Kudos to your 6 year old son. Let him know that he did a good job. Maybe he should be the one doing the workshop. You give some good suggestions. Good job.
Great! So nice to see a video that talks about HOW and WHY and WHEN to use a certain compositional technique to convey a certain feeling or mood, not only what the technique is and how you apply it technically. Really appreciated! I'll be on the lookout for more videos like this.
Excellent: really appreciated, I just love the whole, "how can I capture this mood" reflection. I also realise these videos do less well than "this new lens is a game changer!" but this is what we need in our heads.
The final words there are brilliant Alex, it really sums up what photography is all about. However, as a photographer and a viewer of photographs; we know that photography, among all other forms of art, sports and cooking etc, is all about personal preference. So whatever we feel about a certain photograph, chances are some will absolutely agree while others will strongly disagree. However, I do like your discussion about photograhy very much as it, among other things, but foremost serves as an inspiration to make photographs more intentionally, thoughtfully and deliberate. Thank you Alex.
Thanks Alex. I love the idea that a photograph should make the viewer feel something. That is the ultimate goal of any successful composition. Elements it seems are just tools, or rules to be used or broken in service of the subject. In my work I have been drawn towards the idea that there must always be a 'why' for each shoot or each image, and I guess that's the game that we play in search of something that is natural, compelling and exudes the mood or feeling that we want to create or communicate.
Very true. If you have to think - or even want to think - about composition rules, you are simply not there yet. And "getting there" does take quite some time and a fair amount of experience. And then you need at least an inkling of talent and a bit of good luck now and again. The same holds for camera settings. There is no need to think about them at all if you are not in some sort of special situation. "Automatic", the choice "P"/"A"/"S", plus a stop up or down manual exposure compensation is more than enough fiddle for 95% of the time.
Thank you for your wonderful insights and words of wisdom! "The photograph just is". "These compositional elements are useful when we apply them naturally, not go looking for them"
As an advanced photographer, you are there to take the great photos and leave the lesser ones for other photographers. I like the idea of harmony rather than formulaic composition. Arthur wesley Dow would speak of composition subservient to harmony.
Nice to see you out and about Alex, facing the elements and not a mug of tea/coffee 😂. Top, inspirational stuff as ever man. Yep, it’s just a feeling and I guess it can’t be taught. Experience, and the more you have of it the better. It’s a feeling as you say; but we all have photog block at times and you just have to battle through it, not give up. 👍📸
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Alex. Thank you for all of these informative and useful videos in 2024. I look forward to watching and learning in 2025. Cheers!
I find that when I think less about compositional elements as a point of emphasis but react more to the scene, the better my photos are. Often I find myself moving around until I find a something I like. I find for many of my best shots, I shoot from a relatively low angle.
The other day I walked into a cafe that I had visited before and suddenly saw a compositon along the lines of Eccleston. It felt right, haven't been back so unless they paint the walls in the mean time, it will still be there for a while and I will take the image in the future.
I rather liked the image at 6:23, where you're peering over the rocks. One thing do to immerse the viewer in the scene is to shoot *from*, rather than *at*, a subject, where that makes sense.
Thank you so much for this, makes one think about taking pictures to also please ones inner self and not only technically correct for club. A blessed Christmas and prosperous 2025 to you and your family as well. Groetnis vanaf SA
Agree that the fence aligned with the flats looks better. What if @17:34 you had moved a few feet to the right so the orange sign completely obscured the block of flats? ... or if you'd moved to the left so the brown flats filled the left side of the fence, again, without peeking over the top?
@alexkilby I think you were upstaged by your young assistant 😀 Just enjoyed your discussion with Scott on the Tinhouse Pod… might be an occasional format you try on your own channel?
Another great vlog, as always. It’s great a 6-year old filming an adult but imagine the uproar if it was you filming a 6-year old child, not to mention child employment laws in the UK. I hope you took him to McDonald’s after filming? 🤣🤣
I feel that these types of dreary winter seashore photographs would benefits from a lone person in the frame. Perhaps an older gentleman trudging on the water’s edge, carrying fishing paraphernalia. Or a woman with long hair blowing in the wind as she hugs herself to ward off the damp and cold. Just my thoughts…they may be wrong, or they may be right. After all, what is art, if not the feeling it evokes in, first the creator, and then lastly, the viewer.
