Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Laurie S. Excell

Nov 2010 · Pearson Education

About this ebook

Now that you’ve bought that amazing new DSLR, you need a book that goes beyond the camera manual to teach you how to take those great shots. One key element is composition—the creative arrangement of components in the shot, and the way a viewer’s eye travels through an image.

With Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots, author and photographer Laurie Excell starts with the basics of composition and explores how the elements of color, shape, angles, and contrast work to create compelling images. Contributing photographers, John Batdorff, David Brommer, Rick Rickman, and Steve Simon, provide unique perspectives on black and white, sports, art history, and other subjects related to composition. Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book teaches you how to take control of your photography to get the image you want every time you pick up the camera.

Follow along with your friendly and knowledgeable guides, and you will learn about:

• Key camera features that affect composition, including the exposure triangle (ISO, aperture, and shutter speed)
• Shadow and light and how to direct the viewer’s eye to your subject
• Lines and shapes that create visual paths to points of interest in your image
• The role of color—using complementary or contrasting colors—to add your own unique artistic expression
• Spatial relationship and placing your subject within the frame for portraits, action shots, or landscapes

And once you’ve got the shot, show it off! Join the book’s Flickr group, share your photos, and discuss how you use your camera to get great shots at flickr.com/groups/composition_fromsnapshotstogreatshots.

Ratings and reviews

Great book

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About the author

Laurie Excell is a professional wildlife and nature photographer. Her images have been published in Outdoor Photographer, Outdoor Photography (UK), Photoshop User, Elements Techniques, and Layers magazines. She leads popular wildlife photography adventures in North America and is an instructor at Photoshop World. Prior to working as a professional photographer, Laurie spent more than two decades in photographic sales, helping pros and hobbyists decide which equipment suited their particular needs. See her work at laurieexcell.com.

John Batdorff is an award-winning landscape and travel photographer who splits his time between Chicago and Montana. He is the author of Nikon D7000: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Peachpit), and his work has been featured in the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. He loves the outdoors and traveling, and sharing his images with others. See his work and read his popular photography blog at www.batdorffphotography.com.

David Brommer is a New York City based photographer, who currently works as the B&H Photo Event Space Manager. Well versed in photography from pixels to platinum, David has built up a body of work centering on portraits of fringe society. David operated the gallery Suspect Photography in Seattle during the 90s and continues to explore new technology and old techniques. See his work at seattlesuspects.com.

Rick Rickman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern California photographer with 30 years experience. His work has been featured on many covers of Time and Newsweek magazines. His project and documentary work has appeared in publications such as National Geographic, Life, Sports Illustrated, and Smithsonian. Rick has traveled the world covering Olympic competitions, wars, and political upheavals as well as innumerable social interests and events. His abilities cross over every photographic discipline, and his greatest motivator is the challenge presented by each opportunity. He excels in creating unique images that excite the eye and captivate the mind. See his work at: rickrickman.com.

Steve Simon has been passionate about documenting the beauty and drama of the human condition for his entire photographic life. The author of four photography books with works in major museum collections around the world, he has had solo shows in New York, Buenos Aires, Toronto, and Montreal, and his work has been featured at the Visa Pour L’Image Photojournalism Festival in Perpignan, France. He is on the Apple Aperture Advisory Board and faculty of International Center of Photography (ICP) and School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. He has lead workshops all over the world, including Mentor Series, Macworld, PhotoPlus Expo, and Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai. His forthcoming books include: Steve Simon's Nikon Dream System (Lark) and The Passionate Photographer (New Riders). See his work at stevesimonphoto.com.