I'm pleased to let you know, that as of today, I've released a second edition of my popular 'Simplifying Composition' e-Book.
completely re-written and expanded (now 68 pages long).
I felt that since writing the first one in 2010, my abilities as a workshop teacher had moved on quite a lot. Over the years I've been teaching my workshops, I've added to my thoughts on composition, so much so, that I felt I needed to update the book to reflect this.
But rather than updating the e-Book, I've chosen to totally re-write it from scratch. So it's definitely worth getting if you liked the first one, and want to learn some new things :-)
Flow..... and relationships between similar shapes and patterns.
More about the new edition
The new edition is double in size - 68 pages long to be exact, and is packed with lots of new advice and tips on improving your compositional awareness while out in the field and when reviewing the work later on.
In writing this edition, my aim was to utilise the experiences gained over the past six years teaching workshops, to give you an updated view on how to simplify your compositional skills.
The book is split into three sections:
- Flow. Learning how to guide the eye through the frame in a comfortable and pleasing manner
- Compositional Devices. By using certain features within the landscape, we can strengthen and simplify our compositions
- Fieldwork. Best practices, techniques and approach while out in the field
And here is the table of contents to the new version:
S-curves and also background emphasis with focal-lengths.
Table of Contents
3 Introduction Part 1. Flow
6 The flow of your eye
7 Interpreting the flow within an image
10 An example
Part 2. Compositional Devices
13 Introducing the diagonal line
16 Looking for diagonals in the ground
20 Looking for diagonals in the sky
23 Introducing the curve
25 Curves & mirroring
28 Introducing the s-curve
31 Asymmetrical s-curves
33 Patterns, mirroring & tonal separation
35 Cohesion in the landscape
Part 3. Fieldwork
39 Foreground emphasis
41 Background emphasis
44 Vertical spacing between subjects
47 Avoiding the fish tank effect
52 Visualising in 2D
56 Working with parallax
59 Strengthening composition
62 strengthening cohesion
65 Improving your workflow
68 epilogue
Mirroring in the landscape, asymmetrical shapes in the landscape and parallax issues.
I feel particularly pleased with this updated edition. I felt I got the sequencing of the chapters right because one aspect of composition seemed to lead onto another in a way that has made the book very easy to get into.
I do hope you enjoy reading this one. I fully intend it to be a reference that you can return to time and time again.