2: the frame: project 13

the golden section

Balance can be obtained by using the Golden Section which does not have to be measured or adhered to exactly – it is merely a guide which proves to be very helpful for composing a composition.  The lesser is to the greater as the greater is to the whole is the rule of the Golden Section.  A simple approximation of these proportions is the Rule of Thirds - basically, divide any rectangle into 9 sections – 2 lines across and 2 lines down. The crossing point of each line provides  points, any one of which can be a main focal point in an image. The Golden Section theory appeals to most people’s sense of balance therefore creating harmony when viewing an image.

My images below show the approximate  proportions of the Rule of Thirds and the all important crossing points.

pic 1.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see in the picture of the goat the main point of focus ( the goat’s face ) is positioned on the Rule of Thirds intersection.

  pic 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In picture 2, taken in a spanish village, the all important intersection point is at the corner of the white painted house which divides the picture into the approximate harmonious sections of the Golden Rule.

pic 3.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tree and White Stone Wall picture demonstrates the principle of the Golden Section.

 pic 4.

 

 Picture 4, Andalusian Tree, Shows the Golden Section principle and the main point of focus (the tree) sits beautifully on the intersection point.

pic 5

This picture taken of a spanish stallion illustrates the all important  intersection point of the Rule of  Thirds which crosses at the exact point of the main point of interest.

pic 6.

This picture taken without conscious calculation of the Golden Section shows that the vertical piece of wood on the bow of the boat lies on the intersection point, and the horizontal line of  The rule of Thirds runs with the line of the horizon which is a clear indication that the  division of the image is close to the harmonious division of the Golden Section. 

what I have learnt

Creating balance in an image is fundamental to achieving visual harmony and the Golden Section and/or the Rule of Thirds are effective ancient theories which photographers should consider when taking a picture. 

useful learning material

www.photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&section=29&Itemid=293  is a fantastic website that has many images taken by world renowned photographers – great material for exploring the division of the frame in photography.

2: the frame. project 14

 vertical and horizontal frames

  I find  that I often experiment with horizontal/vertical frames – whether the subject is tall or is short.  A lot of the time a subject will suit both types of frames. In some cases, I may alter the angle slightly, and sometimes the focal length.  Below are some of the photographs that I have taken with horizontal and vertical frames.

    

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

2: the frame. project 15

Cropping

Cropping can be a useful design tool and can be used to explore new ways of organising an image or giving an image a new perspective or mood.

The  picture below is of an old finca which portrays the beautiful countryside of Andalucia.  Yet, I believe that the cropped picture of the same image  has more of a dramatic impact.  Some of the foreground was removed to accentuate the ridge on which the finca stands and to impose more forcefully upon the viewer the stretch of  hills in the background.  I also think that the cropping of the image portrays more strongly the breathtaking views that the finca holds.

 When having cropped the picture of the daisies below the picture is given a new perspective by isolating the flower heads and by introducing a diagonal line from corner to corner, giving the image a visually pleasing balance and allowing the viewer to focus upon the visually attractive reflection effect.

 

I really like the picture below of the little girl having fun on the beach.  The intention of the experiment of the cropped version of the picture is to direct the focus more forcefully upon the action of the little girl gathering the seashells by removing some of the surroundings.

   

 

I think the cropping of the picture below of the cat deadens the image by removing the beautiful contrast of the colours, green and blue.  I also think that the cat holds more of a presence when shown in its surroundings.

  

 

What I have learnt

 This project has taught me that being decisive when taking photographs is fundamental to the successful design of images and that cropping is a useful tool for design options and for exploring additional perspectives within an image.

2: the frame. project 12

 positioning the horizon

The brief for this project was to take pictures of the horizon, making a short sequence in which the horizon is ranged from top to bottom.

The pictures were taken north of Malaga at a beautiful lake called Embalse del Conde de Guadalhorce. The camera settings were iso 100, f/8, focal length 29mm.

 1. The positioning of the horizon being relatively high in the frame allows the lake to take prominance within the image, thus capturing the dominance within the beautiful surrounding countryside that the lake holds, which in turn,  gives the image a pleasing dynamic visual effect. Also, the expanse of lake leads the eye to the point of the trees, the  mountains and the  formation of the soft white clouds which allows the viewer to enjoy the pleasing visual effect of the whole of the image and also gives the image a sense of depth.

