How do you know what makes a great picture in terms of composition?
Annette Kim analyzes picture for ERIC KIM
I asked my sister ANNETTE KIM to deconstruct the compositions of one of my most famous pictures, the umbrella lady in Seoul. Annette incorporated Bauhaus design principles and the color palette of Piet Mondrian to better deconstruct the composition, to figure out what made it ‘work’.
If you want your own pictures analyzed visually, contact annettekimart@gmail.com for commissions.
Step 1: Choose an image to deconstruct
The first step is to find an image you find powerful that you wish to deconstruct. In this case, it is my famous umbrella woman street photograph:
Intuitively, I know I like the picture. A combination of the leading lines, the negative space on the right of her which adds more ‘dynamic tension’, and the figure-to-ground component of the white woman against the black background.
Step 2: Draw the lines
The next step is to draw the lines you see in the image, in terms of the diagonals, the leading lines, and overall composition.
Annette has illustrated the leading and converging lines here in yellow:
Step 3: Analyze where your eyes are led
The purpose of composition and leading lines is to direct the eyes of your viewer.
Below, Annette has illustrated the tracking of our eyes in red:
Step 4: Repetition
The next step: analyze if your composition has ‘repetition’ of forms, such as the repeating of the red pillars in the picture below.
The reason why repetition works compositionally: it adds rhythm to your pictures, and creates a ‘beat’ (think of this as a musical analogy). Great music has a good best, rhythm, repetition, tempo, and pauses.
Step 5. Analyze the proportions of the image
Note the white boxes below, which segment the picture into different proportions. This is how an AI or algorithm might read your image:
The reason why we want to do this, is to find balance and dynamic tension in your picture. You can do this yourself to your own pictures by creating rectangle boxes that connect your diagonal lines.
Step 6: Abstract your image
This is where analyzing your images get really fun:
If I can abstract my images to just rectangles, and boxes, what would my picture look like?
This is Annette’s first step of abstraction, in the spirit of Piet Mondrian:
Step 7: Add Color
Now, add the primary colors of Red, Yellow, and Blue.
Here you can paint your picture, according to your own interpretation:
Final analysis
The final analysis of the image:
- The picture is great because it has dynamic diagonals and leading lines (outlined in white)
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The picture is great because it has a balance of forms
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The picture is great because it is simple yet elegant — simplicity in black and white and a single subject in all white, yet elegant from the umbrella, the soft light, and the repetition of forms in the background:
If you want your own pictures analyzed visually, contact annettekimart@gmail.com for commissions.
Visualizations by ANNETTE KIM
Don’t miss the newest free photography visualization “What to look for when shooting street photography” available now in the Haptic Shop.
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Street Photography Series
HAPTIC presents the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Street Photography Series — visualizations of essential photography lessons and tips by ANNETTE KIM. Annette researched, synthesized, and visualized the key parts of this series to present to you a fun, easy to read VISUALIZATION of photography fundamentals.
Newest Photography Visualizations
For a limited time, download the following FREE visualizations designed by Annette Kim. Keep these guides on your phone, tablet, computer to read on your commute, as reminders when shooting on the streets, and for daily inspiration. Download both full resolution PDFs by processing your free ‘order’ here. Don’t forget to check back regularly to see what new resources and visualizations we add to the page.
- “How to Overcome Fears of Photographing Strangers”(11/2/2o17)
- “What to Look For When Shooting in the Streets” (11/8/2017) New!
- To receive the latest visualizations, exclusive content, access to books, presets and artistic information, join the free ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER.
FEATURED ARTIST: ANNETTE KIM
Each VISUALIZATION is original artwork designed by Annette Kim, distilled from the ERIC KIM photography lessons and resources.
ANNETTE KIM: VITRUVIAN CAMERA ARTWEAR
HAPTIC presents VITRUVIAN CAMERA ARTWEAR by ANNETTE KIM.
VITRUVIAN CAMERA is an homage to Leonardo da Vinci, and his passion of combining technology and art. By wearing VITRUVIAN CAMERA proudly on your chest, it will reveal your passion for photography — ‘painting with light.’
VITRUVIAN CAMERA is ARTWEAR — to inspire yourself everyday, to pay homage to the artistic masters of the past, and to also pave your own path in photography.
100% of the proceeds directly supports the artist.
VITRUVIAN CAMERA is an original artwork hand sketched by Annette Kim. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Annette researched the history and science of camera design in order to produce this conceptual camera.
The camera embodies the vision of the ‘ideal’ camera based on the rules of architecture and design:
Video Interview with Annette Kim
The Complete Works of Annette Kim
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Photography Composition 101
Dynamic Photography Composition 101
- Dynamic Tension: Opponent Based Theory For Photography
- Opponent Process Color Theory For Photographers
- Dynamic Photography Composition 101: Figure to Ground
Dynamic Photography Composition Tips
- How to Make Aggressive Photography Compositions
- 10 Dynamic Photography Composition Tips
- How to Make More Dynamic Picture Compositions
- Unorthodox Photography Composition Techniques
- Deconstructed: Saigon Eric Kim Photos
Composition Theory
Take your composition to the next level:
- Juxtaposition
- Center Eye
- Low-Angle
- Dutch Angle
- Deep Depth
- Spacing
- Silhouette
- Leading Lines
- Figure to Ground
- Fibonacci Spiral
- Cropping
- Emotion
- Composition by Eric Kim
Street Photography Composition 101
For distilled lessons on composition, read the free ebook: “The Street Photography Composition Manual.”
Further articles to improve your compositions in photography:
- Composition Lesson #1: Triangles
- Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground
- Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals
- Composition Lesson #4: Leading Lines
- Composition Lesson #5: Depth
- Composition Lesson #6: Framing
- Composition Lesson #7: Perspective
- Composition Lesson #8: Curves
- Composition Lesson #9: Self-Portraits
- Composition Lesson #10: Urban Landscapes
- Composition Lesson #11: “Spot the not”
- Composition Lesson #12: Color Theory
- Composition Lesson #13: Multiple-Subjects
- Composition Lesson #14: Square Format
Composition Theory
Learn compositional theory:
- Why is Composition Important?
- Don’t Think About Composition When You’re Shooting Street Photography
- How to Use Negative Space
- Street Photography Composition 101
- The Theory of Composition in Street Photography: 7 Lessons from Henri Cartier-Bresson
Compositional lessons from the masters of art
Composition lectures