I need a good book

[jaapv]

Can anybody recommend a nice book on composition? I know about strong points, rule of thirds, something about perspective, but I really would like to go further, as I find my composition-experiments rather conventional (see two of them).

 

[zuikologist]

Are you looking for something specifically for landscapes or a general recommendation?

 

[J. Borger]

Few good general books about composition afaik Jaap.
I prefer to study the old masters .... Kertesz, Callahan and the magnumphotographers especially for composition.
For landscape i suggest to have a look at the work of Charlie Waite:

http://www.Charliewaite.com (my favourite) .

The only formal book of composition which is actualy very good (a bit heavy on theory but luckily with plenty of photographs to illustrate) is the book "Das Foto: Bildaufbau und Farbdesign" by Harald Mante...

http://www.fotoinfo.de/?p=111

....... i do not know about your german however and am not sure if there is an english translation.
Theories and principles from "Bauhaus" translated to photography .. that's where this book is all about. Very thorough piece of work!

Han

 

[pvdhaar]

..I find my composition-experiments rather conventional..

You think yours are conventional? I still have to learn not to put the horizon smack in the middle all the time.. 😉

 

[JohnL]

I'd suggest just about any book written by Freeman Patterson. He makes a lot of sense on visual design, without being at all pedantic.

 

[FrankS]

Andreas Fenninger has written many photo books, including at least one on composition.

 

[unky tone]

I've found that Jodie Coston's online photography course is great.
http://www.morguefile.com/archive/classroom.php

Also 'Briot's view' in the Luminous-Landscape is excellent
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/briots_view.shtml

In fact, I've got more out of the Luminous-Landscape than I ever got from a photography book.

Also I find constantly checking out photographer's websites is a good way of picking up tips and tricks by osmosis.

Cheers, Tony

 

[wierdcollector]

John Hedgecoe's Photographic Techniques or Ulf Sjostedt's Photo Composition are both good.

 

[jaapv]

Thanks, guys I think I'll go for the Mante book. My German is actually pretty good 🙂

 

[Jocko]

This is just a thought - but one that worked for me. Don't restrict yourself simply to photographic books. Look at books on painting - or better, books of paintings. A few hours with (for example) Freidrich, Durer or Claude can really change the way you see the world.

 

[jaapv]

Yes of course, Jocko, that is true, I find the early-painter photographers like Breitner very inspiring as well as the real classic painters. But I realy want some theoretical foundation- I feel like I'm flying without a pilots licence.

 

[gns]

Jaap,

I guess everyone struggles with this. I know I do.
I agree pretty much with Jocko, Just study a lot of pictures, your own photos as well (both successes and failures), and try to figure out what it is YOU want to do.
If you think your pictures are conventional, turning to books on "Composition" just seems counter productive. Don't things like the rule of thirds just lead to conventional looking pictures?

Gary

 

[SalmanA]

I know you were specifically asking about a print book on composition, but if you don't mind perusing this subject over the Internet here is a really good website with nothing but articles and info on Photography composition:

Photography Composition Articles Library

Regards,

 

[jaapv]

Don't worry, Gary, I'm arrogant enough to do my own thing. I like to have a solid theory behind me before I break every rule. Thanks SalmanA That is a new site to me.

 

[jaapv]

You think yours are conventional? I still have to learn not to put the horizon smack in the middle all the time.. 😉

I can do that too !!! 😛

 

[Pymm]

on composition..... no one can beat Leonardo da Vinci, his rules probably also apply to photography

 

[Poptart]

Get Paul Klee's Pedagogical Sketchbook.

 

[Gordon Coale]

I'm leery of books on composition. Look at lots of pictures of photographers you like. Take lots of pictures then take lots more. Books on composition talk about rules. You have to think about rules. When it comes to taking pictures, if you have to think about it you can't do it. Actually, that applies to most anything.

 

[hoot]

_The Elements of Drawing_, by John Ruskin. Great read, too.

I agree with other posters that composition should be intuitive, but there is such a thing as educated intuition, that comes from immersing yourself in theory as well as practice.

 

[richard_l]

You might like Composing Pictures, Still and Moving by Donald W. Graham. He was at one time the director of the Disney Studio Art School. It is mostly about drawing and painting and is prized by professional artists and (unfortunately) by collectors (who have driven up the price of this out-of-print book from about $20 to $170 USD). There is nothing in it about rules or principles of good composition. I.e., it's not a cookbook for composing pictures. It's all about the philosophy and psychology of composition: how and why certain compositional factors affect viewer response to an image.