Exercise: positioning a point

Where we position a single point within a frame indicates how we view the image, it divides the frame and depending on the position that it is placed can give different qualities to the image.
A centrally placed point can give a very static image because of the even division of the frame, this can give a dull quality to the image as the eye settles the scene very quickly without any movement around the scene. A point that is placed off centre creates a more interesting composition, this is due to the points relationship with the edge of the frame and the division that it creates, it causes the eye to move to the point from the edge of the scene creating a sense of movement. The closer to the edge of the frame that the point is placed the more eccentric the composition becomes.
Good balance is achieved when the point is placed somewhere between centrally and close to the edge (rule of thirds), however these rules are just a guideline and  are there to be justified within each single composition.
The first exercise in this section required three images to be produced with a point placed in a different area of the frame, in the centre, slightly off centre and close to the edge. The reasons for the positions needed to be justified.
I have converted the images to black and white so that the point is not enhanced by colour.


Point centrally placed

For the shot of the window I deliberately placed the point in the centre due to the static nature of a window within a stone wall.

Point off centre.

 

I placed the berry slightly off centre to produce a composition that was not to static and created a sense of movement with the relationship with the edge of the frame.


Point close to the edge

I placed the point (bus stop) close to the edge of the frame in an attempt to give a sense of openness or emptiness to the scene. Lonely bus stop !!

I have really enjoyed this exercise, the experimentation with point's in different positions has helped me to understand how the position of the point affects the image. I think that I may have needed to pick slightly smaller subjects to demonstrate this better.

Assignment 1 : Contrasts

For my first assignment 8 pairs of photographs were taken. Each pair had to display a contrast from the list given.

1. Diagonal/Rounded

2. Pointed/Blunt

3. Liquid/Solid

4. Smooth/Rough

5. Many/Few

6. Still/Moving

7. Straight/Curved

8. Sweet/Sour

Finaly a photograph that demonstrates contrast within one picture was chosen.                                             

Light/Dark                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                       

                                       

                                              

Exercise: Cropping

Cropping can improve or change the appearance of an image, for this exercise 3 photographs from the course wrere chosen and cropped.

Vertical and horizontal frames

Quite often when we take photographs we do not think of of taking a vertical shot, however there are times when vertical  images can work. This exercise demonstrates that we must consider a vertical shot when composing a photograph.
A number of shots were taken, each with a vertical and horizontal image.

Exercise: Positioning the horizon

For this exercise a series of photographs were taken with the horizon arranged at different heights within the frame.

Of the five shots I prefer the second, I like the balance of sky and land with the sky being dominant proportionally and the land balancing it with contrast and detail. My least favorite of the five is the first one with the horizon centrally placed.  I can see how shots with maybe more foreground detail would work. Please excuse the shadow in shot 5!!.

Exercise: Balance

For this exercise I had to look at some of my already taken photos and decide how balance works within them.

I found that finding shots with symmetrical balance was quite easy so I decided to concentrate on unsymmetrical balance. I think that most of the ones here work, however some are a bit cluttered.

This exercise has opened my eyes to balance and it is something that I am constantly aware of when composing a picture now.

Focal lengths and different viewpoints

This exercise demonstrates how perspective as well as angle of view changes when the viewpoint is altered as the lens is changed.
Two pictures of a scene were taken, the first with the lens set to telephoto with the subject filling the frame, the second with the lens set to wide angle and moved closer to the subject so that again the subject looks the same size as the telephoto shot through the viewfinder.
 In the first series that I have displayed here I used the monument as the subject, I know it did not fill the frame however I thought that the relationship with the building behind would demonstrate perspective.

70mm

18mm

70mm

18mm

This exercise demonstrates how perspective changes with different focal lengths and viewpoints.
The longer focal lengths create a 'compressed', 'flatter' perspective, the background moves towards the subject and the scene loses depth, subjects within the scene appear less separated than they actually are especially if they are already close.
The wider focal lengths creates depth within the scene, the subject appears deeper and more defined, relationship with other objects within the scene are more defined and separated, the back ground moves away and linear perspective is enhanced (even distorted).
Of the two extremes of perspective within this task I prefer the wide angle shots, however I can appreciate the merits of both and will certainly be considerate of wide angle v telephoto in the future.