Better Photographic Composition | Beyond the Rule of Thirds

In this program, David Brommer covers the basic concepts of composition as established by the masters of the Renaissance. Commencing with the classic rule of thirds and leaping into theories of color and balance, David will touch upon a range of topics, including: image construction, positive and negative space, as well as other advanced composition concepts.
General shooting questions like, “Is the shot better if it’s a horizontal or vertically composed?” and conceptual ideas such as integrating theme and subject context are explored. Another factor to be considered is color vs. black and white, and how these two treatments can influence the visual impact of the photograph. Just when your head is spinning with new cropping and composing ideas, David will demonstrates special shooting techniques including how to create a pan blur, zooming the lens during exposure and low angle (worms eye view) shooting tips.
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[@patyeaman]

I am a passionate amateur photographer and a loyal customer of B&H. I hope David Brommer and all the leaders at B&H realize that my purchases are also expressions of my gratitude for all the wonderful educational videos done in the Event Space and Optic Events and shared with all of us on You Tube. Thank You! (P.S. David, this was a wonderful presentation).

[@watercloset99]

HA HA HA....They enjoy the money, BUB

[@ro3843]

If I was to be nitpicky, Id probably make a comment about some of the pretentiousness. Not everybody can just waltz off to Italy for an art viewing tour :-) However the fact that this hugely valuable and interesting lecture is available for free on KZbin blows my mind. Massive kudos to this gentleman, b&h and this KZbin channel for posting this up for everybody. That's great thank you

[@Stewz66]

Have watched several times. Most enjoy you discussing the compositional elements of the Masters. Thank you.

[@hurleygreen927]

Great information...going back to the basics! Thanks

[@captandy34449]

Great stuff, I learned a lot! Thank you!

[@bruce-le-smith]

lots of great tips, thank you!

[@alainkarsenty4783]

great video, taught me so much beyond just photography.

[@austinc8176]

Today we'll be talking about photographic composition. Billions of years ago, the universe was created in an event called the big bang....

[@Crashoverall]

thanks for the video, these help a lot!

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

Lots of good advice :-) Of particular note was the horizon shouldn't be dead center (either 1/3 or 2/3 is good) and a subject not dead center but just slightly off center is pleasing to the eye (background subject for example).

[@vmatt]

Another great presentation. One thing to note that gets to me, as a medievalist. It is not true that there was anything 'dark' about the middle ages. This is what people of the enlightenment said in order to show why their philosophy was correct and the previous one was not. If anything, Europe in the middle ages had a lot more innovation than it did before and after. It's just it was in fields we usually don't care about. There was also a lot of art during the middle ages, by the 'barbarians' David mentions as well. Another small point: Giotto is from Vicchio, a village near Florence. That's a fair mistake to make, given he worked in Florence.

[@leacwpc]

rule of thirds third horizon studium= general liking punctum= punctuates the image into the viewers shoot more positive and negative space 1:10:50 darker areas lines and anchor points 1:20:56 image complexity

[@emmakelly1215]

I think it time we forget those dead works of 2000 hundred years old and talk about the new age! People are more aware this day and age of what makes a good photograph. Every one got a camera this day, and every one have different views as to what a good photograph is. There are no general rules of photography. Every photo have a place! Every photo have a market and buyers. Just check out on stock images and see for your self. Only one of a hundred photographers remembers those rules in the field! We only talk about one - third of our work that happened to complete rules. What about the others? Some times photographs made them selves and then when we study them in our digital dark room and find out they are good we showcase them to the world, but the ones who's rules are out of place we don't talk about them.

[@aquilifergroup]

What’s your point again?

[@ooltimu]

That Yosemite pic looks a lot like it's CG generated. You can actually see pixelation in the mountains' texture. Are you sure that is a photo?

[@laikatravels]

Good stuff 👍

[@neelutpaldas]

Thanks much!!

[@shanehughes1924]

Watching this for the first time while quarantined in April 2020 and I laughed really hard when he said, “We’re living on the gravy train. I want to introduce you to the concept of a plague.” We’re all very well acquainted with plague now 😂

[@ro3843]

.. I'm not sure I understand your meaning. If you're being sarcastic, that would be preposterous to me. While covid is bad, it can't hold a candle to the bubonic plague. And quite frankly having to be quarantined is really not that big of a deal in an historical context. Nor is a 1% mortality rate compared to a 33% mortality rate and absolutely no pain treatment whatsoever. So no, pal. We are still not acquainted with a real plague. At least not in any first or second world country with the exception of Italy

[@Rafstiano]

"Hi my name is David, and I have a problem with color"

[@Bhodisatvas]

Some great teachings in this video but I really don't get the whole lens baby stuff? They looked 'meh' to me.

