mundy-F2 Loc: Chicago suburban area

Thomas, I agree that the Kadachrome 25 and 64 had a learning curve, although they provided beautiful fine grain vibrant colors.
Mundy

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Like the “rule” of thumb. You can actually use any finger or even a toe.

And advice preceded by “as a rule” does NOT mean “strictly always”. It means the opposite: “generally” or “typically”.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Correct. Depends on the context.

Related phrases could be "dictum of digits" or "propriety of pinkie", or "tenet of toe", or ...

I'll bet many people don't realize that rule and guideline are synonyms.

Perception.

MDI Mainer

For those interested, there is a detailed and classic book on composition in landscape painting, the content and principles of which are almost equally applicable to landscape photography:

Composition of Outdoor Painting Seventh Edition
by Edgar Payne (Author)

https://smile.amazon.com/Composition-Outdoor-Painting-Edgar-Payne/dp/0939370115/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A43T9Q6HQW8J&dchild=1&keywords=composition+of+outdoor+painting+edgar+payne&qid=1623204255&sprefix=composition+of+%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

This is one long thread and I've been reading bits and pieces for the past few days.
I teach photography in an art dept in a public high school. After the technology of a camera, ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, the next unit is composition. I tell them that composition is the one thing that is going to set your images apart from everyone else's. For the rest of the class, I interject "what composition are you using" into every assignment just to drive that point home.
As for my own work, which has shown in a number of brick and mortar and on-line galleries, Composition has become second nature. I reduce all the parts in an image to their basic shapes, forms, textures, etc. and consider what type of composition does this interesting collection lend it self to. I'll go from there. To me Composition is extremely important but should be used to enhance the image. I find images that are only about the composition lack soul.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Here's a tip that's been helpful to me: After scouting out a site and finding a view you like, walk about 10-15 feet to both sides and see if you like the composition better. Most times (for me), the first composition is not the one I like best.

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Since following this thread I find I have sometimes observed myself “composing” or framing and it seems that I really pay attention only to balance.

I realize that is a kinda broad term but I won’t try to narrow it down. The only “compositional” thing I feel I’m doing is balancing the stuff in the frame.

Anywho there you have an answer to the opening post, one that I could not have provided back when the thread began.

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

I still think one of the best ways to assess an images composition is to view a thumbnail version. Contrast is very important.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I would say that applies to all types of working the scene. I usually take shots from several different positions and sometimes with different levels of zoom. The first shot is rarely the one I end up opting for, and I'm usually very glad that I took the extra shots.

katu41

[quote=srt101fan]There has been a lot of discussion of "composition" on UHH, including a topic I started some time time ago. I just got done perusing a book called "The Art of Pictorial Composition", so the subject is on my mind again.

Some folks seem to equate "composition" with the content or subject of a photo. That's not what I'd like to discuss. I just pulled a definition of the web that's in line with what I'm thinking about:

"The space in a photo resembles the tones of a melody that produce a composition. An image is by no means successful simply if everything shown is razor sharp; what is crucial for the quality of a painting or photograph is how the individual pictorial elements relate to one another....the image is based on an abstract, basic structure that dictates whether its contents will elicit a strong or boring, chaotic or orderly impression—and that is what pictorial composition is all about." (https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-art-of/9781457117916/ch16.html)

There are "rules" of composition - the rule of thirds, spirals, etc. Books are written about it and photography courses address it. So what I'd like to know is how you approach composition in your photography. Do you consciously think of and apply "rules" (guidelines) of composition or do you just move the camera until the image looks good in the viewfinder? From a compositional standpoint, what do you think about when you approach a subject?[/quot

Some photos can be planned and some must be taken in an instant. Your skill set needs to be adaptable to either situation but there is one common theme. Is this shot interesting? You won't always know the answer to this question as you take the shot. That's why we revisit old photos to see if we can make them better. However, there is one piece of advice that I try to follow: if you want to take better pictures, stand in front of interesting things.

To me composition is extremely import in my final work product, not so much in taking the original photo but in how I interpret the image. Some things just happen and some must be created. As a general rule, I like to put extra room around my subject to give me the flexibility in processing to manipulate the composition. All of the contributings factors to making a good photo are enhanced by good composition.

Finally, does my photo tell a story and how will my composition help to convey the meaning of the scene I have captured. We all like to capture the image of a great cathedral but without a person in the frame to create "scale" we may just have a pretty building. Capturing that person pointing at the spire or otherwise connected to the building makes the human connection the foundation for the composition. I find that with every good picture I have taken, I can tell the story of how I saw the photo coming together. Telling the story of a well composed shot is my greatest joy in photography.

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

WOW!
Duane

al lehman Loc: San jose, ca.

Composition is a moving target that requires a degree of creative skills to map out that shot in your brain. Like many, I evaluate the depth of field, light, rule of thirds, the position of content, color, etc. I was recently in the Tetons and I spent two hours looking for a location where I could get a shot of the Tetons with interesting foreground subjects to help provide a sense of the Teton's beauty and size. Composition is a conscious set of decisions that gives your image a story. Don't worry, many of us struggle with the composition aspect of photography. Although books help, experience is your best aid. I ultimately found the Mormon road in the Tetons where a set of trees and an old corral provided a perfect foreground. I'm of the opinion that if your image tells a story, you have satisfied the most important aspect of composition. I'm still learning.....

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

Do you see something you would like to photograph? Why do you want to photograph it? There's your composition.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

I choose not to overthink this issue. If I am doing serious photography, I survey my objective, choose approp lens, select camera settings, peer through the vf, if it looks right, pull the trigger. If not, keep working camera, lens, and my senses til satisfied, then pull the trigger. This rarely takes more than a few minutes. Rarely disappointed.

I should add that I am severly visually impaired, but I manage.

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Thaz about it, the whole ball of wax, the whole shebang, the full Chicago, the whole enchilada, the complete kit and caboodle. Hope I made it clear enough ...