{"id":27842,"date":"2016-03-21T12:29:49","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T19:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=27842"},"modified":"2016-09-06T19:18:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-07T02:18:00","slug":"street-photography-composition-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/21\/street-photography-composition-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Street Photography Composition 101"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Street Photography Composition 101\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sLWUxUVKRvg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Dear streettogs,<\/p>\n<p>I just finished teaching my &#8220;Introduction to Street Photography Composition&#8221; workshop here in NYC, and I put together a brand new set of slides from scratch: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.erickimphotography.com\/Downloads\/Presentations\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101.pdf\"><strong>Street Photography Composition 101<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Study composition after-the-fact<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27912\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27912\" style=\"width: 619px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27912\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/21\/street-photography-composition-101\/composition-hcb-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/composition-hcb.jpg?fit=619%2C415&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"619,415\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"composition-hcb\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/composition-hcb.jpg?fit=619%2C415&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27912\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/composition-hcb.jpg?resize=619%2C415\" alt=\"Photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson\" width=\"619\" height=\"415\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27912\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Any geometrical analysis\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6can be done only <i>after<\/i> the photograph has been taken, developed, and printed. Then it can be used only for a <b>post-mortem examination<\/b>.&#8221; &#8211; Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>One of the important points we touched upon the workshop is this: when you&#8217;re out shooting on the streets, follow your gut and intuition. Don&#8217;t think too much when you&#8217;re shooting on the streets. Don&#8217;t force yourself to see red triangles and lines when you&#8217;re shooting.<\/p>\n<p>Composition should be used as a tool to examine our photos <em>after<\/em> we have shot them. Like what Henri Cartier-Bresson said; geometrical analysis can only be used as a <em>post-mortem<\/em>&#8212; to study what we did well in our photos, and how we can improve.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27871\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27871\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27871\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/21\/street-photography-composition-101\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,682\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Leading lines: Tokyo, 2011&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27871\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?resize=1024%2C682\" alt=\"Leading lines: Tokyo, 2011\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;ssl=1 660w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/erickim-tokyo-composition-leading-lines.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27871\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Leading lines: Tokyo, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For me personally, I have found the more time I spend to analyze my compositions after I have shot them, the more I learn. And when I study the work of the <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/learn-from-the-masters\/\" target=\"_blank\">masters of street photography<\/a>, I can better internalize composition when I&#8217;m shooting on the streets.<\/p>\n<p>Always think about composition when you&#8217;re out shooting, but don&#8217;t let it ever hinder you.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to learn more about the theory of composition from Henri Cartier-Bresson, read this article:\u00c2\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/09\/the-theory-of-composition-in-street-photography-7-lessons-from-henri-cartier-bresson\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Theory of Composition in Street Photography: 7 Lessons from Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Download:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erickimphotography.com\/Downloads\/Presentations\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Direct Download (PDF \/ 39.9MB)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.dropboxusercontent.com\/u\/3105959\/Downloads\/Presentations\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Dropbox (PDF \/ 39.95MB)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.dropboxusercontent.com\/u\/3105959\/Downloads\/Presentations\/Street%20Photography%20Composition%20101.pptx\" target=\"_blank\">Powerpoint (.pptx \/ 34MB)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Learn more about composition<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27872\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27872\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27872\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/21\/street-photography-composition-101\/jazz-hands-triangle\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,682\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"jazz hands-triangle\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Triangles: Hollywood, 2011&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27872\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?resize=1024%2C682\" alt=\"Triangles: Hollywood, 2011\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?resize=660%2C440&amp;ssl=1 660w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/jazz-hands-triangle.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27872\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Triangles: Hollywood, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you want to learn more about composition in street photography, download my free e-book: <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/01\/the-street-photography-composition-manual\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Street Photography Composition Manual<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you prefer video, watch \u00c2\u00a0my YouTube lecture:\u00c2\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rDqsdZgt23g\" target=\"_blank\">Introduction to Composition in Street Photography<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more in-depth, read the lessons below:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/03\/street-photography-composition-lesson-1-triangles\/\">Composition Lesson #1: Triangles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/07\/street-photography-composition-lesson-2-figure-to-ground\/\">Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/10\/street-photography-composition-lesson-3-diagonals\/\">Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/16\/street-photography-composition-lesson-4-leading-lines\/\">Composition Lesson #4: Leading Lines<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/24\/street-photography-composition-lesson-5-depth\/\">Composition Lesson #5: Depth<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/29\/street-photography-composition-lesson-6-framing\/\">Composition Lesson #6: Framing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/31\/street-photography-composition-lesson-7-perspective\/\">Composition Lesson #7: Perspective<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/05\/street-photography-composition-lesson-8-curves\/\">Composition Lesson #8: Curves<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/11\/street-photography-composition-lesson-9-self-portraits\/\">Composition Lesson #9: Self-Portraits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/18\/street-photography-composition-lesson-10-urban-landscapes\/\">Composition Lesson #10: Urban Landscapes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/21\/street-photography-composition-lesson-11-spot-the-not\/\">Composition Lesson #11: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spot the not\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/26\/street-photography-composition-lesson-12-color-theory\/\">Composition Lesson #12: Color Theory<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/16\/street-photography-composition-lesson-13-multiple-subjects\/\">Composition Lesson #13: Multiple-Subjects<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/24\/composition-lesson-14-square-format\/\" target=\"_blank\">Composition Lesson #14: Square Format<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For further reading, learn\u00c2\u00a0more about composition from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adammarelliphoto.com\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Marelli<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear streettogs, I just finished teaching my &#8220;Introduction to Street Photography Composition&#8221; workshop here in NYC, and I put together a brand new set of slides from scratch: Street Photography Composition 101. Study composition after-the-fact \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Any geometrical analysis\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6can be done only after the photograph has been taken, developed, and printed. Then it can be used [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27842\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}