Rules, tools + hacks to use as Ideas, Guides, and Experiments!

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GET THE PHOTO COMPOSITION PLAYBOOK

The Photo Composition Playbook

⭐️ Ideal for budding street photographers or any photographer with a comfort zone to escape. Learn how to speak the brain’s visual language, master the classic composition rules, and discover the secret sauce to better pictures. Illustrated with contemporary street photography throughout along with top tips that are easy-to-digest, and super simple to apply.⭐️

Pssst... It's not a book made of paper — It's a fully responsive digital platform...

mobile phone mockup up of the cover and some pages of The Street Photography Playbook

🚨🚨🚨 Paging all budding street photographers who WANT to improve their photo composition WITHOUT feeling overwhelmed by trying to figure out the pesky rules...

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You struggle to compose your photos well during fleeting moments on the street

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You feel quite overwhelmed falling down the online rabbit hole of all the so-called rules

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You wonder how to start to get to grips with composition and make better photos

I've got you!!!

All new photographers, whatever type of photography they are doing, feel the need to learn the rules of composition. I did too. But I wished there was something specific to street photography as there seemed to be a lot of rule-breaking going on!

I must admit when I started out as a street photographer I got a bit attached to, and restricted by, the Rule of Thirds! Don't get me wrong it's a solid guideline but it isn't the most exciting...

There's so much more to creative composition than the classic rules (thirds, leading lines etc) such as the Gestalt theories of visual perception. I literally spent days researching this quite a complex set of ideas.

I was fascinated, and I now teach this 'science' of photography and it goes way beyond the classic rules and explains a lot of successful street photography.

You should of course understand the classic rules too. You know what they say — you have to know the rules to be able to break the rules!

To really understand these concepts and other ways of composing in street photography, that didn't seem to be a part of any rule set or theory, I started to reverse engineer the street photography I loved by deconstructing the compositions in order to be able to understand the building blocks of the photo.

It took a LONG time... and I really wish someone had done all the research for me, and that's why I've done it for you! Say hello to...

The Photo Composition Playbook 

Imagine this… simply explained composition rules, tools + hacks, literally in your pocket on your mobile phone, that with practice become intuitive, meaning you can compose in a split second

⭐️ Are you ready to become a better photographer with a toolbox of compositions to use in any situation? ⭐️

GIMME ALL THOSE RULES, TOOLS + HACKS

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Elevate your photography by mastering the classic rules as well as the super fascinating Gestalt theories

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Train your compositional intuition so you can compose your photos quickly in any fleeting moment

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Change the way you frame the world with a set of inspiring + creative compositional tools + hacks

I made this Playbook!

Hello, my name is Polly Rusyn — I’m a pro-photographer and street photography teacher. My street photography has been awarded and exhibited internationally at a number of street photography festivals, and published in various magazines. I give talks about street photography for top brands such as Nat Geo Traveller and Fujifilm. I have contributed to books including 'Women Street Photographers' (Prestel) and 'The Travel Photographer's Way' (Bradt). And most recently in 2021 I was a Finalist in the Series Category at the London Street Photography Festival.

I am obsessed with street photography and love to reverse engineer great pictures to figure out why they work. My superpower is being able to explain things in concise ways so that you can start to make better photography compositions straight away, and I'm so excited to share my insights with you in this awesome digital playbook!

"Everything is learnable."

Rave reviews from people who have attended the in-person workshops I run that inspired this Playbook.

"To me photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place...I've found it has nothing to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them."

— ELLIOT ERWITT 

YES, I WANNA START SEEING DIFFERENTLY
mobile phone mockup up of the cover and some pages of The Street Photography Playbook

So what's in the "BOX"?

You get access instantly to a fully responsive and beautiful designed digital platform that looks darn good on your mobile phone but can also be viewed on any browser. It can be accessed via an app too — how awesome is that? (That's right it’s not some clunky paper book that you have to weighs you down when your camera gear is heavy enough.)

