And he says it so matter of factly and with confidence. Knowing that he is self-taught lets us know we can too, with enough intention and reps.
หลายเดือนก่อน +58
My dad explained many of these principles when i first started to explore photography as a kid. Now, although i often think about what could i do to have a better composition (especially for landscapes), it turned into an instinct. It would feel very uncomfortable to take shots without these "rules". Yet, this is something you can never fully master, there's always new things to learn
I've learned more about using a camera from this channel then I have in a lifetime of playing around with the camera on my own. You're a great teacher sir👍
Lots of photography YTers out there. Mediocre photos and a lot of opinions. Simon's raw skill, and more knowledge than all of those other channels combined.
Thank you again Simon. Composition requires one to move toward the art of photography, not just the science. One of the smartest thing Canon has done in recent times is to make you one of their Ambassadors.
Once again an amazing teaching video of composition and framing. Thanks Simon for sharing you knowledge and graphics with us, it helps us tremendously. Stunning photos as always.
8:35 Indeed, many are saying we need to "fill the frame"... Yes, but only when processing your photo! While taking it, as you mentioned, it's better to get a wider view, and "fine tune" the composition afterward (especially when you print since you may need to adjust the composition to fit different aspects ratios). We can always crop, but we can't add what's not in the file... Better shoot too wide than too tight 🤓
Hello. I used to be photo reporter here in Portugal. I love your videos because, almost, i share the same ideas. My son is a beginner and also see your lessons. A big photographic hug 📷
I recently finished a great online course all about wildlife composition. This video is excellent as it reinforced and added to all that I have learned! I've already noticed an improvement in my photos once I began intentionally considering the composition.
Thanks so much, Simon! I spent so much time as a fledgling photographer trying to get birds in focus that I'm a bit overwhelmed by how to crop photos now that they're all in focus. This is very helpful. My wife probably thanks you too since I won't have to ask her "what should I do with this?" every 10 minutes.
Ooh thank you. This is a real goodie! Your skill with composition is amazing and if I can pick up just a few hints I'm delighted! I have recently developed a terrible trait of looking through the bus or car windows when I'm travelling and mentally framing scenes which would make good compositions, even when I don't have my camera with me. But I hope that this too will eventually help me to improve! But my best hope is your excellent tips!
When I first started photography, I thought "Everything needs to be in focus" but as I have grown, I can see how an out of focus framing element can be extremely useful in giving that depth to the image
I like something that leads the eye to your subject. Honestly I recrop photos I see as I watch videos like this but I find I almost never would change yours. ❤
Amazing photos. I can definitely say I learned something. I typically change up my compositions for different perspectives, but I think after watching this, I can lean more into the rule of thirds and create better compositions.
You’ve made dozens of excellent videos, and this is one of the best. This could be expanded into a whole course on photographic composition. Well done!
Thank you for your video once again. You bring a lot of knowledge wrapped up in a wonderful video. Easy to understand. As a viewer I appreciate the work that you put into your work and weekly videos.
I am finding that my biggest compositional challenge isn't finding good compositions, but in getting out of the "snapshot" mentality that has me looking at photos that honestly weren't composed in the field *at all* and seeing what I can coax out of them, compositionally, via cropping and whatnot. It's amazing how many bad habits created by years of a "Whip out the phone and snap a pic" mentality I am now working to break!
This video is really really good. I knew already all of this but somehow had never really paid enough attention to make it happen. Thanks so much for posting this, much appreciated
Thanks for the video, absolute top quality as usual. One other thing to remind yourself is that, even if you can't get the composition right in camera, there ways to crop to make it more balanced and improve the composition (square, 2:1 or even 3:1 if you have a very boring sky and foreground). Maybe I'm biased towards wide crops because I use a 32:9 monitor, but I love wide/panorama shots.
Loved this video! Thanks! During Covid, I got to work on my photo printing skills. To my surprise, that effort dramatically upped my compositions ... and really fast. I even discovered that I have a "style."
Thank you so much for your videos! Even though by now i quite start to like my photos every video of you feels like a new training session and i always learn new things!!!!! Keep up the great work!
Another banger of a video! I love how you can explain a lot of stuff with a very simple words and examples. About those tips - I was pleasantly surprised that despite being a total amateur, I'm subconsciously already using most of them.
Excellent advice as always Simon thank you - loved the 2 person shot with hats that at first made you think it was a mirror portrait and then all the elements reveal themselves that it's actually a clever and creative composition. Composition rules are fine but seeing shape, forms and tones before implementing strategies will expand your creative skills.
