 Back in the late ’90s—long before websites and other digital portals became the showcase for photographers—I made regular visits to New York City to share my portfolio with magazine clients.
On one of those visits, while walking out of the building that houses Rolling Stone and Men’s Journal, I noticed a young man heading my way. He also had a camera around his shoulders and a large portfolio case under his arm. Like me, he seemed a bit lost in the vast metropolis. As we got closer, he noticed my Leica camera and complimented me on it. After a few minutes of talking, I learned he was from a small town and had just graduated from art school. He was thinking of settling in the city to try his luck as a magazine photographer. In those days, the photography world was very small, and somehow he knew my name and my work. I had some time to kill before my meeting, so we found a bench and kept chatting. I took a look at his photo book and gave him some ideas. We probably spent 30 minutes together before splitting up. Before I walked away, he asked me, “Pag, why would a busy guy like you take an interest in talking to me? Why do you care about looking at my photography?” The answer was easy: when I was his age, another photographer did the same for me—and so much more. Continue reading. Comments are closed.
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Photography Is Not Drawing and Painting
While this statement might sound obvious to most photographers, many educators that teach Dynamic Symmetry don't seem to grasp this basic concept. And even though the mass marketing of overly complex grid packs, books, and videos on Dynamic Symmetry has grown tremendously over the past few years, photographers are more confused than ever on how to learn the art of composition.
So with all the information available on Dynamic Symmetry and classical skill-based design, why are photographers still struggling with learning the art of composition? The answer is simple. These educators are trying to teach the photographer design with the same methods that the artist would use on the canvas. Not only is this approach for applying design illogical, but it's also counterproductive for the creative photographer.
The truth is, the act of photographing is in many ways intuitive. There is no denying this fact. And any photographer that would argue this point isn't in touch with photography as a medium or the true art of photography. However, just because the act of photographing is intuitive doesn't mean you don't have to learn design or should resort to taping plastic grids to your camera LCD screen. Master photographers throughout history have clearly shown that they have a fundamental knowledge of composition and would never use camera grids to create a masterful body of work.
So if professional photographers don't use camera grids, how do they take so many amazing photographs? Again, the answer is simple - intuitive knowledge. Unlike intuition (which is based solely on your feelings), intuitive knowledge comes from studying classical skill-based design techniques and having the learned ability to recognize the "Decisive Moment" in a fraction of a second. And even though camera grids are an acceptable tool for the beginner artist, those photographers that insist on using them throughout their career (or think they are necessary for taking great pictures) are on the fast track to producing cookie-cutter art that lacks real-world experience, freedom, and creativity.
While this statement might sound obvious to most photographers, many educators that teach Dynamic Symmetry don't seem to grasp this basic concept. And even though the mass marketing of overly complex grid packs, books, and videos on Dynamic Symmetry has grown tremendously over the past few years, photographers are more confused than ever on how to learn the art of composition.
So with all the information available on Dynamic Symmetry and classical skill-based design, why are photographers still struggling with learning the art of composition? The answer is simple. These educators are trying to teach the photographer design with the same methods that the artist would use on the canvas. Not only is this approach for applying design illogical, but it's also counterproductive for the creative photographer.
The truth is, the act of photographing is in many ways intuitive. There is no denying this fact. And any photographer that would argue this point isn't in touch with photography as a medium or the true art of photography. However, just because the act of photographing is intuitive doesn't mean you don't have to learn design or should resort to taping plastic grids to your camera LCD screen. Master photographers throughout history have clearly shown that they have a fundamental knowledge of composition and would never use camera grids to create a masterful body of work.
So if professional photographers don't use camera grids, how do they take so many amazing photographs? Again, the answer is simple - intuitive knowledge. Unlike intuition (which is based solely on your feelings), intuitive knowledge comes from studying classical skill-based design techniques and having the learned ability to recognize the "Decisive Moment" in a fraction of a second. And even though camera grids are an acceptable tool for the beginner artist, those photographers that insist on using them throughout their career (or think they are necessary for taking great pictures) are on the fast track to producing cookie-cutter art that lacks real-world experience, freedom, and creativity.
Why I Wrote a User's Guide for Artists and Photographers
The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer evolved from my personal and professional experience as a photographer, master level darkroom technician, and graphic designer. After years of applying the same "popular" rules of composition to my images and designs, I reached a point in my artistic career where I was no longer able to improve my portfolio regardless of how much time and money I invested in photography workshops, photography books, and high-end camera equipment.
Realizing I was getting nowhere with the Rule of Thirds, the Rule of Odds, the Rule of Space, and Leading Lines, I began an intensive search for any information I could find on real design principles. I read every art and design book I could get my hands on and spent endless days and nights analyzing over five thousand works of art. The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer is a series of personal analytical notes that reflect this ten-year study.
By sharing this collection of analytical notes with other artists and photographers, I hope to save them years of frustration and wasted time as well as put them on the most productive path for improving their lifetime body of work. While other books written on Dynamic Symmetry tend to focus solely on one system of design, The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer covers a more extensive variety of composition techniques that the modern artist and photographer can apply to their art based on their own visual appetite.
The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer evolved from my personal and professional experience as a photographer, master level darkroom technician, and graphic designer. After years of applying the same "popular" rules of composition to my images and designs, I reached a point in my artistic career where I was no longer able to improve my portfolio regardless of how much time and money I invested in photography workshops, photography books, and high-end camera equipment.
Realizing I was getting nowhere with the Rule of Thirds, the Rule of Odds, the Rule of Space, and Leading Lines, I began an intensive search for any information I could find on real design principles. I read every art and design book I could get my hands on and spent endless days and nights analyzing over five thousand works of art. The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer is a series of personal analytical notes that reflect this ten-year study.
By sharing this collection of analytical notes with other artists and photographers, I hope to save them years of frustration and wasted time as well as put them on the most productive path for improving their lifetime body of work. While other books written on Dynamic Symmetry tend to focus solely on one system of design, The Art of Composition: A User's Guide for the Modern Artist and Photographer covers a more extensive variety of composition techniques that the modern artist and photographer can apply to their art based on their own visual appetite.
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Help Me Help You
Thank you for visiting Dynamic Symmetry Art. This website is a labor of love and a combination of 38 years of experience as a photographer and 11 years studying design. I have taken great strides to offer the most accurate information on composition that you will find anywhere on the internet and offer it all for free. To say this is no easy task would be an understatement.
If you love what you find on this website and want the free information to continue, please help me help you. You can easily support this website by making a small donation of $5.00 or more by clicking here or purchase any one of the amazing products you will find in my online store. All donations and product purchases go to maintaining and updating this website which includes hardware, software expenses as well as the time needed for research and producing instructional videos that will help the modern artist and photographer improve their lifetime body of work and master the art of composition.
Thank you for your support!
James W. Cowman
Thank you for visiting Dynamic Symmetry Art. This website is a labor of love and a combination of 38 years of experience as a photographer and 11 years studying design. I have taken great strides to offer the most accurate information on composition that you will find anywhere on the internet and offer it all for free. To say this is no easy task would be an understatement.
If you love what you find on this website and want the free information to continue, please help me help you. You can easily support this website by making a small donation of $5.00 or more by clicking here or purchase any one of the amazing products you will find in my online store. All donations and product purchases go to maintaining and updating this website which includes hardware, software expenses as well as the time needed for research and producing instructional videos that will help the modern artist and photographer improve their lifetime body of work and master the art of composition.
Thank you for your support!
James W. Cowman