The natural progression of a photographer... You start out as a contious incompetent. You are aware that you need to learn. Then you become an uncontious incompetent. You aren't aware of your mistakes. Then you finally become an uncontious competent. When you have studied and learned and practiced enough that you finally become an uncontious competent. You do it right, without even thinking about it. I think I got that progression correct.🤔
I missed one... 🙄 Explanation of each stage: Unconscious Incompetence: You are completely unaware of your lack of skill in a particular area and may not even recognize the need to learn it. Conscious Incompetence: You become aware that you lack a skill and begin to actively try to learn it, often making mistakes while doing so. Conscious Competence: You are actively applying the skill, but still need to concentrate and think through each step to perform it correctly. Unconscious Competence: The skill becomes second nature, you can perform it effortlessly without conscious thought, and may even be able to teach it to others.
Rule of Thirds, I think is overblown because it can be taught easily. But the rule itself is crap. There is no actual magic at those thirds intersections. The actual rule it to put at least two things into the photograph compose the frame so that there is a relationship. When I use this rule I use it ironically to create a crowd pleaser. Usually I put the big thing much closer to the edge, in order to have more environment on the other side. This video here shows that supposedly beginner mistakes like centering the subject can work. Alex' images look a bit like illustrations which I like a lot.
That fish sculpture reminds me of the swordfish in the port at Colima. The pole image looked more golden ratio than thirds to me. Barthes Studium is the 'self' you believe you are projecting/perceiving...manifested praxis. Barthes, again, describes the unsettled/uncomfortable elements in a photograph as punctum. They can be usefully, or carelessly, provocative.
Your mechanical images, as you call them, are quite lovely, actually. If money weren't an object, and it always is for most of us, one could liven up those winter beach scenes you have shown us with the judicious use of paid models. I see no harm in doing that. The movie industry does it all the time.
You can't have your cake and eat it too! I very much like all aspects of your centrally composed pile of rocks + sea marker, but your PP brought out blues instead of the grey/brown day that you were professing to record. I don't think that photo captured the mood of the day at all.
Kudos to your 6 year old son. Let him know that he did a good job. Maybe he should be the one doing the workshop. You give some good suggestions. Good job.
Hear, hear!
He did excellently!
For a 6 year old he did a tremendous job!
Great! So nice to see a video that talks about HOW and WHY and WHEN to use a certain compositional technique to convey a certain feeling or mood, not only what the technique is and how you apply it technically. Really appreciated! I'll be on the lookout for more videos like this.
Excellent: really appreciated, I just love the whole, "how can I capture this mood" reflection. I also realise these videos do less well than "this new lens is a game changer!" but this is what we need in our heads.
The final words there are brilliant Alex, it really sums up what photography is all about.
However, as a photographer and a viewer of photographs; we know that photography, among all other forms of art, sports and cooking etc, is all about personal preference. So whatever we feel about a certain photograph, chances are some will absolutely agree while others will strongly disagree.
However, I do like your discussion about photograhy very much as it, among other things, but foremost serves as an inspiration to make photographs more intentionally, thoughtfully and deliberate. Thank you Alex.
Thanks Alex. I love the idea that a photograph should make the viewer feel something. That is the ultimate goal of any successful composition. Elements it seems are just tools, or rules to be used or broken in service of the subject. In my work I have been drawn towards the idea that there must always be a 'why' for each shoot or each image, and I guess that's the game that we play in search of something that is natural, compelling and exudes the mood or feeling that we want to create or communicate.
Very true. If you have to think - or even want to think - about composition rules, you are simply not there yet. And "getting there" does take quite some time and a fair amount of experience. And then you need at least an inkling of talent and a bit of good luck now and again. The same holds for camera settings. There is no need to think about them at all if you are not in some sort of special situation. "Automatic", the choice "P"/"A"/"S", plus a stop up or down manual exposure compensation is more than enough fiddle for 95% of the time.
Thanks
Thank you for your wonderful insights and words of wisdom!
"The photograph just is".
"These compositional elements are useful when we apply them naturally, not go looking for them"
Your son was framing you perfectly, and I loved how the Dutch tilt added some drama!
As an advanced photographer, you are there to take the great photos and leave the lesser ones for other photographers. I like the idea of harmony rather than formulaic composition. Arthur wesley Dow would speak of composition subservient to harmony.
Stumbled across this and really enjoyed it searching your library now and my evening is planned
I've ben en watching your channel for several years - nice to actually see you taking a photo!!!! Good video though, thanks!
As you said "Center Composition" (which I do use quite often for the same effect) my mind was saying "Negative Space" 🙃
Merry Christmas!
Nice to see you out and about Alex, facing the elements and not a mug of tea/coffee 😂. Top, inspirational stuff as ever man. Yep, it’s just a feeling and I guess it can’t be taught. Experience, and the more you have of it the better. It’s a feeling as you say; but we all have photog block at times and you just have to battle through it, not give up. 👍📸
awesome location camera work by your assistant ;-)
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Alex. Thank you for all of these informative and useful videos in 2024. I look forward to watching and learning in 2025. Cheers!
