New Photography Guide from FroKnowsPhoto

Jared Polin has produced a 3 hour guide to teach beginning photographers about DSLR photography fundamentals.  It is currently on sale at 30% off and includes a 20 minute bonus video for creating a 5 year photography plan.  (Regular price: $97, Launch price: $67)

You may have seen Jared's popular FroKnowsPhoto instructional videos on YouTube.  If not, check out his style of teaching at the photo video guide page where you can see a short excerpt from his new course, or watch one of his tutorials on YouTube or his website.

Jared has a video this week on Photographing Kids at Digital Photography School; you can find a DPS review of the new course here.

(I don't get any compensation for this post, but I know my readers are looking for reasonably priced fundamental photography courses.  I haven't purchased the course so I can not review it and this is not to be considered a recommendation.)

Project 52, Week 41, Shapes

This week we look for a fundamental composition element: shapes - circles, rectangles, squares, triangles, pentagons, etc.  A shape is a space outlined by elements such as lines, color, and value. It may be an actual solid object (such as a wall or window or traffic sign) or may be more of a perceived shape (such as a group of people arranged in a circle or triangle or a mountain range or the space between two converging lines).

Things to consider:

• Be creative.  Look for shapes everywhere.  A horse race track is a circle/oval; the starting gate and stands are rectangles. 
• A shape should be distinctive, but does not necessarily have to be a geometric shape. A photograph of a horse and jockey taken in silhouette shows a distinct shape.
• The S-curve is a shape.  The eye completes the lines to see circles, one on top of another.
• Composing a group of people by arranging them in a triangle can create a more interesting picture than having them all in a row at the same height.
• The American Heart Association publishes calendars that feature a picture with a heart shape subject each month (flora, fauna, islands, birds, hands, etc.)

Suggested Readings and Examples:

1. Visual Design Elements: Shapes at Ultimate Photo Tips; illustrated article - illustrates perceived shapes
2. The Tuesday Composition: Circles by Joe Decker at Photocrati; illustrated article
3. Circular Compositions by John Suler's PhotoPsychology at Flickr; illustrated article
4. Hearts, Triangles, and Circles at FotoSearch; just pictures
5. Examples of Shape Photography by kelsibrenna; 5 examples

creativeLive in New York City

CreativLive is going across the county to New York City this month.  They will host two days of speakers (four per day) and present it live and FREE October 25 and 26, 2012.  Click creativeLive NYC to read more about it and see who the speakers are.

Free Bonus: CreativeLive will also carry Kevin Kubota's Photographers Ignite on Friday night (October 26).  "Ignite is a style of presentation where participants express their passion for photography with five minutes to speak on a subject of their choice, accompanied by 20 slides that autoadvance at 15 second intervals."  Visit the Photographers Ignite blog for more information.

(I'm not affiliated with creativeLive or Photographers Ignite in any way - I just appreciate good quality FREE stuff.)