It's made from over 20 project-based street photography workshops designed around the science of composition and art of observation. It contains the concentrated juice of over 200 street photography mini-workshops (focussed on different compositional challenges and idea based mini-projects). It is the result of several years of making street photography (and winning a few awards here and there, and being published and exhibited along the way) and many months of research, organisation, planning, writing and design.

The Photo Composition Playbook is bursting with composition rules, tools and hacks to get you really going in street photography! The Playbook is organised into categories, with a photo to illustrate each composition idea, some with additional photos with compositional grids overlaid on them and easy to digest yet thorough notes, pro tips and advice explaining how to get the shot.

Rules are just guidelines but they exist for a reason — there is a science behind why some photos work better than others! Use the rules as tools and play with the hacks. The more you practice the sooner you will develop intuitive composition, and you'll be able to react quickly and compose those split second moments in the street.

And guess what...?

I’m giving you access to (almost) all of my tools in the Playbook!

Inside The Photo Composition Playbook I share my tips on ways to compose photos, some street photography rules and my thought processes behind the pictures. I promise you won't be drowning in words. Just the right amount to explain and give you inspiration, so that you can spend your time on the street making awesome compositions rather than reading (too much!).

Think of it like having a series of DIY mini-workshops at your fingertips on your mobile phone helping you become a better street photographer.

Your days of messing up the shot will be over, your days of taking better, well composed street photography will begin!

Let me (in Playbook-form) hang out in your pocket on your mobile phone!

[No, a mobile phone is not included — cheeky!]

Get all the intel behind how to compose photos like these + understand how they are structured + why they work...

Inside The Photo Composition Playbook you get a whole bunch of photo composition awesomeness INCLUDING:

 

🔥 8 categories of rules, tools and hacks

MINIMALISM, SEPARATION, POINT OF VIEW, THE CLASSICS, GESTALT PRINCIPLES, CROPPING, FRAMES + LAYERING

🔥 39 compositions across the categories

To be used to train your intuitive composition. Each with examples of well composed contemporary street photography (made by me) along with some composition grids to illustrate the ideas further. 

🔥 Bite-sized intel-rich explainers

Short-attention-span notes that contain invaluable insights behind the rules, tools and hacks to compose a photo in a creative way (from an experienced street photographer — yes, it’s me again!)

🎈Easy navigation between categories so you can pick a category or simply work through the Playbook in order.
🎈Track your progress through the Playbook by marking the tools you've tried (which you can then undo and go again because practice is everything!)

 

(Value: £835)

But WAIT 🖐🏼 That's not all! 

Check out these awesome bonuses:

mockup of laptop screen showing deconstruction file example

BONUS #01

Beginner's Guide to Fishing

Get the lowdown on both the 'Hunting' and 'Fishing' street photography techniques, with a more detailed intro into the ideal approach for beginners to get started in street photography. Illustrated with contemporary street photos.

These mini eBook contains:

  • Ways to approach a 'location hunt' in pictures
  • Quick tips on 'working the scene' with a 9 photo 'contact sheet' to show you how
  • Notes on fine tuning your frames once you've identified a spot
(Value: £25

BONUS #02

Composition Checklist

Making great photographs means remembering and being able to process a lot of things at the same time. This awesome infographic gives you a clear guide of what you need to make second nature in order to elevate your street photography.

This one-page infographic includes:

  • The key things to ALWAYS keep in mind
  • Brief explainers of each point and links to relevant sections in the Playbook
  • Illustrated visually to make them easy to recall
(Value: £15) 

BONUS #03

Cropping Guide

This introduction to cropping will give you an all important understanding of where and how to crop and the fascinating science behind cropping that you can cross-reference with the examples in the CROPPING section of the Playbook.

This one-page infographic gives you:

  • Details of where you should and shouldn't crop
  • A scientific explanation
  • Something you can easily access while out in the field
(Value: £15) 

Total value: £990

RRP: £97

SALE price: £17

The Photo Composition Playbook + ALL three bonuses

That’s probably less than 3% of what you paid for your camera...