Once again . . . great advice and techniques you pass along. I always watch your videos as soon as they appear, because a always love the great tips . . .
I've been dedicating some time to learn composition in depth, as I find myself struggling with this matter fairly often. Your input is always very insightful and a delight to hear and see. Thank you Simon for all your advice, I'll make sure to put it into practice.
Great advices as always 👏🏻 Me personally I’ve found myself liking a lot to frame wildlife or particular landscapes with bushes or branches that are much darker in shade as to give a sort of “natural window” from which to observe nature
I need to develop an algorithm that automatically smashes the Like button whenever Simon releases another video. Another great one, and as always, stunning images shared as examples!
Excellent suggestions, indeed. Never be afraid to try different compositions for what "looks right". I often find the biggest compositional challenges are when one knoooows there is an image "hiding" within a scene but mentally moving about to isolate the composition still falls short. I've abandoned any number of images after looking at my .raw files when I realize I still haven't "seen" the image that is hiding in plain view. lol Some of my favorite images certainly don't follow the rules of thirds, though. I think tuning one's mental images of the final results is a process that never stops growing over the years.
Sometimes the best photos are those you take based on how it looks to you at the time. Also been meaning to say well done on your becomming a Canon Ambassador. I do not imagine for one minute my email to Canon highlighting your abilities had any bearing on their decision but regardless you will be an asset to them
Thanks for another great video, Simon. I particularly like how you describe layers and I'll be looking for this in my future photography. One thing I hope people will be careful of is the use of reflections. Facebook is cluttered with so many photos where, for instance, a bird is standing in the water, and the reflection takes up as much space as the subject and strongly detracts from the impression of it being a photo of a bird to being just another cute 'reflection shot', which to my eyes look clichéd.
If I were starting out now and watched this I would quit photography - You're the Hendrix of nature photography. (I've been an active photogrpher since 1971) I thought you might enjoy this Edward Weston quote: “Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk”.
Great video! I like to think of "rule" of thirds as a device for measuring, not a law or regulation. Often useful for measuring out a first try at a composition if you're in a hurry. But the other elements of composition that you describe are more important. The end result might often end up fitting to the rule of thirds anyway, since you don't want to crowd the edges and want to include multiple elements. That means that worrying about the spacing first is not optimal, and the energy should be spent on finding interesting elements to include. (And avoiding inconvenient elements)
Great tips on moving past the Rule--thanks! Dare I suggest you move your video camera position a bit higher? We'd see more of your hair (or what's left of it 🙂) than under your chin. Just a smidge?
Hey Simon! Are you planning on shooting more videos that show you out in the field working your magic? Don't get me wrong, your content is so helpful and has been one of the major inspirations for me to take up wildlife photography; but I'd like to see more of you out there, I'm thinking especially of your very first videos on this channel, which I LOVED!
Could you maybe give a up-to-date gear recommendation for the typical beginner ranges? 1k, 2k, 3k, 5k, 10k? Body + Lens for Bird/Wildlife? I'm super lost. I know you recommend a prime lens + an okisch body. But what would that even mean at ~2k?!
3:48 did Canon not provide ND-Filter's at the event? I feel like blurring out the background more would've fit a lot better with the blurry branches in the foreground. That would've made it look more intentional and make the Car really pop out. But i suspect it was either too bright to open up the Aperture more, or you'd wanted the Background as a nice scenery before panning behind the bushes and couldn't change the settings quick enough for the fast moving car
Love the channel! I would love to see a video on how to post images online. Image sizes, composition, watermarking, MP, cropping. Sometimes The crop I like doesn’t post well on FB. I’m pretty new and there’s a lot to learn
All good points for most types of photogarphy. I have recently taken up Street Photography. Interesting in this genre, "pretty" photos are somewhat frowned upon and breaking the rules somewhat encoraged? At least, how I see it.
Simon, there's a subject i'd love for you to make a video on: Presets. However, let me be clear: I'm not asking for a video on presets you like or made, or on how to create them: what i'd love for you to tackle is how to understand what parts of an edit make sense as presets. i find myself struggling to determine which parts of an edit i would use in other edits, vs which parts of an edit are unique to that particular photo.
Lol, some of the more senior members of my local camera club have a real hatred of negative space. "Fill the frame! Fill the frame!" But I already thought that was kind of limiting.
