What about art? Composition? artistic taste

alaiosalaios Registered Users Posts: 668 Major grins
edited August 23, 2015 in Book and Gear Reviews
Hi,
I am really trying and want to to develop more the way I see a scene and the way I work with a scene. I know this is something that takes years but I am kind of struggline alone. I have read many articles in photograpy magazines where the "seniors" (typically the guys that teach in art schools and in photography schools) that one has also to have some art studies.
Since I haave a new born at house and I work full hours, starting some photography studies is of course out of my current plans. Do you have any nice books to suggest on how to start learning and thinking about art.

I always look at photos and I am trying to think
"Why such a photo was selected to be a cover in a magazine?"
"Ok this photo looks good but what it makes it great?"
"Which composition is better? This or that? But why?"

Can someone give information where is the water? I am really thirsty and alone here

Comments

  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited June 18, 2014
    "I always look at photos and I am trying to think
    "Why such a photo was selected to be a cover in a magazine?"
    "Ok this photo looks good but what it makes it great?"
    "Which composition is better? This or that? But why?"


    Very pertinent and appropriate questions, alois, I agree as well.

    I always said I didn't really need a "better camera" I needed a better eye. If you have good visual skills, frequently a box camera is all you need... So much of photography forums is about hardware and technique, rather than artistic presentation, appreciation.

    I find looking at art in Museuems, and in print in books or newspapers, informative, entertaining, and helpful in improving one's visual appreciation.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • alaiosalaios Registered Users Posts: 668 Major grins
    edited June 25, 2014
    Hi,
    there are times I wish I can just fly as ghost inside a "good" photography school to see what the teachers are teaching in terms of art and composition lessons

    Alex
  • Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited June 26, 2014
    As i was unable to attend art school or photography class and no plan in future, most of my learning came from looking at some inspiring work of masters and experimenting in my free time. Recently i started to visit art galleries just to look at paintings and various art works and i think it great way to learn how to balance your work, learn how much PUSH you need in post processing before blowing it away.
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

    My Gallery
  • alaiosalaios Registered Users Posts: 668 Major grins
    edited June 28, 2014
    thanks for sharing this. I appreciate as I find many photographers do not really want to report what they have been studying...
  • alaiosalaios Registered Users Posts: 668 Major grins
    edited June 28, 2014
    I am looking on the internet for some online course. I just wonder though about their quality. Today I found the new york film academy but it does not look to offer on line courses
    Regards
    Alex
  • alaiosalaios Registered Users Posts: 668 Major grins
    edited July 4, 2014
    I have found for example the new york film academy... but how can you know what is good and what is not?
    A.
  • puzzledpaulpuzzledpaul Registered Users Posts: 1,621 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2014
    alaios wrote: »

    I always look at photos and I am trying to think
    "Why such a photo was selected to be a cover in a magazine?"
    "Ok this photo looks good but what it makes it great?"
    "Which composition is better? This or that? But why?"

    Can someone give information where is the water? I am really thirsty and alone here

    Some big questions here - and some might say well nigh impossible to answer :)

    Anything to do with any sort of 'Art' is very subjective and also an area of life where goalposts are forever being moved - in some cases for the better, but not necessarily always ... and even my comment there is a subjective one.

    Finding examples of images that you really like or have some sort of attachment to - and then 'reverse engineering' them in order to figure out what it is that *you* like about them ... as opposed to what others suggest you 'should' like might be one way to go.

    Be ruthless - don't let yourself be automatically swayed / influenced by the comments that others make about images - there's far too much 'awesomeness' associated with mediocre stuff, imo.

    This game is supposed be about 'painting with light' ... so imagine that you're trying to do exactly that (I don't mean with torches / flashes etc) ... but looking for circumstances / environments where, in the right conditions you can manage to capture a set of pixels that bears some sort of passing resemblance to what's in your mind's eye.

    If / when you get it right, you end up with a picture that is similar to one that you might paint ... ie you only have on your sensor's 'canvas' what you want to be there ... if it's not part of the picture, it's part of a / the problem - which is stopping the result from being what you want.

    Sometimes, of course, it is difficult to 'see' beyond a superbly captured, well exposed and detailed capture that is, in essence a fancy 'illustration' to another image that may have none of the other's technical attributes ... but has the 'bit of something extra' ... whatever that is :)

    I don't have any answers, or even the vaguest idea of how to suggest going about getting them ... but it's still an entertaining and enjoyable journey trying to find them :)

    I recently came across these notes for competitions / judging etc ... and wondered if they might be of some more interest than my waffle :)

    pp

    Edit
    From past experience, whenever I've decided to peruse the 'Fine Art' section of a photographer's site, I've invariably (but not always) been disappointed with what they consider to fit this particular niche.




    https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxzaGVwc2hlZGNhbWVyYWNsdWJ8Z3g6MzU2NDU3MjMyYzQwNzk5Nw
  • lifeinfocuslifeinfocus Registered Users Posts: 1,461 Major grins
    edited August 3, 2014
    Here are two good books:

    1. "The Photographer's Eye" by Michael Freeman and
    2 "The New Art of Photographing Nature" by Art Wolfe.

    Other ways to learn. Join a local camera club - the interaction, presentations and competitions will expand your skills.

    Also, take a few minutes everyday and look at photos in Shots forum of this website and 1x.com. I do everyday and I learn a lot by looking at what other people do and asking questions - "how do you take that shot", "what were the settings", etc.

    Learn the basics of composition - number of website articles on the subject - just a quick search.

    And shoot a lot and do your own critique from what you learn.

    I have a lot to learn and loving it!
    Phil
    http://www.PhilsImaging.com
    "You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
    Phil
  • f2btheref2bthere Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited August 23, 2015
    I have enjoyed some of the material from David duChemin. He likes gear as much as anyone, but he emphasizes the importance of seeing, composition, etc. He says the "rule of thirds" should be a guideline at most and that there are much better ways to think about composition.

    He has books on Amazon.com, videos on YouTube and Vimeo and a website, www.craftandvision.com

    On his website, he has a number of ebooks and a magazine he publishes. If you sign up for the email list, you will get some free ebooks and the newsletter often has specials (most of the stuff on the site is pretty inexpensive). He also has material from other people on his site, but duChemin's material on the art side is all I have bought so far. I have gotten some post processing materials from Piet Van den Eynde.

    My only relationship with duChemin is as a customer.
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