What's poppin, people? It's Dante. Welcome to Module seven, Advanced Layering Tools. And so the first lesson is to get close. Closeness is presence, not pressure. You might think of closeness as your physical closeness to the subject, but I believe it goes beyond this to an intimate presence between you and your subject. And so here we will look at the photograph I made of my own grandmother here on the rooftop. And so, as my grandmother and family were sunbathing, I decided to physically get close to the gesture that interested me. I filled one half of the frame with that prominent gesture. By getting close to the subject, I was able to give emphasis to the foreground element in the picture, separating that gesture from the middle ground here on the right hand side. And so when I'm making decisions physically by positioning my body close to that gesture, the rest of the frame kind of fell together naturally from the right hand side. So to the background, where we have the structure of the buildings there in relationship to the small details and elements that make up the vibrancy of this composition, from the lips to the nails to the colors and gestures of the faces and the cloud there looming in the background. And so physical closeness will give your photograph more impact and allow you to fill the frame with interest all throughout the different planes. And so closeness will simplify the layers where the foreground will assert itself and the middle ground will support that, that gesture in the foreground. And so the background simply becomes an atmosphere where the stage is set. You don't really need a lot of complexity to create a photograph with layers and depth. Sometimes simple gestures can become structure in your frames, where I'm looking at a gesture of a man washing his face on this boat in Zambia, in relationship to the man gesturing, moving the oar and pushing the boat along in the lake. And so these different hand gestures, postures and expressions can become anchors in the frame that give structure and shape and allow everything else to follow. And so emotional proximity is just as important as physical proximity, where the physical closeness will, of course, create visual impact, but it's the emotional connection that you have while you're making the picture to the subjects that the viewer will feel. And you'll feel that sense of trust and stillness within the frame, because you actually belonged in that space where you were making that picture. And so closeness isn't just aggression. You know, closeness is. Is calm movement, small micro adjustments, you know, keeping a respectful distance between you and what you are photographing. And you simply allow people to remain themselves. Right? You don't need to impose yourself into A scene, but you simply want to belong there, not invade. And so the background sometimes will simply fall together naturally. It's not necessarily something that you need to force. Where the hierarchy becomes clear when you separate the subject from in the foreground of the frame. And so really hone in on making a picture that is impactful, not only physically, but emotionally. And so by having the confidence and the ability to connect with the people in your frames, you can really emphasize the hierarchy between the different planes. And so courage is important. This is the most important trait that a street photographer must possess. The ability to get closer to your subjects by overcoming fear with courage is what's going to separate a weak photo from a strong photo. And so essentially, closeness is going to strengthen layering because it will simplify the structure. It will allow you to fill the frame with visual interest all throughout the composition. And while you're close physically, there will also be an emotional proximity that you have to the subject that adds weight and depth to the picture on a different level. Where the stage is set, the background gives structure. And the humans in your frame carry that emotional weight. And so lesson number two is all about juxtaposition. Here we have a photograph I made of Muhammad Ali on the newspaper as he passed away. And this newspaper man is holding that newspaper in the perfect place in relationship to his face. And so we have this juxtaposition that is a very simple but elegant frame. So simply due to the fact that this subject in the frame carries emotional weight. There's history to Muhammad Ali. But the way that I have this photograph come together with the overlap between that newspaper and the face of the newspaper man, that gesture of that man's hand, the relationship built between that bow tie and the suit that the man is wearing in the actual moment where he's sort of physically in real life wearing that same exact outfit that Muhammad Ali is wearing, right? That where this kind of tension, this overlap, this juxtaposition is a very simple yet elegant way to create layers and depth and meaning in a frame. And so we have the left hand side of the frame filled with that prominent gesture, that emotional weight of Muhammad Ali on the COVID of the newspaper during his passing in relationship to that subject on the right hand side who is eating. And it's a very simple way to break a frame up from left to right using the rule of thirds here in a way. But it's not so perfect. It's just a way to. To separate the frame, right? It's a way to add depth and layers throughout the Frame. And so we have the structure, that construction site of the building on the left hand side in the background, you know, the different elements of the fence and the sort of construction site that sets the stage and structure of