Henri Matisse Quote

I would like to recapture that freshness of vision which is characteristic of extreme youth when all the world is new to it.

How Do We See?

Our eyes have been reduced to instruments with which to identify and to measure; hence we suffer a paucity of ideas that can be expressed in images and an incapacity to discover meaning in what we see.

Rudolf Arnheim, Art and Visual Perception, p. 1

Shortly after we get our first camera we come to realize that our eye does not see the same as the camera. Otherwise, how could we have spent the whole day photographing our friend and never even noticed the blemish that is now so prominently displayed on the computer screen?

After a short while of practice though we are noticing immediately those distracting power lines and trying to do something about it. We move our subjects or ourselves in order to not have offending objects in the background growing out of their heads. As I said, this initial adjustment take places quite rapidly but is that all there is? Absolutely not! Let's look at some of the properties of our vision system.

Edward Weston Quote

Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the rules of gravity before taking a walk.

My Motivation and Goals

Back in the 70's when I first got serious about photography, I quickly learned the technical aspects but was frustrated and disappointed by my artistic abilities. I staggered between thoughts of I didn't have what it takes to create great artistic statements, to the world didn't understand me, to composition is a club for people who prefer profundity over clarity. Just like my understanding of composition my attitude toward learning it was flapping in the wind.

Needless to say, my growth as an artist meandered like a ship without a rudder. Rare successes held me over through times of drought that overwhelmed me in meaningless mile after mile of worthless film. My dissatisfaction was so deep I don't think I even picked up a camera during most of the decade of the nineties.

Welcome to The Composed Photographer

Death Valley from Dantes View

Hi, and welcome to The Composed Photographer. I have started this blog to discuss composition as it applies to photography and explore how we can master it which in turn will allow us to create better photographs.

With those lofty goals in mind, I hope to post articles every one or two weeks exploring elements of composition which I suspect will take me at least a year to go through everything I have come to know about composition.