composition

Layer Elements with Longer Lenses in Street Photography

One of the most effective ways to fill a frame with information, particularly in street photography, is to layer elements of your composition, either in two dimensions along the X and Y axis or in three with the Z axis.

The Secret to Amazing Cityscape Photos: A Magic 15-Minute Window

After shooting cities all around the globe for the past 15 years, I managed to publish seven coffee table books featuring cities like Paris, Venice, Los Angeles, and New York. I learned the hard way when was the best time to shoot and want to save you the time and effort so you can make the best photos of cityscapes possible.

How To Focus Stack the Right Way For Landscape Photography

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've lost a shot because I didn't think through the basics well enough. I would of course have my composition and exposure settings dialed in and with that determined, you would think that I have what I needed to get the shot. But, in some cases, that just isn’t enough.

A Quick Look at Using Negative Space in Photos

Negative space in photography, design, sculpture, or any other creative pursuit is equally as important as is positive space in overall composition.

A Look at Symmetry in Photography

I recently discussed the rule of thirds and leading lines in photography. In this article, I'll cover symmetry and include some of my own symmetry photography examples to illustrate this.

An Intro to the Rule of Thirds in Photography

Learn photography rules, learn to apply them, learn their advantages and limitations. Finally, learn to bend them, break them and explore beyond them.

Leading Lines in Photography

Leading lines in photography are existing lines within the frame of a photograph which the photographer has deliberately aligned/arranged (prior to taking the photo) by adjusting their composition either shifting their body or camera. It should result in lines which “lead” to the subject, increasing the focus of the viewer, allowing for a more enjoyable viewing experience.

The Art of Coincidence: Street Photos of Special Accidental Moments

Photography has been with me for as long as I can remember. In my childhood, my father had an old Zorki camera, the Russian Leica II clone, and he had a habit of developing films from our trips in the darkroom. That place with unfamiliar smells and substances had a unique charm for me.

7 Composition Techniques Seen in The Queen’s Gambit

Now and then, it just so happens that I find a show or movie that visually amazes me. I was blown away by the colors of Grand Hotel Budapest and by the cinematography of Birdman. The hit Netflix series The Queen's Gambit is one of those surprises that I have discovered recently.

Four Composition Techniques to Try for Better Landscape Photos

If you're interested in photographing landscapes, you should know there are multiple ways to make your images more interesting – some that only require a bit of imagination. In this 26-minute video, Canadian film photographer Kyle McDougall covers four techniques he uses to make his landscape images better.

Winners of the Minimalist Photography Awards Prove that Less is More

The winners of the 2nd annual Minimalist Photography Awards were announced just last week, and if you're looking for proof that "less is more" when it comes to photography... you've come to the right place. Many of the winners are masterful examples of simplicity in composition.

The Power of Transitions: A Theory of Landscape Photography:

What makes a great landscape photo, great? Some appreciate an image for its technical prowess or adhering to certain rules. It might be focused correctly and sharp throughout the scene. It could be well-exposed, offering wide dynamic range. Some like to see leading lines or the rule of thirds.

5 Simple Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photography

Landscape photographer and YouTuber Mads Peter Iversen is back with a short list of helpful tips that can help you break the mold and improve your landscape photography. These tips will be particularly helpful for beginners who feel their work is already growing stale.

Creative Use of Light in Street Photography

If you have been shooting streets for some time or have been following the genre, you might have already thought about some of the things that I am going to talk about below. Street photography is a very volatile genre by virtue of the volatility of the decisive moments.

‘Triangle Composition’ is Ridiculous, Here’s Why

I don't normally rant, but this has been bothering me for quite some time. I try not to worry about what gets written on the Internet because I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions and it's healthy to have many different opinions for others to pick and choose what works for them. Let's face it, there is no hard and fast rule that photographers must abide by.

There is No ‘Formula’ for Good Photo Composition

It’s very easy to get stuck in grooves in photography, to find something that makes sense or comes from a position of authority; once habits are formed around ideas about genre, style, or technique, it can be very difficult to break out of those constraints.

Light vs Composition: What’s More Important in Landscape Photography?

When it comes to landscape photography, what's most important: light or composition? This question has been making the rounds in some online communities recently, so Australian photographer Andrew Marr decided to tackle the subject and share his take on how to best balance these two key elements.