I always stay until the end because I want to be reassured by Simon that he knows I can do it.
And don't you ever doubt Simon! 😉 We all can do it! ...With his knowledge (and wisdom) sharing ! 🤓
And he says it so matter of factly and with confidence. Knowing that he is self-taught lets us know we can too, with enough intention and reps.
My dad explained many of these principles when i first started to explore photography as a kid. Now, although i often think about what could i do to have a better composition (especially for landscapes), it turned into an instinct. It would feel very uncomfortable to take shots without these "rules". Yet, this is something you can never fully master, there's always new things to learn
Same here! My late father taught me 40yrs ago that you can violate any composition rule... but only once you master it perfectly...
👍🤓👍 Totally aggre! We never stop learning and improving our skills, That's part of the fun! (And Simon greatly contributes to it)
I've learned more about using a camera from this channel then I have in a lifetime of playing around with the camera on my own. You're a great teacher sir👍
Always great info. I appreciate the overlays showing the location of upper and lower 3rds. Thanks for taking the extra time for graphics.
Glad it was helpful!
Lots of photography YTers out there. Mediocre photos and a lot of opinions. Simon's raw skill, and more knowledge than all of those other channels combined.
No matter how long you’ve been doing this, the reminders (visual and audible) are excellent.
Thank you again Simon. Composition requires one to move toward the art of photography, not just the science. One of the smartest thing Canon has done in recent times is to make you one of their Ambassadors.
Love your videos, they really exemplify the idea of understanding the rules means understanding how to break them.
Papa Photo back at it again. Thanks for all these amazing tips. I watch everything as soon as they come out. I can't wait until the next one!
0:54 such a dope montage of good footage that's beautiful
Once again an amazing teaching video of composition and framing. Thanks Simon for sharing you knowledge and graphics with us, it helps us tremendously. Stunning photos as always.
8:35 Indeed, many are saying we need to "fill the frame"... Yes, but only when processing your photo! While taking it, as you mentioned, it's better to get a wider view, and "fine tune" the composition afterward (especially when you print since you may need to adjust the composition to fit different aspects ratios). We can always crop, but we can't add what's not in the file... Better shoot too wide than too tight 🤓
Hello. I used to be photo reporter here in Portugal. I love your videos because, almost, i share the same ideas. My son is a beginner and also see your lessons. A big photographic hug 📷
I recently finished a great online course all about wildlife composition. This video is excellent as it reinforced and added to all that I have learned! I've already noticed an improvement in my photos once I began intentionally considering the composition.
That's great to hear!
One of the best concise lessons on composition I have seen or read. Thank you! New subscriber.
Great teacher! Wish i knew your channel sooner! You really make me want to take photography more seriously! Thank you
Thanks so much, Simon! I spent so much time as a fledgling photographer trying to get birds in focus that I'm a bit overwhelmed by how to crop photos now that they're all in focus. This is very helpful. My wife probably thanks you too since I won't have to ask her "what should I do with this?" every 10 minutes.
Ooh thank you. This is a real goodie! Your skill with composition is amazing and if I can pick up just a few hints I'm delighted! I have recently developed a terrible trait of looking through the bus or car windows when I'm travelling and mentally framing scenes which would make good compositions, even when I don't have my camera with me. But I hope that this too will eventually help me to improve! But my best hope is your excellent tips!
Great overview of composition and how to maximize it
Very educative classes...watching you from Nairobi Kenya..how I wish you were near here I enrol to do these lessons practically..
God bless you🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪
Stunning pictures
When I first started photography, I thought "Everything needs to be in focus" but as I have grown, I can see how an out of focus framing element can be extremely useful in giving that depth to the image
This is the first video on composition that's been of any value on TH-cam! Excellent as always Monsieur d'Entremont!
Great video. I always forget something so this is a great revision tool for me. Cheers
That photo of bird on 0:36 is just stunning! That's the vibe that I'm looking in photography
Great tips Simon, and just stunning photos !!!
Thanks!
My favorite Lecturer at my favorite TH-cam University. Your videos have been helpful in my journey sir.
You’re very welcome!
Good video as always. Beautiful photos for examples as well.
I like something that leads the eye to your subject. Honestly I recrop photos I see as I watch videos like this but I find I almost never would change yours. ❤
Amazing photos. I can definitely say I learned something. I typically change up my compositions for different perspectives, but I think after watching this, I can lean more into the rule of thirds and create better compositions.
