The new book details both why and how theories of composition work and also uses eye-tracking technology to put these theories to the test. Teaming up with a company called iMotions, Michael put photographs through the latest eye-tracking technology to see exactly how viewers look at them \u2013 and whether the photographer\u2019s ideas bore fruit.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s 15 years now since I wrote The Photographer\u2019s Eye<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, which was all about composition, and in the time since I\u2019ve thought more and been shooting more, to the point where there\u2019s a new book\u2019s worth of ideas,\u2019 Michael explains.<\/p>\n Not about rules \u2018As well as specific techniques, I\u2019m showing how composition needs a purpose,\u2019 he adds. \u2018It\u2019s absolutely not about rules, because there\u2019s no such thing as a single \u201cgood\u201d way to frame and compose. As I see it, there are three purposes for composition, not all at the same time. First, bringing some kind of order to the picture \u2013 that doesn\u2019t mean a rigid order, but it does mean avoiding chaos.<\/p>\n\t\t Placement zones \u2013 an extreme corner placement of the man in a Nuba village, Sudan, helped to emphasise the context of the thatched houses as he faces in towards a pattern of triangles<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Second, influencing the way the viewer will look at the picture, which might, for instance, mean a slight delay in getting to the point of the photograph. Third, simply to be interesting, to make it different and more enjoyable to look at.\u2019<\/p>\n Michael honed his compositional skills through a mixture of experimentation (or learning by mistakes, as he calls it) and studying the work of other photographers. He is adamant that a good sense of composition, or \u2018design\u2019 as he prefers, is an absolutely fundamental skill-set that we all need for effective photography.<\/p>\n \u2018Put yourself in any situation, and while the lighting, subject or action may not be easy to do anything about, you can always compose differently, in your own way,\u2019 he explains. \u2018It\u2019s the one guaranteed skill that can be personal to you.\u2019<\/p>\n Michael describes his compositional style as precise, and favours neatness and order \u2013 yet he also encourages readers to follow their own temperament. \u2018In a book like this, where I\u2019m talking about what the ideas and actions really are behind each picture, I need to use my own work in order to be truthful and accurate.<\/p>\n So, at the same time I went to as much trouble as I could to embrace styles that are opposite to mine. And I actually have experimented over the years with different approaches, including \u201clooser\u201d. There\u2019s quite a wide range in the book, and I\u2019m offering this for readers to choose from as starting points, according to their feeling. It\u2019s a kind of toolkit of possibilities.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t By facing into the image from upper left, the second stone building identifies the expanse of green as an element in its own right \u2013 \u2018so that the two of them are in an unresolved balance that is still, to most eyes, acceptable\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n The book also introduces a lot of concepts from fine art, as Michael is a passionate believer that all photographers can benefit from studying some of the techniques of great painters and other celebrated visual artists.<\/p>\n \u2018If you take all representational art, up to the early 20th century, most painters were trying to do what most skilled photographers do \u2013 convey an impression of a scene or a person or a thing that was realistic or emotional or atmospheric in one way or another. To me, photography as capture is in that direct line of history, and there\u2019s so much to learn from painters like Turner, Claud Lorrain, Caravaggio, Monet, and more.<\/p>\n The same goes for quite a lot of abstract painting. But note I said \u2018capture\u2019. None of this applies to conceptual art, but then I\u2019m not really interested in conceptual photography. Plus, it\u2019s healthy to step away from the narrow confines of just photography, because if you look only at the work of photographers you admire, there\u2019s a risk of becoming a copycat.\u2019<\/p>\n While many of the images in the book are travel and documentary themed, Michael believes strongly that the ideas he is proposing can be applied across different genres. \u2018In fact, although the bias is toward travel and documentary, I include studio, architecture and interiors, all of which I work in. There\u2019s a fundamental difference between these \u201cmanaged\u201d genres and the found, reactive shooting that most people go for. I\u2019ve tried to show in the book how each can translate into strong composition.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t \u2018When faced with visual complexity and disorganisation we search for the simplest forms into which this can be interpreted,\u2019 says Michael. Good timing enabled a graphic construction of a circle enclosing a standing figure in this image from the Maldives<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n How would Michael react to readers who might say, \u2018I apply a lot of the concepts in Michael\u2019s book instinctively, and don\u2019t need to read it all again as I will lose my spontaneity.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s okay. Not everyone wants to study or delve too deeply into the underpinnings of photography, and if spontaneity is essential for someone, that\u2019s the way to stay. But I always remember Saturday morning music listening classes at school. The teacher had a hard He said, \u201cYou may think that learning how music works will spoil your natural enjoyment of it, but it won\u2019t. It will help you understand more.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael often refers to masters such as Cartier-Bresson in the book, but rates quite a few contemporary photographers when it comes to superb composition and image design, too.<\/p>\n \u2018The contemporary photographers I pay most attention to when it comes to composition are those who can handle complex situations rather than minimalist ones, because that\u2019s much more demanding. And not only handle, but make interesting, imaginative, unexpected. So, in no order of preference: Alex Webb, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Stuart Paton, David Alan Harvey. On the side of clean, precise simplification, Nadav Kander.\u2019<\/p>\n Finally does Michael think that photographers today have become too reliant on cropping and \u2018fixing\u2019 composition in editing software, compared to the film days \u2013 when photographers strived to get it right in camera?<\/p>\n \u2018Yes, unfortunately. In fact, the power of processing and editing software has encouraged \u201cfixing\u201d across the board, not just in composition. But at the same time, software has enabled extending the picture frame by pan-and-stitch (see the images overleaf). To my mind that\u2019s a positive contribution to composition\u2026If it\u2019s planned in advance. So, as with all things digital, there\u2019s a need for balance. Composition is a skill that should be practised at the moment of capture, however.