I believe that the placing of the horizon slightly higher would have increased the dynamic visual effect and the division of the image into the visually pleasing Rule of Thirds -  sky/land one third, lake two thirds would have been evident.

2. In this shot the horizon line has been lowered thus (I believe ) decreasing the energy that the previous image portrays.

3. The position of the horizon in this shot has the effect of cutting the image in half thus robbing the image of the dynamic impact of the lake that is clearly portrayed in image 1. I also believe that in reducing the expanse of lake,  the viewers visually pleasing experience of the eye being lead to the focal points of interest ( the landscape and cloud formation) is anesthetized.

 

4. In image 1. the emphasis is on the expanse of lake whereas in picture 4. the emphasis is on the beauty of the blue of the sky and the formation of the soft white clouds as well as the beauty of the landscape which again gives energy to the image. Also the pleasing effect of The Rule of Thirds is evident in this image.

5. In this image the emphasis on the beauty of the expanse of sky is increased,  once again giving the shot great  energy and presence.

 

what I have learnt

The visual effects and my understanding of  them have shown me the significance of the placing of the horizon.

 

elements of design: project 10

focal lengths and different view points

The brief for this project was to take two pictures of the same subject. One image of the subject within a tightly framed composition taken with a telephoto lens, then, move forward, in a direct line, looking through the viewfinder until the same subject fills the frame and take the second shot with a wide-angle lens.  I feel that I failed on this project as I found it very difficult to find a subject that had sufficient space in front of it to allow me to walk forward in a straight line and at the same time to find an area that was free from traffic, people and uneven ground  for me to walk forward with the viewfinder to my eye. After many weeks of searching, without success, I attempted the project with 3 closely placed subjects – a tree, a bench and a large pot.  As you will see by the images below, I was unable to achieve the same perspective as there were objects in front of me which I had to walk around thus losing the straight line forward that I had to achieve. My fixed lens extends to a 500mm telephoto which is a very long focal length. As this was far too long for the project I started from a 41mm wide angle and extended to a final length of 344mm. Here is the result of the shoot:-

pic 1. 344mm focal length

pic 2. 41mm focal length

I feel that it is very difficult to comment on the qualities within each image as the shots are both quite different. But, I can say that when I was taking the second shot with the wide angle lens I felt much more in control of the shooting of the image and I felt that a greater range of possible perspectives were available to me.  In addition, I felt that artistic creativity for a shot of the whole of the three subjects would have been far easier to achieve using the shorter focal length.

what I have learnt

Since doing this project I have experimented with the two focal lengths.   In addition to the comments above,  I feel that when I see a potential subject I now instinctively think of my options of wide angle or telephoto. 

 

 

 

2: the frame project 7

objects in different positions in the frame

The brief of this project was to take a series of  4/5 photographs and place the subject in different positions within the frame. The first shot to be taken quickly and naturally without much consideration to the overall composition 

I decided to take a trip to Estepona which is about 80 kms east of Malaga.  Estepona is a large sprawling Spanish town which has kept plenty of  it’s Spanish charm and culture. The town is graced with a fishing port which permeates an abundance of character, life and colour. As I walked towards the port I couldn’t help but notice a large blue and yellow Light Tower which dominates the long rocky platform on which the tower proudly stands. It was quite a distance away, which I considered to be ideal for allowing ample of room within the frame to experiment with subject placement, yet a fully extended zoom length would probably be required in all the shots as there was a wide stretch of sea between me and the subject.   Also, I felt that a shorter focal length would result in the subject becoming insignificant within the shot.  Here are the results of the shoot.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 Studying the shots

 After having studied the pictures I feel that the line of stones extending from left to right,  obstructs the view of the far-reaching seascape and horizon.  In other words, the pictures do not reveal the great expanse of water that the tower overlooks and commands which in turn anaesthetises the images. Secondly, the positioning of the tower in the centre of the image deadens the engagement with the background. In picture 3 the tower is placed to the left which further anaesthetises the image by robbing the viewer of any sense of dominance over the sea that the tower commands.  Picture 2. has  a more dynamic representation of the scene as the tower is placed to the left of the image which allows the viewer to follow the fading away of the stones to reveal the  horizon and sea,  thus injecting the image with spirit and allowing the viewer to appreciate the commanding dominance of the tower, yet I still feel that I should have revealed less stone and more sea to further allow communication to emanate from the image.  The pictures that were shot vertically with the subject placed top right and bottom left again disengages the far-reaching surroundings which would have added interest and impact to the images.