Glad to hear it!
You’ve made dozens of excellent videos, and this is one of the best. This could be expanded into a whole course on photographic composition. Well done!
An excellent explanation of the guideline entitled the "Rule of Thirds." Thanks for the info.
Thanks. A few tips that I didn't think about.
Thank you for your video once again. You bring a lot of knowledge wrapped up in a wonderful video. Easy to understand. As a viewer I appreciate the work that you put into your work and weekly videos.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Thank you Simon. Well done as usual. I always get something new to learn and try and informs me when I am doing something right intuitively. Cheers!
Excellent!
Simon helps me a lot, especially that I can take almost the same as him but using the most entry entry dslr, the 1100D
I am finding that my biggest compositional challenge isn't finding good compositions, but in getting out of the "snapshot" mentality that has me looking at photos that honestly weren't composed in the field *at all* and seeing what I can coax out of them, compositionally, via cropping and whatnot. It's amazing how many bad habits created by years of a "Whip out the phone and snap a pic" mentality I am now working to break!
This video is really really good. I knew already all of this but somehow had never really paid enough attention to make it happen. Thanks so much for posting this, much appreciated
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for providing so much information and easy-to-follow videos. 🙂
Thanks for the video, absolute top quality as usual. One other thing to remind yourself is that, even if you can't get the composition right in camera, there ways to crop to make it more balanced and improve the composition (square, 2:1 or even 3:1 if you have a very boring sky and foreground). Maybe I'm biased towards wide crops because I use a 32:9 monitor, but I love wide/panorama shots.
Loved this video! Thanks! During Covid, I got to work on my photo printing skills. To my surprise, that effort dramatically upped my compositions ... and really fast. I even discovered that I have a "style."
Thank You Simon ❤😃
Thanks, Simon.
This channel always has clear, practical tips. Thanks so much, Simon!
Another terrific video from you, Simon - thanks. And your example images are very informative - certainly worth 1,000 words😊.
Great video that I will be sharing with our community photo club. Your photography is inspiring and just gorgeous. Thank you!
Love the bald eagle shot
Thank you so much for your videos! Even though by now i quite start to like my photos every video of you feels like a new training session and i always learn new things!!!!! Keep up the great work!
awesome tips, I always see a different perspective in your videos, thank you!
I'm glad you like them!
Another banger of a video!
I love how you can explain a lot of stuff with a very simple words and examples.
About those tips - I was pleasantly surprised that despite being a total amateur, I'm subconsciously already using most of them.
That was a really excellent video, Simon. And stunning examples, beautifully explained.
Excellent explanation, thanks Simon.
Another great and practical video. I will try some of these tips on my upcoming trip to London.
I ,ook forward to your weekly videos because you never disappoint. Well done again sir.
Great video as always Simon!
Some terrific shots there, Simon. And a very helpful video.
This video is extremely helpful! I especially like the idea of using negative space.
Excellent advice as always Simon thank you - loved the 2 person shot with hats that at first made you think it was a mirror portrait and then all the elements reveal themselves that it's actually a clever and creative composition. Composition rules are fine but seeing shape, forms and tones before implementing strategies will expand your creative skills.
Once again . . . great advice and techniques you pass along. I always watch your videos as soon as they appear, because a always love the great tips . . .
I've been dedicating some time to learn composition in depth, as I find myself struggling with this matter fairly often. Your input is always very insightful and a delight to hear and see. Thank you Simon for all your advice, I'll make sure to put it into practice.
Thanks for that great tips Simon! Have a good day!
Thanks for sharing the awesome tips!
The photograph of the eagle at 4.15 is awesome!!
Great content as always of high quality!
Another very informative video. There's always something new to learn. Thank you very much!
Great advices as always 👏🏻 Me personally I’ve found myself liking a lot to frame wildlife or particular landscapes with bushes or branches that are much darker in shade as to give a sort of “natural window” from which to observe nature
I need to develop an algorithm that automatically smashes the Like button whenever Simon releases another video.
Another great one, and as always, stunning images shared as examples!
Wow, love your photos Simon! helpful video too!
Excellent suggestions, indeed. Never be afraid to try different compositions for what "looks right". I often find the biggest compositional challenges are when one knoooows there is an image "hiding" within a scene but mentally moving about to isolate the composition still falls short. I've abandoned any number of images after looking at my .raw files when I realize I still haven't "seen" the image that is hiding in plain view. lol Some of my favorite images certainly don't follow the rules of thirds, though. I think tuning one's mental images of the final results is a process that never stops growing over the years.
