The Art of Figure to Ground: Photography's untaught secret (Udemy.com)

Great course! I liked that he used art to exemplify his points. Up to a point. It would have been nice to also see just a few more photo examples to help bridge the concept between the two mediums and more directly show/give an example of his point(s). I enjoyed the course and learned something, and that is the point! Great Teacher!

This course was interesting & valuable. Adam seems to teach by showing rather than telling, which is wonderful and what good artists do. I am still not positive that I learned what "figure to ground" means - maybe I am missing a prior lesson or episode and he covered it in a different course, but I still feel unclear on what it is. It's a bit frustrating as that is what this course was titled and I was hoping for a clear understanding. Otherwise, this course gave me food for thought and I am excited to do the assignment. Would just love more clarity on the main topic!

He refers to techniques for understanding figure to ground relationships e.g squinting but in actual fact this part seems to be referring to something he hasn't shared in this part of the video. In short it seems to be lacking in continuity and fluidity. The above I wrote about before having seen the next few episodes which put things into a context better for me. I would have liked to see more examples of images but the course seems to be improving for me anyway. I am going through the course again and gleaning more value than the first time round. I am unclear in the assignments if he wants me to shoot in black n white or colour. I bought this course on the strength of his video which he said we would enable us to know our camera settings before even getting to our camera. This is NOT what I have gleaned from this course though so far.

I have taken a series of Adam's classes and loved them all. This one could have used a few more visuals. It was a deep topic and I struggled with it. That said - Adam is brilliant and I love the use of art images to open up our understanding of photography. As he says, "when you see it, you'll get it." Hum - haven't seen it yet but I am working on it!

I now have a heightened awareness of 'Figure to Ground' and can apply it. Before the course, I had a very rudimentary concept of the relationship. I can now better identify and apply the principle. I, also, had never considered the importance of 'value'. This course is,definitely, the most beneficial course that I have experienced. I, now, view, and learn from great art.

This is an excellent course, particularly if, like myself you are interested in art and art photography. My background is Fine Art with a specialism in photography and Adam is a knowledgable tutor who makes distinctions and references from art history that link with contemporary street photography in engaging tutorials that are accessible for all. Thank You Adam. Deborah D. Portsmouth UK

I'm a semi-pro portrait and landscape photographer with very little art training and I have a photography certification from UCLA Extension. But finally an insightful, educated artist perspective for photography. I've purchased all Adam's lessons, learned a tremendous amount, and can't wait for more. He is transforming my photography!

Again Adam is clear and his message is terrific. My only suggestion is to show us more images to demonstrate the teachings. Photos of people, buildings, street photography, etc so we can see how figure to ground works well and doesn't. My wife is an amateur painter and her teacher is always talking about "values." I never understood what he was talking about and how concept might apply to photography. This was made very clear in this course along with a number of other very useful concepts.Great job from a great teacher.

I am really enjoying Adam's lectures on the philosophy behind the tools of photography. Just like in his previous episode, I wish there were an on screen summary presented in the final lecture regarding major points in the episode. Also, perhaps a reference slide at the end that lists books and artists that provide further examples and reading of the material just covered to continue to drive points home for those that may need more examples or are just kind of slow (me). Otherwise, great series. I can't say with certainty, but I do believe these lectures will improve my (novice) photog skills moving forward.

This series is top notch. Each subject is broken down into its most basic form and explained, in detail, with easy to understand language. The instructor as a strong background in art that many photography instructors are missing. He uses that knowledge base to offer insight into how to take photos that will stand up as a work of art. Each episode builds on the others, allowing you to integrate the previous sessions knowledge into the new practice. The assignments are clear and deceptively simple. Sticking with these instructions will drastically improve one's skills. This section of the series covers the contrast between the figure and the background - how to use it to draw the eye to the focal point, and how to avoid allowing high contrast in other areas of the photo to distract from it. I highly recommend this class to beginners and more seasoned photographers alike.