I do think that it is important to note that if the Light Tower had been free of the stone pier the effects of the various positions of the Light Tower could have been quite different. 

On the technical front, I used a polarizing filter when taking these pictures and an aperture opening of  f/5. I found the exposures to be underexposed which I subsequently corrected in Paint.  I have found this problem when previously using the filter. I need to investigate why this should be!  I also found that  noise is evident in the images which I think was due to the maximum focal length. I didn’t use a tripod as I was positioned on an elevated vantage point of giant uneven boulders.

What I have learnt

To consider the possible positioning of the subject whilst at the same time taking into account other aspects of the scene and the overall effect that you would like to portray.

2: the frame project 9

Focal lengths

This project is to help appreciate the simplest effect of changing lenses from one focal length to another. 

I shot this project on the same day as I shot project 8 in the beautiful Spanish countryside north of Malaga.  I spotted the beautiful finca as I was clambering up a stony path among the olive groves. It was nestled on the slope of an hillside as if it had been moulded into the contours of the terrain. The distant mountains and powdery blue sky completed the tranquil scene. I looked through the viewfinder and zoomed in on the small dwelling.  My judgement was confirmed, the range from the viewfinder to the finca would illustrate beautifully the three different focal lengths and the amount of view that each focal length reveals.  I also checked that the final shot (the longest focal length) would deliver an image worthy of the finca’s charm.

 A tripod wasn’t used as the ground was very steep and uneven. The following shows the camera settings for each focal range.

1. Aperture Priority, iso 1oo, f/6.3, 35mm equivalent focal length 29mm.
2. Aperture Priority, iso 100, f/6.3, 35mm equivalent focal length 112mm.
3. Aperture Priority, iso 100, f/6.3, 35mm equivalent focal length 668mm.

I think that the range of pictures distinctly illustrates the extreme effects and the range of view of the different focal lengths.  Project 1. had obviously helped  me to identify and appreciate the focal range of my camera as the middle image is quite close to the standard focal length which I had aimed to achieve when shooting the image.

What I have learnt

To keep in mind the focal range of  my camera, and the different effects and ranges of view when considering a potential subject.

 NB. In project 1. my camera showed a longest focal length of 524mm, yet in this project I registered a full zoom reading of 668mm? I must speak to my tutor about this discrepancy!

2: the frame. project 8

recording a sequence

The idea of this project is to record the way you approach and shoot a subject from the moment when you catch sight of a possible photograph to the final best image you can make of it.

Picnic packed, my husband ( Julian ) and I drove out to the  hills, north of Malaga. I had various project ideas in mind so I took the various equipment needed for a photo shoot.  It was extremely hot - 37 degrees Celsius.  We were about 25 kms inland near Casavermeja and Casasola Lake. Beautiful white fincas were scattered among the maze of hills.   The air was filled with a moist nebulous haze that enveloped the brutally parched landscape. Wispy undertones of green and terracotta emanated from the fields of olive trees and scorched red earth. It was so very pretty.

I spotted a donkey/mule, whatever the case may be,( and from now on will be referred to as Heehawra). She greeted me with loud,  joyous heehaws!  I was relieved to see that she appeared well cared for and seemingly blissful in her arid and fiercely hot surroundings.  I couldn’t help but notice her enormous protruding belly- obviously little barrito was soon to be ( now that would have been some photoshoot) !!!  I chatted to her and stroked her nose.  The flies around her face( as recorded in some of the shots) were persistently, menacing.  She ignored them with total capitulation. I offered her some water from a picnic cup which she accepted, emitting amusing human like slurps as she drank.  I felt that we had now bonded.  I started the photo shoot.

From this point onwards I was lost in the world of Heehawra and photography!  I was moving around, changing focal lengths, angles, and perspectives, with a natural, pleasing ease.  At one point, as I  knelt in the scorched spiky grass, lifting the viewfinder to my eye, there was Heehawra towering over me, her seemingly gigantic muzzle filling the shot! Our fun time was really creating some good photos. She started to follow my every move as though she was intrigued by my” non farmer de espanol” like behaviour!   After the shoot I reluctantly said goodbye to my new found friend and returned to the car.  It wasn’t until I was in the car that I realised how uncomfortably hot and sticky that I had become and that I had been shooting for a good half an hour in the grueling heat!  I truly had been lost in the moment.

