What is a Strong Photographic Composition?
making the exposures   |   making prints
Taken from a presentation to the Goshen Photography Guild, 2002, Marvin Bartel
Also see: Critique Form for Photography and Artwork Critique Form

Questions for "Art for Children" college students: What could I do to help elementary school children to use a camera in a way to that would more likely make photographs that follow the dictum that "a good photograph is simply the strongest way to see something"?

As a teacher, how could I inform and change their picture taking habits?

How could their pictures become more unique and personal expressions of who they are and what they feel strongly about?

How could their photography be used to motivate their creative writing, poetry, drama, and so on?

-- dictum attributed to photographer, Edward Weston

I. Image and content. Is it evocative?

II. Is the photograph stylistically innovative or stylistically derivative?  Is style gimmicky?

III. Design and composition questions

Questions to ask when making or viewing a photograph
I. Is it evocative?
A.   Do people stop and look at it?  Why?
B.   Is it innovative or is it trite and banal?
C.   Is it a gimmick or will it wear well?
D.  Does it symbolize anything beyond itself?
E.   Does it reflect a personal style or is it generic?
F.   Is it universally important or is it trivial?
G.  Is it stunningly beautiful or average?
H.  Does it praise or condemn anything in the photographer’s world?
I.   Does it document or explain something to average viewers need to consider?
J.   Does it express humor, grief, joy, or some other feeling?
K.  Is an idea or concept being expressed?
L.  Are there sufficient abstractions to make visual implications and metaphors possible?

II. Is the photograph stylistically innovative or stylistically derivative?  Is style gimmicky?

III. Does the Composition Work as Formal Design?
A.  Do the elements of the compositions move the eye around the composition or is it static?
B.  Do all parts seem to belong or is a part that is too inconsistent with the rest of the photograph?
C.  Do any lines or vectors move the eye off and away from the composition?
D. Is directional placement effective?  Do moving part face inward or is anything placed so that it is expected to move off of the composition?
E.  Are there distracting mergers between foreground and background parts?
F.  Are there mergers with the edges of the composition?
G.  Is depth or flatness obvious or does it make a subtle contribution to the mystique of the photo?
H.  Is there appropriate framing or cropping to maximize the effects created by the composition?
I.  Does size and scale heighten the message or feeling without being gimmicky?
J.  Do the tonal, color, and textural choices increase the photograph’s power without overpowering it?


Also see Types and Categories of Photographs
Link to:  What is a Strong Photographic Composition ?  by Marvin Bartel
Link to:  A form for classmates to use when conducting a photo class critique by Marvin Bartel
Link to:  A Rubric for artwork assignments
Link to:  A Rubric for learning in Art History
Link to: An Artwork Critique Form

All Rights Reserved.  This page is posted for review purposes for students in Art for Children, Goshen College, Marvin Bartel, Instructor.  Questions?  e-mail: Marvin Bartel
posted: 12-11-02