It’s also gluten free and 100% organic!

Holy Henri Cartier-Bresson! Whaaaaat?! Nope, that’s not a typo. 

Grab it quick before I change my mind!

And… *SPOILER ALERT* - because no one likes surprises - I’m going to offer you another playbook that is the perfect partner to The Photo Composition Playbook at an exclusive one-time only reduced price when you hit that big yellow button! And after that I'll even be offering you savings on a Written Portfolio Review). Yes, I have lost my mind. Help me get help. 

HEY, I KNOW A BARGAIN WHEN I SEE ONE

Still not sure? Maybe you've got questions... Well I've got answers.

DISCLAIMER - The photos you get as a result of this Playbook are very dependant on your commitment to improving your compositional skills. This Playbook is designed to help you develop your intuitive composition, but you have to practice! It’s been created to give you tools, not to limit you to a certain way to shooting. Use it as reference and a way to learn compositional options in any situation. Snapping something isn’t enough to make a good photo, you still have to consider the light, the composition, the moment, the story, and all the other elements in the frame. This Playbook isn't a substitute for in-person training but it will 100% give you plenty of rules, tools and hacks to get you started on one of the best creative adventures you've ever been on. 

OK, I'M IN. GIMME THE PLAYBOOK

⭐️ It's like having a series of mini-workshops on your mobile phone teaching you awesome compositional tools helping make you an intuitive street photographer! ⭐️

I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW
Here's a quick summary of all the awesome photo composition resources you get when you treat yourself to The Photo Composition Playbook today!

 

🚀 Lifetime access to The Photo Composition Playbook

No need to carry a big old paper book around or hunt for that PDF eBook you file somewhere. Your playbook is designed to be viewed on a mobile device (either via a browser or through an app) and INCLUDES:
  • 8 categories of easy to navigate compositional inspiration including: MINIMALISM, SEPARATION, POINT OF VIEW, THE CLASSICS, GESTALT PRINCIPLES, CROPPING, FRAMES + LAYERING
  • 39 rules, tools and hacks across the categories to start training your intuitive composition with intel-rich short-attention-span-friendly explainers, bite-size insights, and expert advice to get you going.
  • Contemporary street photographs illustrating each idea (made by me) to inspire you and show you why certain compositions work and how you can use them yourself!

🚀 BONUS #01  Beginner's Guide to Fishing 

  • 3 steps to the best way to start on your street photography journey using the 'Fishing' technique.

🚀 BONUS #02 Composition Checklist

  • Everything you need to ALWAYS keep in mind with links to relevant key sections of the Playbook.

🚀 BONUS #03  Cropping Guide

  • 1 fabulous one-page infographic that explains the science behind cropping for you to use in your creative compositions.
🎈MEMBERSHIP of Street Social — the DoSP's private Facebook group
🎈FREE AD-HOC UPDATES
 
➕ SPOILER ALERT!!!
  • The opportunity to add-on the perfect partner that will really elevate your street playtime: The Street Photography Playbook — at a one-time only reduced price at check-out. Be prepared, be very prepared (*insert dramatic music) Aaaaaand, after that you will also be offered savings on a Written Portfolio Review too.

*Lifetime access refers to the lifetime of the Department of Street Photography

Are you in?

Get access right now for a ONE-TIME payment

That's one small payment for you, one giant leap for your street photography.

Total value: £990

RRP: £97

SALE price: £17

(no need to rub your eyes or refresh the page - it’s for reals)

Get hold of this treasure trove of ideas along with the inspirational bonuses for less than it costs to get a round of drinks and a packet of peanuts!

Once you press this button you will be transported to the payment page where you can review your order, add-on The Street Photography Playbook at an exclusive one-time reduced price (if, and only if you want it) So, grab your debit or credit card and treat yourself. You know you're worth it!

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I'M IN. I WANT TO CREATE AWESOME COMPOSITIONS

 

No thank you! However, I'd like a paper version of the book please.