Use Composition to Enhance Your Candid Photos

Composition doesn't make a candid, but a good composition can enhance it. It can amplify what you feel about the subject matter or invoke a reaction all on its own. Today I’m going to share with you 5 tips on composition to enhance your candids.

Beyond Mere Composition: Getting Over the Rule of Thirds and Golden Ratio

There is a wealth of information on the internet about composition—endless blog posts about visual rules, geometric concepts, and photos with all kinds of lines and shapes drawn over them to the prove the point. But all of this information focuses on the "what" of composition rather than the "why." A photographer must stop and ask themselves: "why even bother following visual rules?"

7 Photography Composition Tips That Are Simple to Follow

In this 12.5-minute video and article, I'll share 7 of the composition tricks that I use in the field all the time. First of all, let me say that composition is difficult. It is, without a doubt, the hardest part of photography. But there are some things that you can be doing in the field that can help.

Computer Games, Spatial Awareness, and Photographic Composition

One of the most unintentionally useful influences on my photography has turned out to be the time I’ve spent playing computer games. Some photographers use cinema as a learning tool to observe the way cinematographers and DOP’s use their cameras to capture a scene. This can be a great source of inspiration, but I think it can lead to some photographers heading out and seeking to recreate shots or aesthetic styles (color palette, depth of field, grain, etc) rather than capturing anything unique for them.

Is ‘Ali vs. Liston’ the Greatest Sports Photo of the Century?

I'm Martin from the All About Street Photography channel, and today I want to talk about the photo "Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston" by photographer Neil Leifer. I am going to take a closer at the story behind the photograph and why is this picture so iconic.

3 Common Landscape Photography Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Landscape photographer Mark Denney recently stumbled across an old folder full of "favorite" images from a few years back. At first, he was just enjoying seeing the progressed he'd made over the years, but then he noticed something: "As I reviewed these images, I noticed the same three compositional mistakes repeated over and over."

The Best Lightroom Tool For Improving Composition in Photos

How many times have you returned from what you felt was a productive photography trip only to find that some of the compositions of your favorite images weren't exactly what you expected? This happens to me rather frequently, but fortunately for us, we have access to one of the best Lightroom tools for improving composition in our photos: the Crop tool!

A Closer Look at the Iconic Cyclist Photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson

What's up photography fans? It's Martin from All About Street Photography, and today I want to talk about Henri Cartier-Bresson's iconic photo of a cyclist, titled Hyères, France. I am going to take a closer look at the composition as well as at the story behind the photograph.

Street Photography Compositions with the Ricoh GR III

At first glance, all we see is a dinky point-n-shoot camera; not much to it. It slips inside my front pocket, I mean, how powerful can it be? Well, photographers shouldn’t be fooled by its size and minimalism; like many of our subjects in the street. The Ricoh GR III is called a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” for a reason.

7 More Composition Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photos

Composition is so important in creating an image and it's a cornerstone of the four key elements that make up a photo: subject, light, timing, and composition. However, one of the hardest things to learn in landscape photography is seeing that image and putting the elements together in the most pleasing arrangement.

The Art of Seeing as a Photographer

When I look back at my journey as a wildlife photographer especially as I scroll through my images on my editing screen a few things become apparent. Firstly, most of my pictures were either action or close up portrait, and secondly, the editing was awful.

What I Avoid in My Street Photography and How

Photographs are as much about what is not included as the subjects in the frame. Being aware of the things I avoid is as helpful to me as the things I gravitate towards when it comes to composing an image.

What Parallelism Is and How to Use it to Improve Your Photography

I’ve always had a fascination with geometry and man-made structures, their perfection has a strong attraction on me. It took me time to realize that what I appreciated most wasn’t necessarily their symmetry or the simple repetition of shapes but the parallelism between the various elements of the construction of an image.

Composing Without the Camera

Sometimes one of the best things I can do for my photography, specifically for improving my compositions, is to put my camera down and walk around without taking photographs.

Learning Photography From a $90.3 Million Painting

Last month, legendary British painter David Hockney's 1972 painting titled “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” (shown above) sold for a jaw-dropping $90.3 million, the highest auction price ever for a living artist!