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Tuition: $99 $67

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Learn a SYSTEM of Composition that works for every scene, every location, every shoot

Forget the Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines.

Most composition tutorials focus entirely on rules and formulas. But those rigid ideas rarely work when it comes to real life.

Instead you need to learn a comprehensive approach to composition so that you know how to create balance and harmony in every situation.

Welcome to Landscape Composition Secrets — a complete training that teaches you how to use simple ideas to build a robust composition framework. By harnessing this approach, you’ll learn to create powerful photos that have depth, elegance, and purpose.

WHAT’S THIS COURSE ABOUT?

Composition is Hard

There are no absolute laws of composition, only expressive possibilities. And that makes composition a messy art. Not to mention that our vision and our sensibilities are constantly changing, along with the way we see the world. So our sense of what makes a good composition is constantly changing as well.

Sure, there are some well-known tactics like the Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines, but they aren’t applicable to every situation. So how do you know when to use them, when to break them, and when to ignore them?

And why does composition seem to contradict itself so often? Why does it make sense to include lots of sky in one photo, yet cut the sky almost completely out of another? Or why does a tree on the left sometimes perfectly balance a mountain on the right, while other times it overshadows it completely?

In 2024 when I was out in the field on a backpacking trip in the High Sierra, these types questions got me thinking: because composition feels so abstract, how exactly do I find and create compositions that are impactful and harmonious? When I show up to a place that I’ve never been before, what steps do I take to ensure that I come away with photos that I’m pleased with, that are aesthetic, and that represent my experience in that place?

Pondering this made me realize that every time I go out to shoot, I actually do follow a process. Rather than thinking in terms of tactics, I employ an overall strategy for finding compositions. So now, in this course, I present to you my 4-part system for finding and creating powerful landscape photography compositions. It’s packed full of useful strategies and ideas to help you compose amazing photos. Enjoy.

– Joshua Cripps

Composition Course
Click here to enroll in the course today and take epic photos tonight!

Loved By Photographers

Hello Joshua. Thanks so much for this course. I especially liked the case studies. I found it extremely helpful seeing your process in the field and your editing section was easy to follow. I am very pleased with the whole course and very happy that I purchased it!
Diane Sands
Diane Sands
Hi Josh, [This was] an informative and helpful perspective on the most important of photographic topics: composition. And worth it for the solid gold that is Part 4 alone.
Adam Burke
Adam Burke
After photographing for eleven years and participating in over 30 pro-led multiday and one day workshops, (several of Josh’s), I was skeptical. Really there is always something to learn or reinforce about nature photography. The take away I MUST remember is to look at all the angles of a scene and pay attention to what is under my feet that could be an interesting foreground. Thanks, Josh, for taking me on your mind’s eye journey to capturing those mind-blowing photos.
Nanette Canterbury
Nanette Canterbury
Hi Joshua, You do not know me, but my husband and I follow you. I am completely blown away! The time and effort you took to put words to your careful and creative ways of approaching the making of a compelling landscape composition is commendable. [It] is absolutely clear, incredibly helpful, and delightfully uncomplicated. It is additionally accompanied by excellent photographic examples of exactly what you are describing. I am truly inspired to go out and make photographs that are genuinely mine – not ones I loved that someone else made. I find landscape photography to be very challenging (in a good way) and very addicting at the same time. You just blessed me with this clear, concise, and inspiring instruction for creating powerful landscape compositions! Thank you so much – hope to head for the Eastern Sierras in October and Yosemite in November ready to apply!
Lorraine Smith
Lorraine Smith
Hi Joshua, Not only are you a great photographer, but more importantly to me, you are a great teacher. I have been impressed with the depth, organization and content of your zoom presentations that I have seen. Consequently, I am not surprised by the quality of [Landscape Composition Secrets]. I like the approach that it’s not about the rules, but instead it is about a process. It is [given] in a friendly conversational way that keeps your attention. It emphasizes the point of not planting your feet in one place, but moving around to identify photographic elements to help you visualize how to combine them for a powerful image. I really appreciate the multiple images of the same area, that Joshua uses to show his thought process to select a perspective to photograph.
Pat Brown
Pat Brown
Hi Josh, I enjoyed seeing how you think and reason out possible compositions. Often my head gets clogged up with the rules and tips, just making the process more difficult, more time consuming and honestly starts to take the fun out of it. I am an enthusiastic hobbyist living in New Hampshire, and really enjoy going out in nature and seeing what there is to see. I will begin to apply what I have learned and I'm thinking it will make my outings that much more enjoyable.


Thanks again Josh, keep up the great work!

