This weeks exercise is great a background skill for all photographers to have. Jokes aside. Controlling your backgrounds in your photography is an important skill in subject isolation and in considerations in the whole photograph.

Minimalist photography is about simplicity. This weeks exercise is about creating simplicity in our work.

In this weeks exercise we will be looking at relationships between objects in the artwork. Do we group individual objects together and see them as one? How do we help show that objects are connected together. This is all based on Gestalt Psychology’s laws of proximity and similarity.

In this weeks exercise we explore the use of cropping overlays in post processing software. We ask the question does using them actually improve our photographs.

Some say that every photograph has its own perfect crop, while others suggest that working in a common aspect ratio brings power to their work. What is your favorite aspect ratio? Have you tried some others?

Taking the time to learn to see and compose negative space is worth the effort. This week we practice composing and seeing negative space in this weeks photography exercise.

This weeks exercise follows on from the composition presentation on perspective. Understanding how objects recede and advance in a photograph is worth the investment in study and experimentation.

This week we will exercise our skills in ‘SEEING’ by practicing our ‘VISUAL SCALES’. We experiment with light to sharpen our skills of observation to see how tone is used to describe form.

Matching the greatest tonal contrast focal point with the centre of interest is a recipe for a successful image. Used by professional photographers to highlight important subjects in their advertising work.

Stopping and reflecting on why you create what you create is a valuable step in self understanding. It helps focus us with clarity. This weeks exercise asks us to stop, listen and reflect on why we make the art that we do.

The centre of the frame is an area that is often compositionally avoided. Yet it is full of power and strength. This week we explore using it boldly or tentatively to explore its hidden strength.

When we use different areas of the picture we engage different emotional responses. The upper half feels more lofty and spiritual, while the lower is more grounded and perhaps sadder. This week we will explore these two areas in the picture and see if they do indeed match up with the theory.

This weeks exercise is linked to the start of our Composition Course. We explore the concepts and works of the Elements of Art and Composition.

A diptych is two photographs side by side that work together to create a whole artwork. This week we will explore working with two photographs.

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese relatively modern concept that defies literal translations, and an agreed specific definition. Like most concepts it needs research and some understanding before being applied to our artistic practice. In this weeks exercise we will explore its meaning and how it can inspire us with some interesting work.

Have you ever had one of your photographs described as ‘Painterly’? Not even sure what that means? This week we will explore the look and techniques to create them.

Leading lines are fascinating, they can take you straight to the main focal area, or lead you off into the distance. How do they work is the question Len poses in this weekly exercise.

This weeks exercise revolves around having your photographs processed by another person to see what they might do with one of your raw captures. When lots of people show you many variations you can learn that there are other ways of seeing your own work.

Finding an artwork you find inspiring and trying to recreate elements in it is a great way to show us how we can use others work as inspiration and to learn. Accompanying photograph Olive Cotton - Interior of my room 1933

Just start…

This weeks exercise is about starting some of those projects you have in the back of your mind.   Please visit the website for more details about starting….