Elements of Great Composition: A Quick Reference for Photographers and Other Visual Artists

A brief overview, for photographers and other visual artists, of critical elements of composition and why they are important. Photographic images illustrate the role these elements play within a composition. The book can be used both as a guide for beginning artists and photographers and as a reference source for evaluating and honing more advanced artistic work. Since many hobbyists or amateur artists and photographers are directing their own learning, the benefit to them is in discovering where gaps might lie in their self-guided education, and in what areas they can benefit from seeking further information. For more advanced artists and photographers, the book can be used as a reference to identify the source of weaknesses in any of their completed compositions or works in progress.

No individual element discussed is an absolute requirement for producing a successful artistic composition. Nor will all be incorporated into a single work. However, any of the elements and the principles discussed can be used creatively to develop or strengthen a work in progress. They can be used to evaluate why one composition succeeds and another does not, why a specific work may appear flawed, or why one work may seem more appealing than another.