As visual artists, ..as creative artists, we all have a healthy interest in expanding our knowledge of composition by looking at the work of others. We also know that composition is a universal language spoken across all artistic disciplines. By looking beyond photography to painting, sculpture, and even music, and dance, we can rediscover and reinvigorate our own creative practice.

From the Renaissance, we inherit the foundational grammar of balance, harmony, and the golden ratio. However, Modern Art provides many significant lessons. The Post-Impressionists like Cézanne taught us to break the subject into geometric planes, a principle directly applicable to architectural and still-life photography. The Cubists, such as Picasso, deconstructed the single viewpoint, challenging us to capture multiple perspectives in a single narrative sequence or through intentional multiple exposures.

A brief survey of the art of the preceding centuries offers masterclass in varied approaches to composition.. The chaotic yet controlled “action paintings” of the 20th Century emphasize  line and rhythm to guide the viewer’s eye dynamically through the frame. Minimalism in art and architecture embrace negative space and repetition—a lesson in reducing a scene to its most powerful, essential elements.

We can also learn from music’s use of rhythm and crescendo, and from literature’s narrative pacing. A photographic series can build tension like a symphony or reveal a story as you might find it in a novel.

This investigation has practical application. By looking at composition through the eyes of  artists in neighboring disciplines we can develop a richer, more intuitive compositional vocabulary, transforming our work and our approach to seeing our subject matter.