Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Compose Your Frame

I honestly struggled with this assignment. I am a pretty confident photographer and see myself as a casual iphonegrapher, but when I was trying to focus on keeping in the rules in play instead of just framing up  and shooting, I found the experience less enjoyable and difficult. I really didn't find satisfaction with the project until I started editing.


This turned out to be my favorite composition and works out nicely with Halloween this coming weekend.  It also helped that most of the rules are arguably found within it. Thirds can be seen with the sign hitting one of the imaginary intersections. A bit of symmetry is found at the horizon of the top step that divides the photo in half, also where one of the diagonal lines is shown. This particular diagonal line is slanted slightly creating a slow movement and adding drama to the overall mood and scene of the frame. The other diagonal is the white railing that is also a motion vector that points or motions enticingly for the door to be opened. The shadow also creates a graphic vector, with an opposite effect of starting at a single point of where the bottom step vanishes and expands as it closes in on the door leading you. The shadow also gives you the impression that the light is pushing and trying to fill the frame and again helping create that motion to moving toward the door and the mood of the scene to be played out.

Here is a slightly different angle of the composition that also alters the rules a little bit. The railing motion vector becomes the only vector, thirds is found more in the layout and the diagonals are slowed down is more, almost subtly. The color is a different shade and creates for a slightly more hopeful outcome, but still a dramatic mood is set.  



These was another composition I tried setting up that wasn't satisfying until after editing, but the color turned out great. Diagonal movements are obvious present in  the prominent horizontal and vertical rods. Index vectors are there for the picking, but the screw is the most dominant is most of these compositions. The rule of thirds isn't exactly noticeable in most of them, but I think the curve metal line in the middle of the frame plays a wonderful role of symmetry. 

1 comment:

  1. Love it, love it, love it. You top frame is brilliant, what's otherwise an innocuous setting is turned a bit sinister with your manipulation of the compositional principles. I'm with you, it's hard to do and runs the risk of maybe spoiling what you do innately as a photographer, but once it becomes habit you'll see your ratios of good to meh go down considerably. Great shot. Thanks for your work on this.

    ReplyDelete