Crush the Composition: Transform the Way You Look at Photography to Get the Best Images You've Ever Taken

by Scott Kelby

Uncover the transformative power of composition and elevate your photography! If you bought a book from the 1940s on photography composition, what would you imagine its chapters might be? “Rule of Thirds”? “Leading Lines”? “Using Patterns”? Exactly. Heck, the phrase “leading lines” in photography composition was first used back in the late 1700s, but after all this time, we’re still teaching these rules of composition. Why? It’s probably because they actually work pretty well, but they only scratch the surface of composition. After all, there has got to be more to great composition than just those rules or everybody would already be a composition master, right? That’s what sets Crush the Composition apart. Written by photographer and best-selling author Scott Kelby, it’s the first book of its kind to take you beyond the time-honored rules of composition covered in every book on composition since the beginning of photography and share the concepts that nobody has been talking about—until now. These are some of the best-kept secrets in photography, and Scott unveils them all here in this groundbreaking new book whose layout and design put one leg in the classroom and one leg on the coffee table. You’re holding a book that has the power to transform the way you see, frame, and create images from this day forward because it will give you a clear plan of exactly what to do when you pick up your camera and start to frame up your shot. You’ll learn exactly how to “work the scene” when it comes to photographing landscapes, travel, and even portraits, along with what to do first, what to do next, and how to move step by step through the process. Plus, you’ll • What to do when the classic rules don’t apply (for example, what you can do if there are no leading lines or using the rule of thirds doesn’t work). • How to vary your settings and how it can change your composition. Plus, you’ll learn not only when to do it but, most importantly, why you’d want to in the first place. • How to add depth to your images, so they go from looking flat to having that deep, epic feeling that draws the viewer into your image. • How to compose for great-looking portraits and why certain composition decisions can make your subject look their very best. • How to use sharpness and depth of field to your advantage and how they play into your entire composition (it’s more powerful than you’d think). You’ll also find a chapter on composition tips and tricks, and there’s even a short chapter that covers those classic rules of composition. But, instead of dedicating an entire chapter to each rule, each one is just one page—they’re short, sweet, and to the point, so you get them out of the way fast. They’re still valid, but the way Scott describes them, in his trademark casual style, all you’ll need is that one page and you’ll totally “get” them. That way, you can focus on the stuff that goes way beyond just those classic rules. It’s all here in the only book of its kind, so get ready to rethink everything and come away with the type of images you’ve always dreamed of creating. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Seeing Differently Chapter 2: Work the Scene Chapter 3: Change Your Perspective Chapter 4: Work the Sharpness Chapter 5: Work the Settings Chapter 6: Add Depth to Your Composition Chapter 7: The Power of Simplicity Chapter 8: Composition for Portraits Chapter 9: How to Critique Your Own Work Chapter 10: Composition Tips Chapter 11: The Classic Rules of Composition Chapter 12: The Numbers Behind the Pixels

Genres: Photography

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2024

About the author

Scott Kelby is an American author and publisher of periodicals dealing in Macintosh and Personal Computer software, specifically for design professionals, photographers, and artists.

Kelby is editor and publisher of Photoshop User and Layers magazines, president and co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and is president of Kelby Media Group, an Oldsmar, Florida-based software training, education, and publishing firm.
Kelby is a photographer, designer, and the award-winning author of more than 40 books.

Reviews

[Craig Beyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Kelby’s latest book very nicely codifies composition guidelines and ideas for any photographer and will be a significant be fit to beginning photographers. While I knew many of Scott’s tips—mostly from making mistakes—I learned quite a bit from this book that will help me in me future photography. One key point about this book is that the tips & guidelines apply to any camera a photographer uses; it’s not limited to “professional” gear. A number of the included photographs were from iPhones, some from DSLRs, and some from mirrorless cameras. This book is about composing photographs, not gear (although Scot did include exposure data and the camera used for each photograph in the book in a late chapter).

I first read this book as a epub book. The included photographs displayed well on an iPad. I now have the print copy and the same photographs` are bigger, with more detail. The print version has plenty of “white space” around the photographs and the text, making the photographs stand out and the text easier to read. It’s really stunning as a print book and satisfies the intent to be an educational book aw well as a coffee table book. The content is the same in both versions but the presentation is better in the print book. The epub is handy as it travels with me on my iPad, making it easy to review the concepts and ideas. But the print book is prettier!

[Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book from a legendary educator. What makes Scott a good instructor, is as Thoreau said, Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! Although, I had seen many of the images in his photo courses, these was a new take on many of them. I recommend to photographers and other visual artists.

[Zbyszek Sokolowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

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