Mary Dean
Mary Dean
Thanks so much for this, Joshua… Really good information for making composition more deliberate… This will change the way I work when I’m out in the field!
Gary L.
Gary L.
This is an excellent...approach to visioning and composing good images. The basic suggestions and steps you outline in the book are appropriate for beginning as well as advanced photographers. The example images are excellent accompaniments to the points you make. As expected, you have done a great job of sharing insight into your talent and depth of creativity to those you inspire.
JDub
JDub
WHAT’S INSIDE THIS COURSE
  • 14 instructional video lessons packed with quality education. Each lesson is concise, to-the-point, and digestible. 2 hours of instruction with tons of examples, visuals, and downloads make learning easy and succinct, with clear takeaways for each lesson. No filler and no blather means you get results today.
  • 5 live, in-field case studies showing my actual approach to composing in different scenes. Watch my full and complete thought process unfold from arrival to final shot.
  • Guided learning at your own pace. You can start and stop the course whenever you like, watch lessons as many times as you want, and skip around in the course curriculum.
  • Bonus materials to help your learning. There is a complete eBook with sample photos and guides to accompany the lessons, helping you get the most out of the course.
  • Q&A. Ask questions and get answers from the instructor. AKA Joshua Cripps. AKA me!
LESSON TOPICS

Here are just some of the key takeaways you’ll learn inside Landscape Composition Secrets.

  • The 4 ways you need to learn to see like a camera.
  • Three critical questions to ask yourself to consciously understand your artistic vision.
  • How to find locations full of photographic potential.
  • The secrets of discovering beautiful scenes to shoot.
  • Why scouting is a composition super power, what it entails, and how to master it.
  • Low pressure exploration and how it yields high-powered results.
  • The importance of angles, light direction, and the compass rose.
  • Choosing a focal length to tell the story you want.
  • The #1 rule of composition.
  • How to see shapes, not objects, and why this is another composition super power.
  • Using camera position to control the visual flow of your photo.
  • Forget the rule of thirds. Instead, learn simple fine tuning techniques to make your compositions as powerful as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have access to the course?

How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have instant, unlimited access to this course for as long as you like, across any and all devices you own.

Can I download the course lectures, videos, PDFs, and bonuses?

Absolutely! Every lecture, worksheet, and transcript is available for you to download.

What is the Virtual Teacher Weekly Email Series?

The Virtual Teacher is a weekly email series that walks you through the most important parts of each chapter. I know you are busy and sometimes watching a video doesn’t fit into your schedule. But if you have 3 minutes to read an email once a week you will still pick up the absolute most critical parts of each lesson.

How is this different than learning composition on YouTube?

YouTube composition tutorials focus on an overwhelming collection of “tips” without any framework to know when to apply them. This course teaches you a complete system for understanding composition at an intuitive level. Think of it as an organic, flowing process that can help you uncover your own vision and turn it into powerful and engaging compositions.

What equipment do I need for this course?

Any kind of camera (DSLR, Mirrorless, or even your phone!)

What if I am unhappy with the course?

I have a full 30-day refund policy. If you have completed at least three lessons and are unsatisfied with your purchase contact me and I will give you a full refund.

Got a different question? Let me know!

IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
The answer is a big fat YES if you:
  • You feel overwhelmed with hundreds of composition "tricks"
  • You want to learn an organic system to composing that works in all situations
  • Want to learn how to see like a camera
  • Want a simple, practical method to understanding your own artistic vision
  • Don’t know how to tell if you have a good composition, or if something should be in your frame or not.
  • Wish to learn in-depth scouting techniques for finding the best places to shoot
  • Want to learn a simple process that helps your compositions build themselves
  • Want to understand the five most important tactics for fine tuning your compositions
If any of this applies to you, then you are in the right place and this course is going to fix all of your problems. Well, maybe not all of your problems, but at least some of your landscape photography problems right now.
SKILL LEVEL

Landscape Composition Secrets is a course aimed at beginner and intermediate photographers, but will be useful for anyone who wants to learn a more robust method of understanding composition.

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A MYSTERY

Stop wishing for better photos and get started today. Landscape Composition Secrets will walk you through a proven framework for crafting powerful compositions. You’ve already spent thousands of dollars on your camera, lenses, tripod, and accessories. Now invest in the skills and techniques to bring your artistic vision to life.

Enroll in the course

Hi! I’m Joshua Cripps

I’ve helped thousands of people improve their photos. Here’s how I can help you.

I’ve been teaching photography for over 15 years. In the beginning I was teaching only myself. But as I began to understand what made a good photo I quickly moved on to assisting other photographers on their workshops, and then to teaching my own. Since then I’ve instructed thousands of photographers in person in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

But I didn’t stop there. I also created Joshua Cripps Photography, one of the most popular photography channels on YouTube, which has over 400,000 subscribers and 10’s of millions of video views.

Throughout these years of teaching (as well as refining my own photography) I’ve learned a lot about what makes a good photo and what doesn’t.

I’ve also come to realize when you’re learning photography you need more than just endless tips. You need practical approaches, step-by-step processes, and go-to ideas about how to craft a winning image. You need a framework to start from that you can build your own creative ideas off of.

That’s why I created Landscape Composition Secrets. To give you a process you can use to create powerful, unique compositions in any scene.

This course lays out the process in black and white. There are 14 lessons teaching you my my complete composition workflow, plus multiple complete start-to-finish composition walkthroughs in a variety of scenes.

Landscape Composition Secrets

Deluxe Package

$ $67 Lifetime access
  • Landscape Composition Secrets Video Course
  • BONUS: 5 Composition Field Case Studies
  • Full Course eBook
  • Instructor Q&A
Download Now for $67

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