the frame holding the glue together of the juxtaposition from the foreground to the background. And so juxtaposition is essentially creating relationships between different elements, right? We have these red shirts and we have a sign that is describing to turn on red. We have blue signs in the background relating to the blue shirts of the other woman. Right? Juxtaposition is relating these different moments and different elements that are kind of out of our control and not necessarily connected. But you kind of put order through the way that you make these relationships in your frame and allow the meaning to emerge naturally. And so I think that sometimes the most quiet frames so speak the loudest, right? You know, I don't necessarily think that when you're making a photograph with juxtaposition that you need to relate the elements. So obviously, I think subtlety goes a long way. And so you really don't need much chaos. You can simply work with one dominant element and one supporting element to create visual structure. And so I think it's important to avoid noise, avoid clutter, and allow these different relationships that you make throughout your frame to emerge naturally. And so let the viewer complete the thought. You know, you don't really need to explain these kind of photographs that utilize just juxtaposition. You don't need to underline things and you have to kind of trust the viewer that they can create meaning through looking at the different relationships that you make throughout your frame. And so it's not really a punchline juxtaposition, it's something subtle that provide that comes through your positioning and where you stand and, and where you make the picture. You know, the alignment that you create between these different relationships in your frames are what create the meaning in the juxtaposition. And so you don't need a spectacle, you don't need to force it, allow it to sort of sit naturally in your frame, allow the meaning to unfold slowly as you make these different relationships in the pictures that you make. And so, simply put, making the photo with a juxtaposition isn't all about creating visual gimmicks and tricks, but it's simply about placing elements together, carefully removing distraction and trusting the relationships that you build throughout the different planes within your frame and allowing the image to speak for itself. And so now in lesson three, we will discuss adding a strong foreground and so here in Mumbai, I made a photograph of these swimmers engaged at the water. And so one of the things that I did to establish depth in this frame is adding a strong foreground on the right hand side as I filled this frame on the right hand side with a hand gesture. And so I was simply photographing the swimmers originally, but then shifted my body with a micro adjustment to include the hand on the right hand side, adding depth and guiding the viewer's eye to the mid ground, where we reveal that subject sitting on the side of the water in relationship to the other people that are swimming throughout the frame. We have this boy's arms outstretched, that prominent gesture that echoes the gesture of the hand in the foreground, giving this photograph structure through the horizon line, the skyline and the beautiful lake and the ocean that they're swimming in. And so these relationships that you make between the foreground, middle ground, and background can be emphasized by including a strong foreground. That can then sort of set the viewer's eye up for a visual feast, where the viewer's eye now can gradually move throughout the frame. By including that prominent foreground element of the hand gesture, I was able to increase the impact of this photograph. And so foregrounds matter because they give the eye an entry point. Right. When you have a strong foreground element, we can allow the viewer's eye to carry throughout the frame and sort of strengthen that hierarchy between the different planes, between the foreground, mid ground, and, of course, the background. And so it's important to recognize that sometimes all you really need is one strong element in the foreground, like a gesture and a hand, a facial expression, and then the chaos can become organized around that gesture. And so the foreground is a complement to the composition. Depth will happen through separation. Right. When you have a strong foreground, you can create distance between the mid ground and background. And so the layers will become more clear. And there will be a separation between these kind of elements and the structure that you create in your composition. And so the foreground doesn't need to be big. It can be subtle. It can be a small hand, a shadow, a partial figure. Small but dominant gestures in the foreground go a long way to add depth in your frame. And so the position that you take will always be most critical. You know, if you're sitting there and you're watching this man here in Mumbai, and he's raising this fish from this basket, I made sure that I was positioning my camera as close as possible to that gesture, as close as possible to that fish. And then Allowed myself to stay put in that position, watching this repeating gesture over time from that same position, and then allowing the other chaotic elements to fall into place. And so the foreground will anchor feeling. The viewer will feel present when engaging with a picture with a strong prominent foreground. And the photograph will feel more alive, improving a stronger engagement for the viewer. And so essentially, when you're making a photograph with layers and depth, having a strong foreground will allow the viewer's eye to lead into