[@elsiepoynton9576]

So interesting thank you

[@entubatumahumasu4132]

Whats the difference between this and the old version of his speech?

[@andrewmanford]

This one is newer.

[@ArmandoDuarte]

At 56:10, the photo "Children on a Spiral Staircase" is not from HSB but is from martine Franck, his second wife.

[@user-jn9pg8gs1p]

OH

[@krishartsphotography5643]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@richc.3100]

Great video, I learned a lot. Thank you for posting this.

[@pankajjuneja7867]

Ok so it would not too long ok 😉

[@pankajjuneja7867]

Oi ii in a see 😅😃 ok 😸 of a week I like o

[@pankajjuneja7867]

Oi je Tai ami in love pl see rs ds rom

[@pankajjuneja7867]

I f Dec I am

[@pankajjuneja7867]

Oooh io ok oi din ki

[@sanilalkuttimon1755]

♥️♥️♥️

[@Tzadeck]

It's funny to me that the guys who dress in black and talk artsy always take worse pictures than the less pretentious photographers. Just look around at other B&H videos and you'll see.

[@ArchetypePhotography]

True that! =)

[@TitoMariategui]

Interesting when he analyze the composition of the great masters, but when he review his own work mmmm... Well...

[@sr.flipflop5951]

Of course, art is subjective and what looks good varies from person to person, but those Studium shots made my eyes hurt, especially the In N Out one. You gotta have huge balls to present your own photographs as examples of composition along with fucking Henri Cartier Bresson.

[@samnangsun321]

@@sr.flipflop5951 យុ៎សសសឋឋ ។ ផឲឲ

[@juliaaraujo6926]

This video has already been uploaded five years ago.

[@RonDonson]

A very Euro-centric view of art history.

[@dizzicz]

Looks like hurt american ego... :-D

[@CPLTarun]

No I think he's referring to the lack of Asian or African or North & South American art history etc. in the overall account of art history

[@aquilifergroup]

So?

[@heisenburger7044]

Your history lesson is not correct, I'm not trying to be mean. But some of the history in this video is very inaccurate.

[@clancen]

As with every free instructional video B&H posts, the comment section is nothing but offended photographers, photographers who click on a two hour video and want it to short and sweet, photographers who've already mastered photography, and then of course the most subjectively critical of all the judgmental photographers. Amazing.

[@thesouringgentleman]

Tell Hiroshi Sugimoto to keep the horizon out of center. 40 minuets in, and this dude is still talking rule of thirds. That’s a 5 minute conversation at most.

[@CPLTarun]

I love your point about Sugimoto and the horizon. I think it's time photographers stop calling these "rules" rules. I'm not sure what would be a good replacement word, however...patterns? The pattern of thirds? Or maybe just composition, as in the Composition of Thirds. Something neutral.

[@riderinthesky2265]

So why are you still watching this if you're so great???? Pls post links to your lectures great master.

[@riderinthesky2265]

@@CPLTarun So why are you still watching this if you're so great???? Pls post links to your lectures great master.

[@CPLTarun]

@@riderinthesky2265 Nowhere did I say I was great. All I'm saying is that calling it a "rule" is unnecessary, because the label makes it seem like every good composition always has to follow that, which isn't the case. It should be called "composition of thirds" or something neutral like that, which implies to students a little more freedom to explore and not follow that composition when they feel it's not what they're going for, etc. And why am I still watching these lectures? Because one never stops learning, and is always a student, of course! :) That's what I try to be, trying to learn from others' experiences, etc. That doesn't mean a student has to absolutely agree with everything the lecturer says, though, right? :)

[@Burgalo2001]

@@CPLTarun you're right, dude

[@jaxchambers7652]

Not for me ..get to the point

[@ooltimu]

And no, you're not good with the cloning tool. Don't flatter yourself.

[@martinhodge3119]

I love the B and H videos but this is gibberish.

[@Smedley60]

I just ordered a camera and some other supplies from B&H. And I appreciate these videos. But...I see no reason to be disrespectful by saying such things as "the mythology of Christianity."

[@clancen]

I knew that would piss a Christian off lol