Photography and Art
Lessons in Photography Composition From Famous Oil Paintings
Principles of composition and studying how famous painters use light and shadow helps fine art photographers improve the results from their digital cameras.
Painters and photographers seek to create images conveying their view of the world. Even though the methods of creating the image may be completely different, there are similarities in what they are trying to achieve.
Because of these similarities, the world of the painter has a lot to offer the photographer with plenty of outstanding examples and lots of educational material. Not surprisingly, there are a number of articles for painters at suite101 dealing with technique and composition that offer something for the photographer.
This article deals with the placement of objects in the image and promises that, “You can turn a ho-hum picture into something extraordinary.” The article discusses three basic principles of compositional symmetry and suggests good examples of each layout. The source of the examples is Vincent Van Gogh, a man with an impressive reputation for creating images.
Another article deals with the art technique the Rule of Thirds
This article examines two techniques that characterized the work of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The first is Pointillé, where transparent colors are created using granular layers of paint. Photographers can approximate these results using layers with varying transparency in powerful photo-editing software such as Adobe’s Photoshop.
Vermeer also used a camera obscura, a primitive imaging device that alters perspective and introduces light effects known as halation. Photographers can alter perspective by varying the focal length of their lens, so by considering Vermeer’s work they can learn by example how to use this ability.
This article looks at the importance of shadows in creating moods and conveying emotions. In this case, it is a demonstration of the effects of adding shadows to enhance the mood of the image, highlighting the importance of shadows and light in portrait photography. This is particularly applicable to photographers and their use of flash. It suggests the need to avoid using direct front flash to avoid the flat featureless faces lacking any shadow detail.
This article examines some of the key techniques and artistic aims of Impressionist painters of the late nineteenth century. At first glance, this seems at odds with the aura of realism that is the hallmark of photography.
However, the Impressionist’s aim of “freshly lit landscapes and bright dashes of color” are also achievable with the camera.
The use of diffusing filters is one means that photographers have used for years to create images with the “suppression of defined line with dull, unfocused edges.” Now photo-editing tools on the computer can also achieve this effect. In addition, photographers can create variable definition in the image using depth of field to produce significant areas with soft focus or are out of focus.
The Impressionist’s use of natural light and experimentation with angles and point of view provides a range of compositional ideas. With members including Monet, Manet, Degas, and Renior, there is a rich collection of Impressionist examples to study.
It looks like your local museum or art gallery is a good place to go to improve your photography.
