Exercise 1.2
I was once told a long time ago by Phil Thompson, a trainer for BBC TV, that it was good to go ahead and break the rules but important to know and understand what you were breaking and why. With this in mind, I created a still life scene that was pleasing to my eye and followed the instructions about the rule of thirds and visual tension.
The rule of thirds – a set of guidelines which aims to create stronger, more appealing visual images. The rule ‘suggests dividing the image into thirds and placing the subject on one of those sides, instead of in the center’(Thurston, A. 2019)
Visual Tension – Guy Tal (2018) writes that:
- Attention is a valuable and limited resource
- What we notice is dictated by evolution designed to help us survive and is innate.
- ‘We can derive the whole from just a small subset of parts and assign meaning to it even without seeing all the pieces.’ (Gestalt)
- Majority of people see images from left to right.
- Diagonal line rising left to right is pointing up – positive emotions.
- Diagonal line rising right to left is pointing down – calmness or sense of melancholy.
- Vertical lines are seen relative to the bottom of the frame ‘giving it the visual equivalent of the force of gravity’.
- Areas in the frame such as the centre and each corner appear to attract nearby elements in the picture- ‘an item placed close to the center or to one of the corners will be perceived as moving toward it.’
- The less perceived movement the less time or value the brain will place on it.
- When the brain tries to make sense of what it is seeing it causes visual tension.
Gestalt – When trying to make sense of the world around us, Gestalt psychology suggests that we do not simply focus on every small component. Instead, our minds tend to perceive objects as part of a greater whole and as elements of more complex systems. (Cherry, K (2019) )
The Photographs
The lines of the tablecloth draw the eyes upwards (I really should have taken the time to iron it though.) and this should produce energy and positive emotions (Tal, G. 2018).
Looking at photographs such as 3, 6, and 7, the point is placed too close to the edge and it dilutes the impact.
Placing the point in the foreground such as 5 adds depth to the photograph.
Of all the photographs I took the three I felt worked best were:
Point 2
Point 10
Point 12
I liked point 2 because the placing of the point created depth in the image and balanced the yellow flowers above. Being placed off centre gave a feeling of dynamism.
Although point 10 was centrally placed it made a connection between the two cups.In Point 12 the point is just visible beyond the coffee pot and still manages to draw the eye. It’s quirky and I’m not sure it should work but for me it does.
References
Cherry, K (2019) Gestalt Psychology Overview [Online] Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gestalt-psychology-2795808 Accessed on: 06.04.2020
Tal, G. (2018)Create Visual Tension [Online] Available at: https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/tips-techniques/nature-landscapes/create-visual-tension/ Accessed on: 06.04.2020
Thurston, A. (2019) What is the rule of thirds and how do you use it? [Online] Available at: https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/what-is-the-rule-of-thirds/ Accessed on: 06.04.2020
Katies Photographic Journey 