Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - FE640: Compose the Dog

Course Details

Compose the Dog is the class where you learn how to arrange all the things in your photo to make the strongest image possible. Proper exposure is just the beginning. Composition is where you start learning how to "speak" photography.

Compositon is not for the benefit of the photographer. Composition is for the benefit of those with whom the photographer is trying to communicate. Be sure to read the Sample Lecture to get a better understanding of why composition is necessary to becoming a better photographer.

Completion of Shoot the Dog and/or Expose the Dog is strongly recommended, but not required. You may sign up for a Gold level spot if you have previous photography experience but not completed Shoot the Dog and/or Expose the Dog. Knowledge of the basic photography skills from those classes will be assumed. This includes, but is not limited to, understanding how to use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to take a well-exposed photo.

Teaching Approach

Lectures are released 1-2 times a week, along with a corresponding assignment that follows the lecture material. Gold students can submit images for each assignment as directed, as well as additional submissions with revisions to your images based on instructor feedback.
Some assignments include step-by-step instructions to follow to demonstrate that the student understands a skill. Some are more open-ended, leaving more of the choices for the student to make in how they complete the assignment.
Lectures are primarily written, with supplementary videos from a variety of sources on YouTube. Some videos may have subtitles, but it varies depending on the source.

This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the bronze and silver students! Directions for joining will be in the classroom after you register.

Instructor: Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson (she/her) is the official show photographer for many of the premier agility events in the United States, including the AKC National Agility Championships, AKC Agility Invitational, USDAA Cynosport World Games, UKI US Open, and NADAC Championships, as well as numerous local trials, regional events, and breed national specialties. She has photographed a wide variety of dog sports, including agility, obedience, rally, and conformation. (Click here for full bio and to view Amy's upcoming courses.)

Syllabus

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As with all my classes, the syllabus is sketchy and somewhat fluid. This is a very broad overview of the topics we will cover and approximately when they will fall within the course.

Week 1:
Visual Perception
Finding the Light
Balance and Visual Weight

Week 2:
Sharpness and Focus
Negative Space and Simplification

Week 3:
Focal length
Distance between objects

Week 4:
Geometric Principles of Composition
Lines and Shapes

Week 5:
The Decisive Moment
Visual Merging

Week 6:
Final Project
The "It" Factor

Prerequisites & Supplies

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Equipment required for Gold students:

DSLR/mirrorless camera, lens, memory card(s)
Computer (Mac or PC)
Google Photos account

Sample Lecture

Why do we have to "compose" our photos anyway?

Have you ever taken a walk with a toddler? It’s not a task for someone with an end goal in mind. The pace is dictated by the child and there are all sorts of tangents and detours that are possible. But along the way, you see things that you didn’t necessarily anticipate.

How does a toddler get your attention? They tug on your arm or hand or clothes, and then they point at what they want you to see. Your gaze follows their arm and finger and eventually you see what they caught their attention. You need the direction of their pointing finger to show you what they are seeing — you won’t see it without that visual aid.

In photography, the visual aids have to be found within the photo itself. We can use the lines of the landscape to point us towards the sunset. We can use the brights and darks of the forest to hide or reveal a bird. We use the shapes of the agility equipment to frame and highlight the moment of peak action in a dog’s course. We use the quality and direction of the light to indicate the mood and feel of the moment. These elements move our eyes around the image, but also give us the clues for where our eyes should stop.

If the visual cues are pointing in the wrong direction, we end up wondering which path we should take though the photo.

Sometimes we include things in the frame that make our eyes stop when they shouldn’t. One website I was reading recently called them “Eye Snags.” Eye Snags are not a good thing. If my eye gets caught on a snag, it means I’m missing the point of the photo. It means I never made it to the part you think is the most important.

When you see an image you took, you are flooded with memories of that event and remember what was going on when you took it. You know why you took it. You know what you were trying to say when you took it.

However, no one else has that same set of memories. If I look at a photo you took, I do not have that mental history to fill in the gaps. All I have is what you have put inside the four sides of the image. If you have included clues for me to follow, I’ll be able to find what it is you want me to look at, just like I can see what the toddler is pointing at when I’m on my walk because I can follow their pointing fingers. If the clues are missing or confusing or obscured, I’m going to have a hard time with the photo and I’ll probably move along quickly to something else. You have to grab my attention like a toddler pulling at my arm and then point me towards what I should see.

Compositon is not for the benefit of the photographer. Composition is for the benefit of those with whom the photographer is trying to communicate. By learning the language of composition, you will be able to more clearly communicate the message captured within the boundaries of your image.

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...

Thank you for your attention to detail, prompt responses, well-thought out lesson plans, and flexibility with your students. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to learn from you!

Amy, you are awesome! I love your classes and learn so much from you. Your teaching style, support, lectures, and assignments are perfect!

Fabulous course. I learned so much even at the bronze level. I got brave enough to rent a few lenses and had a blast using them. I can't wait for Adjust the Dog to start - I already have the requisite software and recommended reading.

Amy does an excellent job of providing positive and helpful feedback. She's also great at breaking down complex concepts so even us novices can follow along.

I have dabbled in photography for years but despite books and short workshops, I never have understood the basics. In this class and STD it is finally starting to stick. Love it.

Registration

Next session starts: December 1, 2023
Registration starts: November 22, 2023
Registration ends: December 15, 2023

Registration opens at 10:30am Pacific Time.

FE640 Subscriptions

	Gold	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	15	Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials	✔	✔
Access to discussion and homework forums	✔	✔
Read all posted questions and answers	✔	✔
Watch all posted videos	✔	✔
Post general questions to Discussion forum	✔	✖
Submit written assignments	✔	✖
Post dog specific questions	✔	✖
Post videos	✔	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	✖

Find more details, refund policies and answers to common questions in the Help center.

FE640: Compose the Dog - Photographic Composition