Composition Clinic is an intense and intimate one day photography workshop focusing on everything relating to composition

Why composition?

I've been pretty obsessed with composition for some time now (yes, I realize how ambiguous that is), and I feel like it's on oft-ignored aspect of photography. I mean we talk about the rule of thirds and what not, but the why and what of it all, why we need composition and what it even is, we are left to figure out on our own. And the of course the how. How to best use your camera choices and placement (and choice) of elements and framing to best express the story we are trying to tell...

Documentary photography is unposed and unscripted, but it's not uncontrolled. As the photographer, your decisions in framing and composition (as well as camera setting and lens choice) have a powerful impact on the story each image tells.

Composition is to images what grammar is to words. Without it, your stories can be incoherent, aimless, and confusing. It’s what takes a plot and turns into a story, sometimes even into poetry. In this workshop you will learn to use all the elements of photography (focal length, aperture, shutter speed, etc.) and the world out there (the “things” that come together to make a photo) to tell remarkable narratives.

The workshop will start at 9:30 AM with a light breakfast and a chance to ~~compare megapickles~~ get to know eachother, will include lunch, and will end at 6:00.

The workshop will be divided into 5 sections:

Introduction to Composition

What is it, what it isn't, why is it so important, and how do we use it?

Camera side choices

How our shoices of lens, focus, aperture, shutter speed, etc. all contribute to the way our story is felt and told.

Elements of Composition

This will be the bulk of the workshop. How to use the elements "out there" to best tell our story. Framing, balance, adjectives, cropping, contrast, repetition, complementary elements, lines, layers, gestalt, and more!. We’ll talk about what they are and aren’t, and how they can help (or hurt us!) in telling our stories.

Critiques

Often the best way to learn how to do things "right" (as if there is such a thing) is to see what we've done "wrong".

Practical tips and takeaways

We will cover A LOT of ground, and most are not "quick tips". Each idea will take time to work on and implement and make your own. We'll talk about ways to slowly use and internalize all the ideas we covered.

This workshop is not geared specifically for wedding or family photographers, rather, it's for anyone who is capturing life and the wonderful and crazy things that happen in it – be it weddings, or family, or street, or war (or some sort of combination).

Nor is it geared towards a certain level of photographer. I really feel that almost all will gain (though from past experience those with the most experience gained the most). We will be throwing around a lot of camera and industry terms so a basic understanding of how a camera works will really help (if you don't have that, I suggest reading Understanding Exposure before the workshop :) ).

Yay!