\u2019<\/p>\n Potentially busy and messy when shot, this \u2018decrowded\u2019 scene has five subject elements that needed to be separated from each other in order to read well and be harmonious \u2013 in other words, resolved into a neat order, as here<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n For readers who want to apply some of Michael\u2019s principles quickly with a fast-moving or fast-changing subject, he recommends pairing subjects (a couple at a music festival, for instance), along with decrowding. Decrowding includes finding a viewpoint and moment that lets you separate the different elements (such as several people), keeping them apart rather than having them overlap. \u2018Another good approach is what I call matchmaking, which is looking for connections between things in the frame, like their shape or position.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Salience\u2019 is one of the most important concepts in Michael\u2019s book \u2013 basically, what the viewer will find important in a picture and so will catch their attention. \u2018It\u2019s a mixture of subject \u2013 faces, people, lettering \u2013 and graphics, such as shapes, and the contrast between anything and its background,\u2019 Michael explains.<\/p>\n\t\t What\u2019s most \u2018salient\u2019 about an image? Here the composition guides the viewer through the scene, starting with the face on the left, moving through the poster\/lettering and then to the less-obvious face of the guy on the right<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n \u2018Some of the time you can use this natural effect to strengthen your picture, at other times it may fight what you want to do \u2013 such as signage distracting attention from what you want to be important.\u2019 Michael is also eloquent when talking about angular energy. \u2018Diagonals challenge and energise,\u2019 he explains.<\/p>\n \u2018Multiples of diagonal lines usually reinforce each other, as you would expect, and if they are parallel, that\u2019s fairly straightforward. However, if they\u2019re at different angles, and particularly if they converge, there\u2019s a stronger sense of movement and of drawing the eye.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t In this image of a factory making gas containers, Michael shot from overhead. \u2018The diagonals bring energy and a counter-diagonal of sparks was an added bonus\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Working an implied triangle into an image is another simple but effective tool.\u00a0\u2018The triangle is the simplest of all shapes, and any three prominent points suggest an triangle, unless they are in a straight line, because we have an innate tendency to \u201csee\u201d them given only a few visual clues,\u2019 says Michael.<\/p>\n \u2018This visual urge is surprisingly widespread when it comes to triangles, more so than with any other shape. The \u201ctrick\u201d is to make your suggested triangle interesting. That tends to mean unusual, or unexpected, coming together in a clever way. Complete triangles offer nothing to distract graphically and are simply subjects in their own right, but encouraging the viewer\u2019s eye to imagine a triangle from a few clues adds an extra small layer of experience, and it makes the final image that bit more enjoyable.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t Street scene, La Reunion \u2013 triangulation in action<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n In this image, right, Michael was attracted by the splashes of primary colours and stark white and dark grey. \u2018What raised the image a notch was the diagonal hard shadow of the lamp post, which went most of the way to adding a triangle as a graphic overlay. It needed a passer-by to complete it… as the second man reaches the apex of the almost triangle, his legs neatly do so.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Despite the many techniques for escaping the bad reputation of bullseye dead-centre composition, there are of course occasions to celebrate it and enhance it, and as long as they do stay occasional, they can be striking,\u2019 says Michael. Mirroring is one of these, and as its name suggests, it relies on one half of the image being almost a mirror image of the other.<\/p>\n Shot in infrared, the view straight down between the rows of oil palms is strikingly symmetrical. \u2018To make it more interesting compositionally, it was offset to the left in this pan-and-stitched image above. Versions with the man in a different position or absent were less effective.\u2019<\/p>\n Michael Freeman on\u2026 Composition is published by Ilex Press<\/a> with a price of \u00a320. michaelfreemanphotography.com<\/a><\/p>\n ISBN 9781781578360<\/p>\n Get an exclusive discount on Michael Freeman… On Composition!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Special Price of \u00a314.10\u00a0+ UK postage \u00a33.10 (\u00a317.10)<\/p>\n Discount Code:\u00a0MFOPMAY22 <\/strong><\/p>\n Discount expiry date: 30\/06\/2022<\/strong><\/p>\n Please contact Hachette Distribution with the Discount Code, ISBN and delivery address to order with\u00a0hukdcustomerservice@hachette.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0or call 01235 759555 Monday to Friday 9am \u2013 5pm<\/p>\n Beginners Guide to the Art of Photography and Composition<\/a><\/p>\n The secrets of photo composition<\/a><\/p>\n Composition tips: 5 steps to better photographs<\/a><\/p>\n Follow AP on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and YouTube<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Michael Freeman\u2019s latest book, On\u2026Composition, combines lots of newer and more classical approaches to help master this vital skill. Geoff Harris finds out more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":165183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[371,36],"tags":[2375,2778,2293],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-165166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camera_skills","category-technique","tag-camera-skills","tag-composition","tag-technique"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"an](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Michael-Freeman-new-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\t![\"By](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Michael-Freeman-new-2.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tArt of gold<\/h3>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Michael-Freeman-new-3.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tStay spontaneous<\/h3>\n
\ntime with us because we weren\u2019t really interested in Mozart or Tchaikovsky, but he persevered, even with popular music.<\/p>\nPairing, decrowding, matchmaking<\/h3>\n\t\t
![\"Potentially](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/decrowding-main-image.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/decrowding-diagram.jpg\")
<\/a>\nSalience & angular energy<\/h3>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/salience.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\t![\"In](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/michael-freeman-new-5.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tThinking in triangles<\/h3>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/michael-freeman-new-6.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tUsing mirroring<\/h3>\n
![\"black](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/michael-freeman-new-4.jpg\")
<\/a>\n![\"book](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/michael-freeman-book-cover-323x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
\n\nFurther reading:<\/h3>\n