A huge thank you to Rhonda Cullens for an incredible learning night! She gave a masterclass on photography composition, providing everyone with a clear roadmap to creating more impactful and compelling images.
Rhonda started with a core principle: What exactly is composition?
Composition is the arrangement of elements within a frame to create a visually compelling photo. It’s how we tell a story and guide the viewer’s eye directly to the subject.
For those who want to review or who couldn’t make it, here’s the fantastic framework Rhonda shared for thinking through your shots before and after you click the shutter.
Rhonda’s Roadmap to Better Photos
- Getting to the Subject: Center of Interest or Subject, Compose to Tell a Story
- Composition “Rules”: Leading Lines & S-Curves, Rule of Thirds vs. Centering, Rule of Odds, Fill the Frame vs. Breathing Room & Negative Space, Golden Ratio
- Positioning: Direction & Perspective, Reflections & Symmetry, Framing
- Setting the Scene: Colors, Contrast & Light, Foreground, Middle Ground & Backgrounds, Camera Depth of Field
- Things to watch for: Mergers, Corners, Horizons, Ankles & other joints, Simplify
- Finishing Touches & Tips: Cropping & Vignettes, Try Something Different!, Have Fun with Post-Processing, Words & Still Life Tips
It was a session packed with practical advice. The real fun starts now – getting out there and putting these ideas into practice! What better place to do that than at our Fall Photographers’ Workshop? It’s the perfect opportunity to apply these new techniques in a hands-on environment with fellow photographers.
Thanks again, Rhonda, for sharing your time and expertise!