Thanks for your wonderful videos!
So nice of you
Helpful, as always!
Glad to hear it!
❤❤❤, it is the creation makes photography satisfying and attractive.
That's right!
Always informative. Very nice.
Sometimes the best photos are those you take based on how it looks to you at the time. Also been meaning to say well done on your becomming a Canon Ambassador. I do not imagine for one minute my email to Canon highlighting your abilities had any bearing on their decision but regardless you will be an asset to them
Thank you so much! Your tips have helped me improve drastically. I really appreciate it.
Good tips all. 👍🥂
Thanks for another great video, Simon. I particularly like how you describe layers and I'll be looking for this in my future photography. One thing I hope people will be careful of is the use of reflections. Facebook is cluttered with so many photos where, for instance, a bird is standing in the water, and the reflection takes up as much space as the subject and strongly detracts from the impression of it being a photo of a bird to being just another cute 'reflection shot', which to my eyes look clichéd.
If I were starting out now and watched this I would quit photography - You're the Hendrix of nature photography. (I've been an active photogrpher since 1971) I thought you might enjoy this Edward Weston quote: “Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk”.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
great advice as always! Thanks!
Nicely done with great tips. Not enough good videos about composition on YT, which tends to emphasize gear. Thanks
Inspiring, as usual.
Great video! I like to think of "rule" of thirds as a device for measuring, not a law or regulation. Often useful for measuring out a first try at a composition if you're in a hurry. But the other elements of composition that you describe are more important. The end result might often end up fitting to the rule of thirds anyway, since you don't want to crowd the edges and want to include multiple elements. That means that worrying about the spacing first is not optimal, and the energy should be spent on finding interesting elements to include. (And avoiding inconvenient elements)
Great tips on moving past the Rule--thanks! Dare I suggest you move your video camera position a bit higher? We'd see more of your hair (or what's left of it 🙂) than under your chin. Just a smidge?
Thanks for another great video man. A really excellent tip to keep in mind while out and about.
Excellent stuff.
Always a banger 🔥
Hey Simon! Are you planning on shooting more videos that show you out in the field working your magic? Don't get me wrong, your content is so helpful and has been one of the major inspirations for me to take up wildlife photography; but I'd like to see more of you out there, I'm thinking especially of your very first videos on this channel, which I LOVED!
for the special trips, yes. Yellowstone National Park soon, forq example.
Great advice Simon!
Could you maybe give a up-to-date gear recommendation for the typical beginner ranges? 1k, 2k, 3k, 5k, 10k? Body + Lens for Bird/Wildlife? I'm super lost. I know you recommend a prime lens + an okisch body. But what would that even mean at ~2k?!
3:48 did Canon not provide ND-Filter's at the event? I feel like blurring out the background more would've fit a lot better with the blurry branches in the foreground. That would've made it look more intentional and make the Car really pop out.
But i suspect it was either too bright to open up the Aperture more, or you'd wanted the Background as a nice scenery before panning behind the bushes and couldn't change the settings quick enough for the fast moving car
More great tips Simon
Shared with club, great tips!!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Love the channel! I would love to see a video on how to post images online. Image sizes, composition, watermarking, MP, cropping. Sometimes The crop I like doesn’t post well on FB. I’m pretty new and there’s a lot to learn
Love the video, thnaks for your advise
Thanks for watching!
All good points for most types of photogarphy. I have recently taken up Street Photography. Interesting in this genre, "pretty" photos are somewhat frowned upon and breaking the rules somewhat encoraged? At least, how I see it.
Simon, there's a subject i'd love for you to make a video on: Presets.
However, let me be clear: I'm not asking for a video on presets you like or made, or on how to create them: what i'd love for you to tackle is how to understand what parts of an edit make sense as presets. i find myself struggling to determine which parts of an edit i would use in other edits, vs which parts of an edit are unique to that particular photo.
Simon, is that last space tree shot the Shubenacadie Tree? I miss it so much. I always used to admire it on my drives to & from New Brunswick.
Simon, you use a lot of background compression with your photos. Can you do a video more oriented to "wide angle" shots? Love your videos
Always great Thanks
Lol, some of the more senior members of my local camera club have a real hatred of negative space. "Fill the frame! Fill the frame!" But I already thought that was kind of limiting.