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 I am passionate about image design and composition. I am fascinated by human response to different visual stimuli, as well as how the different parts of an image fit together to make what we consider a "complete" image. I have spent many years studying composition and I have 28 articles on the subject, as well as a brand new 148-page book. My New Book
NATURAL DESIGN: NATURAL DESIGN is unique among all nature photography books because of the "Composition Maps." These are photographs that have been marked-up in Photoshop to illustrate the features of the design. Photographer's love them and because they are visual illustrations and not verbal explanations, the concepts they illustrate are learned and comprehended immediately. They've helped hundreds have a better understanding of the basics of image design, how they apply to nature photography and how we can use them to make unique and memorable photographs. SELL NATURAL DESIGN! Or a high-traffic site? Sign up with my Affiliate Marketing plan and earn $10.00 per sale!
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 Reading Photographs
by Gloria Hopkins excerpt from Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers For those with an understanding of visual design there can be nothing more satisfying than reading a thoughtfully designed nature photograph. We read the image in a language that isn’t obvious to the casual observer and look for things that others would never see. Here we take our viewing experience further than most and attempt to communicate with the photographer on an artistic level. We delve deep into the image, looking for its meaning, strength, structure, and appreciating its aesthetic qualities and photographic attributes. Learning to read photographs is best accomplished by starting simple, making note of the basics such as sharpness, exposure and basic composition. As we learn to identify various aspects of a photograph, we become more probing and critical in our evaluations. Reading a photograph typically goes from the basics like seeing shape and judging exposure to more advanced scrutiny including dissecting compositions, evaluating the quality of light, and forming personal interpretations. When evaluating any kind of art our observation skills are called into action. For example, when viewing the Mona Lisa would you see a plain looking young woman with a pleasant smile or would inspect her surroundings and try to let her eyes tell you why she’s smiling? Would you see an average three-quarter frame portrait or would you notice the single perspective point behind her head, the vanishing lines and the triangle composition? Would you see the pretty skin and delicate hands, or would you recognize the ground-breaking technique of transparent layering of paint used to build up her skin with no lines? We can marvel at an image as long as we like, but it is our ability to read it and understand it that gives it deeper meaning to us. This fosters a heightened viewing experience and can result in a deeper appreciation for the image and/or technique used to create it. * * * excerpt from Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers Revised June 23, 2008
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