Rachel Korinek – Composition Essentials
COMPOSITION ESSENTIALS
Step-up your styling and compose next-level images, (that’ll blow your audience away).
Imagine if:
Nailing composition essentials became second nature and you wondered how you ever struggled in the first place?
You didn’t need to take a million shots to get it right.
You were more organised and went into the photo shoot with a clear vision for what you want (rather than winging it every time). You could achieve the right ‘feel’ for your images and tell a story with your photos.
You could curate a knockout prop collection while cruising your Instagram feed and you could make an image look stellar with only minimal props.
You were able to define your personal style to make your food photography truly recognisable and memorable (and land you that dream gig!). Your portfolio was cohesive and represented your unique style and flair.
With the power of essential composition skills,
YOU CAN:
Envision fresh and different composition options before you even take your camera out of the bag.
Train your eyes to see things that would make an amazing image.
Evoke a mood and sensibility with each delicious shot.
Plan and style shoots with ease and simplicity.
Construct compelling and vivid food imagery every time.
Develop your trademark style that is true to your own personality and taste.
Does this sound familiar?
You love taking photos but you struggle to find fresh ideas to style and compose a shot.
You keep reverting back to the same old, familiar setups (plate in the foreground, glass in the background) because when you try something new it just doesn’t work out.
You hurry through the shoot and forget to plan it out so you rely on the same composition, background and props as usual (Read: the photos end up boring and uninspiring. The food looks unappetizing)
Or you take no less than 60 shots and you still don’t LOVE any of them!
They all just look dull and same-samey. Or the food looks, well, a little brown.
When I started out,
I didn’t know which composition techniques to use to get that perfect snap.
My images never turned out the way I wanted them to – I was just rehashing the same styling and composition as other photographers and never really finding my own groove.
I didn’t know which tools would help me tell the right story and create seriously mouth-watering food photos.
I was tired of creating the same old boring compositions and had no idea how to step up my game.
I wanted to be unique and recognisable. I wanted to create my own vision and signature style.
That’s why I created Composition Essentials.
This course will not only make the photography process fun and seamless – it will seriously up-level your food photography so you can blow your audience away.
Composition Essentials is a system and structure for anyone who feels lost and overwhelmed when trying to build a still life scene from nothing.
I want you to feel at ease with the creative process rather than finding it downright daunting.
I want you to feel excited and inspired to produce original imagery – and not just duplicate the same old ideas for photos and compositions all the time.
Because deep down you know you are worthy of being a skilled and successful creative photographer.
And you know you have the talent to master the art of food photography – if only you could style, plan and compose the shot like the professionals and magazines.
It’s the art of composition.
One of the most basic and most important things you can do to improve your photography is to understand the essentials of photography composition.
Many people skip this step because they would rather hurry up and get snapping – but with food photography, it really does pay to learn how to construct and compose images correctly.
The success and beauty of your photograph hinges on how you organise the subjects within the frame.
#TBT
Let’s take a trip down memory lane with these now and thens. This is the power of understanding essential composition.
POWERFUL COLOURS
Discover how colour balance is the key to beautiful images and how to use colour composition creatively and effectively.
GOOD-LOOKING BROWN FOOD
We’ll cover techniques to make brown food your bestie. Let ‘brown’ and boring food be your nemesis no more!
NATURAL, NOT STAGED
Learn how the subtle art of intentional, yet natural styling and say goodbye to overdone and staged.
IMPACTFUL SIMPLICITY
I’ll show you how to make stellar images with minimal props to create that perfect ‘minimalist’ look.
Why composition matters
An amazing photograph is never a fluke –
there are certain fundamentals that come together to create that shot.
Really great photographers make clear and conscious decisions about what they put in the frame and what they leave out.
They know how to arrange certain elements and how each one interacts with each other.
It’s about making all the right decisions for the story you’re telling, the season, the food, and even your own mood.
So whether you’re photographing a delectable truffle dish or trying to make brown stews and lasagnes look effortlessly beautiful (so frustrating!) understanding the principles of composition will help you produce better photos, every time.
Composition skills will empower you to know why certain tools work for certain imagery and recipes so you know which ones to select to create amazing images.
My program in a nutshell
In this course, we’ll take an in-depth look at the principles of composition, beginning with the basic foundations and moving on to more advanced techniques.
We’ll look back on your portfolio to see what type of tools will elevate your food imagery and help step up your compositional game.
We’re going to focus in on the true goals of composition and what makes an image next-level.
This course will take you through all the high-level composition theories you need to succeed (most of which you won’t find on the internet for free and for which you really need some professional guidance.)
ONGOING ACCESS TO COURSE MATERIALS
You’ll have ongoing access to all online materials, as well as the chance to learn as you go in your own time. I’ll help you to understand the tools of composition like it’s second nature (no more guessing about the right ones to use). Then you’ll approach each photo shoot feeling confident and organised (and get it all done in way less time)
35+ VIDEO LESSONS & CHEAT SHEETS
With over 35 video tutorials and cheat sheets, spanning across 5 modules, I’ll teach you where to place hero subjects and supporting elements to create breathtaking images, and how to use the tools top food photographers use to make their images stand out.
WE’LL ANALYSE OVER 100+ IMAGES OF MY BEST WORK
We’ll uncover how I use composition in my own work, by reviewing over 100 images from my portfolio to help you find the right compositional principles to create your own trademark style.
LEARN 31 TOOLS + 6 CROPPING GUIDES
Discover the powerful tools of essential composition so you can create interest and dynamic tension in every image. You’ll be using leading lines, diagonals, symmetry and cropping guides with ease, (aka just like a pro).
