Crush the Composition

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 learn:

• 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