Understanding composition means balancing technical decisions with artistic expression, which gives your images both precision and soul. It’s not just about what you put into the frame but how you arrange those elements to create movement, balance, and engagement.
Coming to you from Alister Benn, this engaging video explores how photography is both a craft and an art. He shares his experience of shooting while leading a workshop and offers insights on how each frame builds on the last. By tweaking the composition across several iterations, he highlights the importance of creating movement within the scene, not only through visual elements but through implied connections that invite the viewer to explore the frame. This video emphasizes the dynamic interaction between technical precision and creative choices, and why you should avoid letting technicalities stifle artistic flow.
Benn discusses how simple adjustments, like altering the relationship between foreground and background, can significantly change the outcome. His focus on using shapes, such as a triangular sandbar and zigzag patterns, shows how geometry plays into creating an energetic composition. He walks you through his decision to remove distractions from the frame, favoring a more focused and intentional layout. Each version of the image improves on the last, demonstrating how refining your work isn’t just about achieving technical perfection—it’s about bringing clarity to what matters most in the scene.
One key moment in the video involves the use of focus stacking. Benn combines exposures to overcome the limitations of depth of field, using Photoshop to blend sharp foreground and background elements seamlessly. This process underscores the importance of knowing your equipment and using post-processing techniques to enhance your vision. His decision to use a long exposure to smooth out water reflects how technical choices can influence the emotional impact of a photo. Benn’s final square crop showcases how removing distractions can draw attention to the most compelling parts of the image, emphasizing the beauty of the seaweed and the interplay of light and contrast. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Benn.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”