FIND & EVOLVE YOUR STYLE
An entire module is dedicated to finding your trademark style (and know how to evolve it once you’ve nailed it). You’ll know which techniques to use for the different narratives and moods you want to create, and how to follow the formulas but break the rules when you need to.
10 MOCK MAGAZINE COVERS
Create magazine-worthy compositions by putting everything you’re learning into practice with a bunch of activities designed to push your composition up a notch. Including 10 mock magazine covers to create around text constraints.
Nail your composition
Work through guided activities so you can be empowered to know why certain tools work for certain imagery and recipes so you know which ones to select to create amazing images.
CROP FOR AESTHETICS
I’ll share how you can create more interesting and aesthetically pleasing images by going beyond the Rule of Thirds and using more powerful cropping grids + guides. Plus how to use them in your editing tool of choice.
6 STYLING VIDEOS
We’ll also watch the creative process from start to finish in 6 styling videos, with three featuring a professional prop + food stylist. Plus the key compositional steps they take from raw and unfinished to polished and professional.
CLEAR + CONSCIOUS PLACEMENT
You’ll also get an exclusive insight into how I use 12 different compositional tools to achieve a simple image using less than two props! (AND sometimes even no props).
What you get with Composition Essentials
I’ll take you through how I use composition in my own work and how it can help you find the right compositional principles to create your own trademark style.
BRINGING YOUR VISION TO LIFE
Learn why composition is so important and the goals your image should strive for. We’ll also explore the different styles of food photography and how to begin the important journey to finding your true trademark style, accompanied by fun guided activities to help you get there.
ESSENTIALS TOOLS + COMPOSITIONAL INGREDIENTS
Discover the essential tools and skills every savvy photographer needs to stand out from the crowd and the most important compositional ingredients to use when creating that perfect shot. I’ll show you what they are and how to use them to best effect. I’ll also empower you to know *why* they are important in creating magic with your images.
EVOLVE YOUR OWN TRADEMARK STYLE
What comes next once you’ve found your signature style or you feel like you’ve outgrown it? Photography is an adventure into the heart of you and it evolves with every image you take. In this module, we’ll uncover how to go further with composition and build upon your styling prowess. We’ll tap into your preferred ambience and take you one step closer to that dream style.
TAKING YOUR COMPOSITION TO THE NEXT-LEVEL
This is where you take your composition up a notch! From how to use ellipses, dynamic symmetry, the ‘golden ratio’ and more, you’ll step-up your game by learning the advanced tools that the pros use to craft eye-catching images. They’re the cream of the crop secrets and professional techniques for creating high impact and breathtaking pics.
STYLE FOOD LIKE A PRO
In this module, we’ll uncover my compositional ‘go-to tools’ and how I can harness 12 compositional tools without using a single prop! We’ll also watch the creative process from start to finish in 6 styling videos, with three featuring a professional prop + food stylist. You’ll learn how to select tools and take pics like a true food styling pro.
Class Curriculum
Getting Started + Getting Help.
Getting Started Video (5:07)
Course Workbook
Facebook Group.
Module 1: Bringing Your Vision To Life
Goals of Composition (6:50)
Styles of Food Photography (7:13)
Finding Your Style (10:22)
Approaching Composition (5:27)
How + When To Use Props (4:41)
ACTIVITY: Curate a Prop Collection Whilst Cruising Social Media (3:42)
ACTIVITY: Overwhelm Buster: One Page Vision Builder (1:55)
Module Two: Essential Tools + Compositional Ingredients
Basic Lines + Shapes (18:08)
Patterns + Texture (15:11)
Layering (13:51)
Colour (8:51)
Shadows (5:52)
Negative Space (7:02)
Backgrounds (8:27)
Position + Placement (10:59)
S-Curve (6:43)
Rule of Thirds (5:36)
Cropping + Framing (5:42)
Angle of View/Zooming (10:44)
Basic Rule of Odds (8:59)
Repetition (5:46)
Depth of Field (6:03)
GUIDE: Getting Started With Composition (To Avoid Boring) (2:09)
ACTIVITY: Composition Check (4:17)
ACTIVITY: Composition Create (2:32)
Module Three: Evolve Your Own Style
Going Further With Composition (6:45)
Evolving Your Style (4:51)
Reading Images (13:49)
ACTIVITY: Evolve Your Style (1:27)
Module Four: Create Next-Level Compositions
Gestalt Laws (19:04)
Advanced Lines + Shapes (10:02)
Unity (8:39)
Passive Space (4:15)
Area of Greatest Contrast/Edge Flicker (11:00)
Figure Ground (4:11)
Advanced Rule of Odds (8:22)
Symmetry/Balance (5:30)
Golden Ratio (10:05)
Cropping Guides (10:10)
Dynamic Symmetry (13:57)
ACTIVITY: Cropping For Aesthetics (9:10)
ACTIVITY: Composition Check 2.0 (2:34)
ACTIVITY: Composition Create 2.0 (1:16)
Module Five: Style Like A Pro
Putting It All Together (10:52)
How To Select Tools (10:00)
My Guide To Knockout Minimalist Images (6:52)
ACTIVITY: My Guide To Knockout Minimalist Images (1:37)
ACTIVITY: Composing For Magazine Covers (6:58)
Styling Mini Star Cakes (16:12)
Styling Marble Cake (7:59)
Styling Shakshuka (17:59)
Styling Cherry Cake (10:40)
Styling Heirloom Tomatoes (16:02)
Styling Black Bean Stir Fry (16:32)
Happy Creating! (0:47)
Module Six: Group Feedback + Critiques
Mock Magazine Covers Round 1 (June 2018) (95:55)
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