the frame to move through the picture. And having a strong impactful foreground element will add depth and clarity to your picture. And so layering can be extremely simple. It does not need to be complex. Check out this photograph that I made of these two Palestinian youths. It's a very minimal scene with clear relationships from the foreground to the background. We have one Palestinian boy on the left hand side holding that bottle with a tense facial expression in relationship to the boy on the right hand side sitting on the empty bed frame. We have a structure of the background, the Palestinian flag, graffiti on the wall. And a simple scene, a simple stage that I used to hold structure between these different relationships that I made from left to right. A simple moment, a simple gesture goes a long way. And you don't need so much complexity to create layered frames. And so two layers are enough. You have one strong subject and one supporting element, clear separation. These relationships, they will carry the meaning. You don't need to add complexity to practice layering. More elements don't add meaning, but the relationships that you make between the elements do. And so precision is more important than quantity. It's more important to have a prominent element in your frame, a prominent gesture or a facial expression that relates to a different person or a different element in the picture. Over competing and trying to add so much complexity. And so body language creates structure. Watch for gestures, watch for the way that people are sort of oriented in your picture. And approach the streets and approach the people within your frames as almost like. Like when you're looking at a gesture and it's unfolding, you really need to be able to sense and anticipate that sort of structure. Naturally, you'll start to notice how, how people's sort of posture changes and you'll notice body language. And those different gestures and different elements can add structure to your picture. And so remember that you don't need so many things in your frame to carry weight in your photograph. Right. I think that a simple gesture in relationship to a strong background or a strong side character element can go a long way. And slow the viewer down and allow them to engage with the frame, frame from the foreground to the background. And so don't add what you don't need. Right? Avoid waiting for more elements in your frame. Remove distractions, because ultimately it's important to know when to stop and know when you don't need to add anything else. Because when you add too many things, that complexity in the frame can become overwhelming, and the photographs become too difficult to read, and things will become to overlap or recede. And so restraint is confidence, trust. What's there is what you need. Don't force yourself to add too much complexity. You really want to allow that sort of confidence to show for itself. When you're making a picture of a moment, you don't need to go out there and look for the most complex scenes. But recognize that layering is all about structuring the different elements and making these relationships appear naturally through your composition. And so layering, it's simply put, not complexity. You know, two elements can be enough. You want to make sure that you're thinking more about structure and clarity over chaos, right? Remove more from your frame, Create separation, create relationships between the different elements throughout your plane, and you can create stronger layering photographs. And so now we'll discuss reflections and how reflections can create mystery. Here we have a scene that I photographed of these bikers gathered outside of City hall in Philadelphia. And we have reality split in two through the mirror of. Of that bike. And so essentially, layering with reflections can create these dual spaces, unresolved tension and visual interest for a viewer. You know, where layers without clutter is all about, not adding too many subjects, but allowing the sort of depth in the picture reveal itself naturally through the reflection. You know, when I photograph through these mirrors or I use reflections in my photographs, I'm not trying to make it so complex and cluttered, but I'm using these things intentionally to add depth in the picture. And so there can become a very beautiful sort of abstraction through using reflections, where mystery can appear through ambiguity, where the viewer will question what is real, what is reflected, where am I standing? And this uncertainty in these kind of mysterious, reflecting reflection frames creates ambiguity, creates interest for the viewer. And so I find that reflections oftentimes slow the viewer down. Right? Your eye will start to move and travel throughout the different planes within the frame. And so your position is everything with photography. And so where you position your body in relationship to these reflected surfaces will essentially allow you to control the overlap, control the separation. And so those small movements matter when creating a Layered frame. And so I encourage you to think more critically about gimmicks in photography and not using those and simply allowing the reflections. And these kind of photographs you make, whether it's a juxtaposition or a layered photograph, become naturally, right? Allow these kind of reflections feel discovered. It's not something you need to force. It can become extremely subtle in your picture. It doesn't need to be so obvious, essentially. And so it's important to allow these kind of pictures come together naturally. Allow the reflection to lead, allow it to amplify the sort of mystery, you know, you