Can you teach someone how to be good at composing photographs?

[dean messenger]

Have to say I disagree quite strongly with this concept. With the best will in the world I'll never be good at maths or writing computer code, however hard I try my brain just isn't wired that way and trying to be good at it just doesn't help. Conversely I can do things in music absolutely perfectly naturally without even thinking about it that some other people have been trying to do for 20 years and still can't. I guess it's more a case of anything can be taught but it doesn't necessarily guarantee the person learning will be amazing at whatever they're doing.

i fully get ya there.. music wise i have quite short fat fingers.. and struggle to even get them around the strings of a guitar let alone play one. despite several attempts of learning , lessons and whatnot i can barely strum a chord in tune.. and as for drums.. sorry but i just dont have the hand eye coordination for it.
Driving is the same ( i dont drive..) never got to grips with it,, and the whole hands and feet and eyes on the road... just couldnt do it.

sure you can learn things. doesnt make you any good at them no matter how long and hard you try..
myself i have awful coordination but im very analytical and can solve quite complex problems and things like mensa tests are as easy to me as breathing.. but try to teach me to play an instrument or drive a car and i wouldnt have a clue! ).

 

[Blank_Canvas]

Dyslexics struggle with what is effortless to others no matter how much or how hard they try. Some people are tone deaf. Perhaps there's a visual equivalent?

Colour blind ?

 

[scottduffy]

Have to say I disagree quite strongly with this concept. With the best will in the world I'll never be good at maths or writing computer code, however hard I try my brain just isn't wired that way and trying to be good at it just doesn't help. Conversely I can do things in music absolutely perfectly naturally without even thinking about it that some other people have been trying to do for 20 years and still can't. I guess it's more a case of anything can be taught but it doesn't necessarily guarantee the person learning will be amazing at whatever they're doing.

I remember watching a program about a load of Chinese school kids who were taught maths from an early age and all through their school days they go to more lessons and are outstanding at maths. Now i don't believe for a minute these youngsters brains are wired to be good at maths. They just put in the hours and learn. Thats all i meant when i said anyone can be good at anything (that they're physically able to do). I did say that not everyone can be the best and also i never said anyone could run a successful photography business.

Brazilians are no more "wired" to becoming better footballers than the British. They just play football whilst our better off kids sit on their asses and play playstations. Practice makes you better.

 

[dean messenger]

Practice makes you better.

telll that to my music teacher of 5 years ( 30 years ago ) lol.. wasnt like they were a bad teacher.. just i was a damn awful pupil.

there are some thing s that can never be learnt no matter how hard you try.

 

[itsdavedotnet]

you can teach yourself, and there's one real way to do that.

Time behind the camera.

Know intimately what focal length really *means*. How it brings things closer together or further apart. Stick your camera on aperture priority mode and tape your lens at one set focal length, or use primes, if that'll help. Gain a visual memory of how wide or long a lens is.

As for composition - some people have that easier, and great compositions can come more naturally. Watch the whole frame, and in particular the background. That's the bit that your eye is very used to and very good at frankly ignoring, so you need to pay special attention to it.


But at the end of the day, go out and take pictures. Hundreds. Thousands.

I'm nearing a million and I'm still a long way off...

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Hi Caitlin
What all artists have to learn, is how to see.
To begin with we all look at every thing indiscriminately, however we only see what we want to, and the rest just passes us by.
So we see subjects as if they are isolated in our minds, we do not notice the things that spoil the pictures.

So learning to see is the real battle.

It helps a great deal to be "Visually Educated" By this I mean that you need to look at all forms of art not just photographs. Looking at sculpture helps see things in the "Round" and this helps the appreciation of lighting. Never walk past an exhibition... most are indifferent, but even the bad teaches you something, so go in anyway.

The second most important thing in taking a photograph is "moving your feet" This is what sets the view point and perspective.
As you dad showed you changing viewpoint changes both how a thing looks and what is included in a shot. A zoom does not change perspective or viewpoint, it just controls the size of the space.

At one times it was recommended to walk around with a pair of cardboard L shapes, and view the world through them. But your own hands serve just as well.

A third thing to learn is that the whole of objects do not need to be included. If you look at the impressionists they used the frame to control the subject matter, they were never afraid of the frame cutting bits off. they would show things coming into or going out of frame to create interest.

Then it comes to Light...You can neither see nor take a photograph with out light. That is a whole exciting new world to explore.

You may have noticed I have not mentioned rules... that is because there aren't any.
What there are, are crutches for the visually crippled, to help them see.
If you learn to use your imagination to see clearly, you become total freed from rules.

Like any skill the visual muscle needs exercise to be any use.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

On Sunday I attended the installation of a new priest into the Saddleworth team. and I took a set of shots from my seat. with my little X20.
None were particularly interesting as photographs and some can be seen here http://saddleworthteam-cofe.org.uk/news/

This one was right down the other end of the church, and I could hardly see her as she was given water to pour into the font ( part of the arcane, Anglican service.) As I could not get a proper view from my seat, I made do with the shapes I could see. and though she was small small I concentrated the interest on her. Not a great shot and poor quality, but I tried... and it will add to her memories.

 

[GeeJay57]

Colour blind ?

I'm 'colour blind' and I have found no way to learn my way around it. There are just situations where I simply cannot differentiate a particular shade of red or green from brown or blue from purple or pink from white or grey etc.. Knowing that I have the condition helps my to appreciate when I need to ask for help, but you wouldn't want me calibrating your screen..

Steve Davies through lots of practice became an excellent snooker player, but he never had as much talent as Jimmy White or Ronnie O'Sullivan.

 

[fracster]

As the daughter of Kennysarmy, thank you for your advice and feedback will take all into consideration next time I'm composing a shot

Welcome to the forum Caitlin.Read some posts, ignore some, take heed of others. Photography should be what you want it to be, you can follow the herds or break out and mould your own way. Best of luck with whichever you choose.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I'm 'colour blind' and I have found no way to learn my way around it. There are just situations where I simply cannot differentiate a particular shade of red or green from brown or blue from purple or pink from white or grey etc.. Knowing that I have the condition helps my to appreciate when I need to ask for help, but you wouldn't want me calibrating your screen..

Steve Davies through lots of practice became an excellent snooker player, but he never had as much talent as Jimmy White or Ronnie O'Sullivan.

One of the best photographers in our year at college was nearly totally colour blind.
However we all worked mainly in black and white in the 50's.

But his dress sense was bizarre.

 

[scottduffy]

I'm 'colour blind' and I have found no way to learn my way around it. There are just situations where I simply cannot differentiate a particular shade of red or green from brown or blue from purple or pink from white or grey etc.. Knowing that I have the condition helps my to appreciate when I need to ask for help, but you wouldn't want me calibrating your screen..

Steve Davies through lots of practice became an excellent snooker player, but he never had as much talent as Jimmy White or Ronnie O'Sullivan.

I think this proves my point exactly. Steve Davis was certainly more successful than Jimmy White without as much talent as he learned the safety game inside out and worked at it. Jimmy White was a telented Maverick who won hee haw in comparison. He didn't put in as much effort to correct his inadequacies. You can't learn around your colour blindness as thats a physical problem outwith your control.

 

[Phil V]

One of the best photographers in our year at college was nearly totally colour blind.
However we all worked mainly in black and white in the 50's.

But his dress sense was bizarre.

A former active member here is a 'friend of a friend' who really got into photography and wanted to make a career of it, but his PP sucks because he's colour blind. He's now considered quite an expert on B&W processing. He's good too!

 

[Andyvalver]

You can teach anyone anything if they are willing to learn and have a good go at it.