Photography
Creative Concepts

Whereas many compositions, such as music, painting, sculpture, and design, start from a blank canvas and compose through the art of inclusion, photography is the opposite. As photographers, we start with the world as it is and practice the art of exclusion. Rather than adding elements to an empty canvas, we are taking them away from a very messy canvas.

Light, can be used as a compositional element. However, it is also an important part of the photograph as a whole. Different qualities of light can evoke different responses in your viewer, and as such, it is a very potent tool to understand. Light also has color, which can have a great effect on how your viewer perceives your image.

Moment is so important to us that we will wait hours for the light to glint off the water in just the right way, or the perfect character to walk into our scene. We will throw away images where the wind blew hair in the wrong way, dismissing them as subpar. Focusing on this element of your image is a sure way to make better photographs.