Photographic Composition - A New Series by John Paul Caponigro

[johnastovall]

Luminous Landscape is starting a new series on Composition by John Paul Caponigro.

Part I is on how to use Photoshop filters to evaluate composition by reducing the image to its basic structures.

Composition is the heart of any image regardless of medium. It is also one of the most neglected unless one has had formal training in the arts.

Part 1 - Introduction

[venchka]

Really?

Photoshop?

No way.

Way?

Nope.

I'm not buying Photoshop.

Am I?

OK, I follow the link. The first computer image in the article is a Photoshop Fabrication. is this the same Paul Caponigro who is a master traditional printer? Did he sell out to the Dark Side?

Not the same person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Caponigro

[johnastovall]

It's his son....

[Big Dog]

Originally Posted by venchka

I'm not buying Photoshop.

Am I?

You could probably do much of what is demonstrated with Photoshop Elements or any other "imaging software." Even for a diehard film purist, Photoshop can be a valuable tool.

Although OTOH, if one can't judge composition anyway, I'm not sure this exercise is going to help all that much. I could be wrong ...

[venchka]

I prefer daddy's work.

I see one use for Photoshop: Digital negatives for contact printing. Maybe. I'll try Lightroom first.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by Big Dog

You could probably do much of what is demonstrated with Photoshop Elements or any other "imaging software." Even for a diehard film purist, Photoshop can be a valuable tool.

Although OTOH, if one can't judge composition anyway, I'm not sure this exercise is going to help all that much. I could be wrong ...

I think they can help many people by getting them to look beyond the image to the basic shapes, lines and contrasts by introducing greater levels of abstraction in the viewing process. One should start thinking about how the eye will move with in the frame and not, "Oh, it's such a good picture of...."