don't need to force force anything. Allow it to occur when you're looking at a scene, you know, and you see a reflection or something, you know, allow that to be a thing in your frame that adds depth and mystery. Don't necessarily think about it as something that's adding extra complexity, actually. And so I believe that the art of using layering in your photographs are all about adding depth without clutter. It's about creating ambiguity and slowing the viewer down. And so one reality becomes two when using a mirror, when using a reflection. And it can become an interesting way to add depth without clutter in a picture. You can really guide the viewer's eye throughout a frame through using reflections and the layering photographs that you make. And so, with lesson number six, we will be discussing allowing this scene to breathe. This is extremely important. Essentially, you want the scene to feel like you can actually look throughout the picture, right? You want it to be super clear with the hierarchy between the different planes from foreground, mid ground and background. And so you don't want to necessarily clutter the frame with a million different things. But if you have a complex frame with lots of different people and lots of activity and motion and movement, you want to have harmony between these different planes. You want clear separation so the viewer's eye can be carried throughout the frame. And so here we're going to look at a beach shower scene in. In Tel Aviv, where I was photographing at a dog beach. And so essentially, I knew that I could make an interesting photograph here because I could sense the possibility of something. I knew that if I were on the dog, that if I was on the dog beach, dogs could be passing by my frame, you know, adding a little bit more added complexity. I noticed the structure of the background and the people gathered here. I noticed the way that there was a shower. I noticed these people engaging in play with the sand on their legs and sunbathing. And I simply stood there at this choke Point patient and waited as the dogs entered the frame and clicked the shutter at that decisive moment, leading the viewer's eye to the background on the left hand side, as that couple is engaged in a hug and a kiss, bathing or drying each other off with towels. And so the structure was set. Initially, I had my backdrop set. I was visually interested in these different elements of people at the scene. I was looking at the dogs and the way they move through the beach and. But because I had myself positioned at this particular choke point with structure, I was able to put order to the chaos in the frame. And allowing myself to sort of find myself at this choke point and setting my stage influenced my ability to put together order in this frame. And creating clear hierarchy and separation throughout the various different planes in this photograph, which has lots of depth, which has lots of chaos, but there's clear separation and hierarchy and relationships between the different people throughout the frame. And so breathing space will create clarity in your frame. It'll give the subjects room to breathe. And so avoid overlap. Allow the gestures to finish, allow the layers to become visible. Contrast is key. And so not every moment needs tightness. You don't always need to be close. You know, as much as we started this module off about getting close, sometimes stepping back can help. You know, waiting improves separation, and so doing less can strengthen the image. Resist crowding the frame with a million different things and recognize that you don't always need to be close. But there's various ways to work within the three planes of foreground, middle, ground, and background. And stepping back can help. And so separation improves readability for a viewer. Here in, in Jerusalem, I was photographing in the Old city and I noticed the way that the movement of these people outside of the World Western Wall became very visually interesting and engaging. And as they were stepping around this scene, I stayed put and I set my stage using the backdrop to my advantage to create clear separation between the feet, between the gestures, and the way that people move throughout this frame. And so recognize that separation is what's going to improve the readability of your layers. And so patience. This is going to create calm images. There's going to be a time where you need to stay put and watch as a scene unfolds patiently in order to create separation and allow the frame to breathe. And so space is not a weakness. It's not a bad thing to have negative space. You know, this negative space can direct attention for the viewer's eye to be carried throughout the frame. You know, space can add weight, it creates balance, it supports the main subject that you are photographing, and so know when to stop. You can see when a scene is already complete, you can simply walk away confidently when things kind of unfold naturally, and so trust your stillness when working a scene, and know when to stop photographing so you can let the scene breathe. And so not every photograph needs your presence. You don't always need to be up close and personal. Layering isn't always about adding complexity, it's about giving space and creating separation between the different relationships that you make. And so allow the moments to finish natural and walk away calm and confidently as you make pictures. And recognize that layering, it's all about making sure that the relationships have clear hierarchy. It's not about adding complexity. And so thank you for watching this module and I will see you soon in the next one. Peace.