.

[KennJ]

As far as books go (And I have to agree with Ben to a great degree) Petersons "Learning to See Creatively " might be just the thing to help out as jfdavis58 also suggested a few posts back. It's a good read and enjoyable.
Kenn