 So here are a few of the many images of the sequence that I shot.  You will see a black bull statue in the background which I was consciously aware of and tried to use in some of the shots.  The long focal length ( extended zoom ) shot was taken to show the beastly flies!  All the shots were taken on Aperture Priority with an iso of 100. 

     
        

   

                    

    

  

 

My favourite picture

I was really pleased with the recording of this sequence and I felt that on the whole I truly captured our wonderful time together and Heehawra’s cheeky personality. I experimented with the placement of Heehawra in different positions of the frame in order to achieve various aspects of balance. I also tried to record the element of amusement that the shoot created.   The 4th picture I really like because it captures beautifully her nosiness!  But the last picture is my favourite.  Taken with a wide angle lens at a low perspective accentuates her donkey  features.  The feel of tilt in the image and the black bull in the background also adds additional interest, and what  is very satisfying about it is that after the previous picture I took, ( which is shown above my favourite picture)  I turned to the left in order to bring the black bull further into view and anticipated Heehawra raising her head and voila! I got the shot that I wanted! 

 

 What I have learnt

• Expect the unexpected and be ready and prepared.
• Try to anticipate the actions of the subject.
• Take enjoyment from immersing yourself in your photographical objectives.

2: the frame. project 11

The brief of this project was to select 6 of your own photographs and decide how the balance works in each one. I found the task to be quite challenging especially where the compostion was quite busy.  As I had never consciously considered balance when taking a photograph, I was very interested to find that many of my favourite photographs were symmetrically balanced as opposed to asymmetrically  balanced.  Asymmetrical balance is more complicated than Symmerical balance.  Principally, asymmetrical balance is achieved when several smaller subjects on one side of the axis are balanced by a larger subject on the other side or smaller subjects are placed further away from the axis than the larger subjects.   Many elements within an image can be considered to attain an asymetrically balanced image.  

The following list shows the critera that can be considered when applying asymmetrical balance:

• Colour
• Value ( the darkness/lightness of objects)
• Shape
• Position
• Texture ( variegated light and dark areas)
• Eye ( being led to a certain point in the image)

In addition to symmetrical and asymmetrical balance there is radial balance where the focus is from a central point in the picture radiating out in a circular fashion.

 

Picture 1.

This picture shows a  clear asymmetrical balance achieved by position.  Also, the curved lines in the background draws the eye to the subject. 

 

Picture 2.

The image of the arches has an almost perfect symmetrical balance.

 

Picture 3.

Again this picture of the gate and flower pot shows an almost perfect symmetrical balance. 

Picture 4.

This picture which was taken in Morocco has perfect symmetry. If a line was drawn down the middle you would have a perfect mirror image.

 

Picture 5.

A very simple illustration of assymetrical balance achieved by position.

Picture 6.

After studying this picture of the Mosque in Morocco I still cannot decide whether the balance is achieved by the colours biege, blue and green or the positioning of the Palm. Or is it a combination of the two? Also, another element of asymmetrical balance is the line of the eaves and windows leading to the Palm. 

Picture 7.

 This picture of a wire sculpture placed in a field of sheep illustrates radial balance.

what I have learnt

That there are many ways of structuring balance  to achieve harmony within an image. 

 

the frame: project 6

fitting the frame to the subject

This project  shows the different ways in which a subject can fit into the frame.

1st shot:  I tried to get a conventional view point on this shot, but the movement of the boat combined with my inability to adjust the focal length quickly enough resulted in more of a close-up shot.

2nd shot:  This shot fills most of the frame and shows the detail of the fishing nets.

3rd shot:  In the this shot the boat is placed to the edge of the frame with added interest of the second boat.

4th shot:  The boat in this shot is placed within the seascape.

 

 

 My favourite of the 4 is the 4th shot which shows the boat in its surroundings. The positioning of the boat to the left side of the frame, pointing out to sea,  gives a sense of movement within the shot.  I feel that the close-up shots remove the sense of freedom and expanse which one naturally associates with boats.