I find that when I think less about compositional elements as a point of emphasis but react more to the scene, the better my photos are. Often I find myself moving around until I find a something I like. I find for many of my best shots, I shoot from a relatively low angle.
Merry Christmas Alex. The 1st thing that came to my mind was that taking in more of the area with a wider angle lens would work better.
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing some composition techniques, they are useful to impove one's photos. Cheers 😊.
Absolutely agree. More and more photographers are taking photos of photographic techniques rather than something interesting or emotive.
Because those people are not creative
The other day I walked into a cafe that I had visited before and suddenly saw a compositon along the lines of Eccleston. It felt right, haven't been back so unless they paint the walls in the mean time, it will still be there for a while and I will take the image in the future.
❤❤❤❤your videos very informative learn,learn and learn some more🎉🎉🎉🎉
I rather liked the image at 6:23, where you're peering over the rocks. One thing do to immerse the viewer in the scene is to shoot *from*, rather than *at*, a subject, where that makes sense.
Thank you so much for this, makes one think about taking pictures to also please ones inner self and not only technically correct for club. A blessed Christmas and prosperous 2025 to you and your family as well. Groetnis vanaf SA
Agree that the fence aligned with the flats looks better.
What if @17:34 you had moved a few feet to the right so the orange sign completely obscured the block of flats?
... or if you'd moved to the left so the brown flats filled the left side of the fence, again, without peeking over the top?
@alexkilby I think you were upstaged by your young assistant 😀
Just enjoyed your discussion with Scott on the Tinhouse Pod… might be an occasional format you try on your own channel?
You have to have a subject and a punctum to just begin to start a composition. Then we can start playing.
What is the purpose of those beach huts?
Another great vlog, as always. It’s great a 6-year old filming an adult but imagine the uproar if it was you filming a 6-year old child, not to mention child employment laws in the UK. I hope you took him to McDonald’s after filming? 🤣🤣
Your son's style reminds me of the work of some guy named James P.
Are you Alex Howser, or Alex Kelbe?
I feel that these types of dreary winter seashore photographs would benefits from a lone person in the frame. Perhaps an older gentleman trudging on the water’s edge, carrying fishing paraphernalia. Or a woman with long hair blowing in the wind as she hugs herself to ward off the damp and cold.
Just my thoughts…they may be wrong, or they may be right. After all, what is art, if not the feeling it evokes in, first the creator, and then lastly, the viewer.
another video by Alex where I learnt more than "3 THINGS TO AVOID!" or "DO THIS NOW" type of TH-camrs.
The natural progression of a photographer... You start out as a contious incompetent. You are aware that you need to learn. Then you become an uncontious incompetent. You aren't aware of your mistakes. Then you finally become an uncontious competent. When you have studied and learned and practiced enough that you finally become an uncontious competent. You do it right, without even thinking about it.
I think I got that progression correct.🤔
I missed one... 🙄
Explanation of each stage:
Unconscious Incompetence:
You are completely unaware of your lack of skill in a particular area and may not even recognize the need to learn it.
Conscious Incompetence:
You become aware that you lack a skill and begin to actively try to learn it, often making mistakes while doing so.
Conscious Competence:
You are actively applying the skill, but still need to concentrate and think through each step to perform it correctly.
Unconscious Competence:
The skill becomes second nature, you can perform it effortlessly without conscious thought, and may even be able to teach it to others.
Rule of Thirds, I think is overblown because it can be taught easily. But the rule itself is crap. There is no actual magic at those thirds intersections. The actual rule it to put at least two things into the photograph compose the frame so that there is a relationship. When I use this rule I use it ironically to create a crowd pleaser. Usually I put the big thing much closer to the edge, in order to have more environment on the other side.
This video here shows that supposedly beginner mistakes like centering the subject can work. Alex' images look a bit like illustrations which I like a lot.
That fish sculpture reminds me of the swordfish in the port at Colima. The pole image looked more golden ratio than thirds to me. Barthes Studium is the 'self' you believe you are projecting/perceiving...manifested praxis. Barthes, again, describes the unsettled/uncomfortable elements in a photograph as punctum. They can be usefully, or carelessly, provocative.
Your mechanical images, as you call them, are quite lovely, actually. If money weren't an object, and it always is for most of us, one could liven up those winter beach scenes you have shown us with the judicious use of paid models. I see no harm in doing that. The movie industry does it all the time.
That hair
The mis-en-scene is so empty, there is no atmosphere. Unless you are David Lynch and can make bland ironic and menacing, good luck!
You can't have your cake and eat it too! I very much like all aspects of your centrally composed pile of rocks + sea marker, but your PP brought out blues instead of the grey/brown day that you were professing to record. I don't think that photo captured the mood of the day at all.