Project 17 - Positioning a Point

In this project we are reminded that there are essentially 3 classes of position : in the middle; slightly off-centre; close to the edge.  I had to take 3 photos with a single point which was placed in a different part of the frame in each of the photos. 

In this photo the white flower is positioned centrally in the frame.  The image is static, with no sense of movement being suggested. 

In this second image the white flower has been placed slightly off-centre to the right of the frame, but still close to the horizontal centre line.  It is a slightly more interesting image as the eye is drawn to the area of grass on the left of the image and then back to the flower. 

                                      

In this final image the white flower is placed close to the right side of the frame and below the horizontal centre line.  In my opinion it is the best composed of the images.  Your attention is drawn to the position of the flower in relation to the frame.  By drawing a line mentally through the flower (point) vertically and horizontally we can see that the point is placed roughly in accordance with the rule of thirds.

Putting the course to good use.....

While we were out last Sunday, enjoying the glorious weather, we drove by one of my favourite views not far from where we live.  As luck would have it, I had my camera and.....

......... this is it !  The sky was wonderful and the wheat is almost ready, and that line of trees looked perfect.  So remembering what I had learned in Project 12 - Positioning the Horizon, I took several shots and this is my favourite.  Again, the horizon is placed low in the frame and the interesting sky justifies its large space in the image. 

Project 13 - The Golden Section

I have often used the mantra "third up third in" when shooting photos, and this roughly conforms to the Golden Section rule. 

For this project I shot several scenes/objects, consciously trying to place the main subject on the intersection of the thirds.

This statue of Wellington is in Norwich.  The line of grass finishes on a third and the statue is placed just withing a third.  If the statue was a little to the right in the frame it would have been on the correct line and I think it would have been a more aesthetically pleasing image.  As it stands the statue is a little too central.  The photo could be cropped to correct this.

This pillar box is in Norwich and I liked the wall it is standing in front of.  The pillar box is placed to the left of the frameand is almost perfectly on the vertical third line.  The horizontal third lineis just above the black base of the pillar box.  I think that the image is a pleasing one, and I like that the subject is to the left of the frame, rather than the right.

This plant pot is in my garden and is positioned to the right of the frame.  The centre of the pot is on the intersection of the thirds.  I like the position of the pot within the frame, but the image itself isn't particularly interesting as the background is too messy. 

This fuel pump is at our local airfield.  The horizontal third line cuts through the lower third of the pump housing and extends along a bench at the side of the pump perfectly.  The bench gives a visual third line in the original image.  The vertical third goes through the centre of the pump.  Again I like the composition of this image particularly as the subject is positioned to the left of the frame.

This image shows a marker in the sea at Sheringham with a seagull perched on top.  I like this as a simple seaside image.  The marker is positioned to the right of the frame, but could easily have been placed to the left.  The horizontal third line cuts through the base of the wooden marker and the vertical is just to the right of the marker.  I am pleased with this image.

                                       

This image shows a solitary groyne on Brancaster beach, Norfolk.  The subject is placed to the right of the frame, with the horizontal third line going through the base of the groyne.  The vertical third cuts through the groyne perfectly.  Also the horizon is on a third line.  I particularly like the simplicity of this image, and the composition which follows the thirds three ways.

Whilst I have often used the Rule of Thirds in my photography, it isn't a hard and fast rule for me - simply a guide or something to try when shooting.  I do like the simplicity of images which have a single subject placed towards the edge of the frame.

Project 12 - Positioning the Horizon

For this project I shot a series of photographs looking out to sea at Sheringham in Norfolk, positioning the horizon centrally, in the top third and in the bottom third of the frame.

 

This photograph shows the horizon placed centrally in the frame.  The image is balanced in terms of composition because of this equal division.  I think the image is quite pleasing but it isn't particularly eye-catching.  The blues of the sea and the sky complement each other well and the overall feeling is one of calm. 

In this image the horizon has been positioned in the lower third of the frame and gives more importance to the skyscape.  The clouds add interest to the image as they are more prominent in the image, as the sky now occupies a larger proportion of the photo.  The eye is constantly drawn back to the clouds and there is a sense of movement in the clouds which wasn't there in the previous image.

In this final image the horizon is placed in the top third of the frame.  There is movement in the sea which is more clearly visible in this image as it occupies more of the frame.  However my eye is still being drawn back to the sky - I think this is because the sky is a much lighter shade of blue. 

Of these pictures I much prefer the one where the horizon is placed in the lower third.  The sky is more interesting than the foreground sea because of the clouds in this instance.  I feel that this image has a greater sense of depth than the other two, again probably because of the prominent clouds leading the eye through the image.

I forgot to take a picture with foreground detail, so I reshot the project when I was at a local airfield.

In this image the horizon has been placed centrally in the frame.  Although equal in division, the green of the grass makes the foreground appear more prominent.  Even the interesting clouds can't help the eye from being drawn back to the grass and foreground.  I like the trees marking the line of the horizon in this series.

In this image the horizon has been placed in the lower third of the frame.  The sky and wonderful cloud formation is much more prominent and makes for a more dynamic image.  The big cloud at the front dwarfs the trees on the horizon.  The clouds lead the eye through the image adding to the depth of the image.  This is my favourite of this series.

                                     

In this image the horizon is placed in the top third of the frame.  More prominence is given to the foreground grass.  The image is not as interesting with this composition as the sky and clouds are not as striking.

                                      

In this image the horizon is again placed centrally, but the main focus of the image is the derelict brick airfield building in the foreground.  The horizon, grass and sky no longer have the importance in the image, and the eye is drawn to the texture of the building, and the trees growing in and over it. 

Having read the notes in the file, it would appear that the greater feeling of depth in an image should appear when the horizon is place high in the image.  However, I think that in my images the skies and particularly the cloud formations add to the sense of depth in the image when the horizon is placed low.  In both of my images with the horizon placed in the lower third of the frame, the clouds give a sense of movement, and also act as leading lines in the image of the sea.

Project 7 - objects in different positions in the frame

3723 - bench slightly right of centre

3725 - vertical orientation, bench central

3727 - bench placed top left

3728 - bench placed bottom left

3729 - bench placed bottom right

3730 - bench placed centrally

For this project I decided to shoot a bench on a footpath near my house.

Whilst I thought before taking the photos that I would prefer the bench to be placed centrally in the image, this didn't turn out to be the case. In 3730 your eye tends to stay on the bench and doesn't wander to take in the surroundings. For me the same thing happens in 3723 where the bench is just slightly off centre. 3723 also doesn't allow space in the image for a person to sit on the bench. All the space is behind the bench, and this makes the balance of the image wrong for me.

3727 is much more pleasing to my mind. There is space at the front of the bench for a person to approach and sit down. The eye is led around the image because of the unequal space on one side, and the footpath acts as a leading line.

3728 is my favourite. The bench is positioned in the bottom left hand third of the image and the horizon is close to the top third line. There is space in front of the bench and the footpath leads the eye though the image.

3729 is not as successful or pleasing to my eye as the space is all behind the bench. However, the bench is on a third and doesn't dominate the picture, and the row of tress gives the background interest.

3725 was taken on a vertical orientation, but the bench is the only point of interest in the image. I much prefer the horizontal orientation for this subject as there is more room for the surroundings and this makes for more interesting subject matter in these images. The horizontal orientation also reflects the shape of the subject.