Jeff Wall

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/arts/design/24wall.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/wall-a-view-from-an-apartment-t12219

Exercise: Frame shapes and sizes: exercise - Vertical and horizontal frames

Following on from the discussion of the theories of frame division -  this exercise required me to take 20 shots of a scene, from both a vertical and horizontal perspective.  The object here was to highlight how shooting an image horizontally, is almost a natural first choice.

I ventured into the Auckland Winter Gardens - the "hot house" which is a fantastic place, a bit like Kew Gardens but on a much smaller scale.

One observation I made was that when considering the vertical shot, I was naturally drawn to shoot something tall and straight, or at least something which had the perspective of being tall. For example, the confined space of the bench below, the path immediately in front of the bench, draws the viewer's gaze inwards. The shrubbery framing the bench, gives the picture a sense of direction, upwards. This works well in the vertical shot, the horizontal one works well too in this case as the path, gives a good lead into the frame.

 Vertical works well where you can hone in and focus on one subject, as in the case of the above pods.

 On the whole, in the above shots, I tended to prefer the vertical shots of the plants - I am aware though, that I have placed my main subjects centrally in the frame, and or low in the frame - and in future I want to experiment - I mentioned at the beginning of this course, that developing a photographers eye, is cognitive effort.

 The contrast in vertical and horizontal is really drawn out in architectural shots. Here I definitely prefer the horizontal frame of the outside of the hot house.  The Golden Section is evident - in the images of the statues,  they emanate from the lower right hand side of the frame, and cross the horizontal lines - applying the rule of thirds.

Conclusion:  this was an interesting exercise, and as shown you can achieve quite significant differences with vertical and horizontal frames.  Going forward, I am going to take both vertical and horizontal shots to compare the effect. I particularly like the effect of the vertical frame on subjects which are quite simple - this adds a sense of dynamics, which a horizontal frame is sometimes lacking.   I am also going to experiment with square frames and canted frames.

In this photo I tried to compose a shot with a square frame in mind based on the rule of thirds.

Exercise: Positioning the horizon

The frame may be divided into many areas but one of the most common situations is where the frame is divided by the horizon line.  In the exercise, we were asked to choose a viewpoint with an unbroken clear horizon and to try and arrange the horizon into different positions.  I chose to photograph Onetangi beach which is on Waiheke Island, off the coast of Auckland.

the horizon is placed low in the  frame which emphasises the sky - this produces quite a static image here and on reflection I could have placed the horizon lower.

 placed centrally, there is an equal division in the frame and the rocks in the foreground add interest.

the horizon is placed high allowing the foreground to dominate giving a greater depth to the view.

I walked a bit further up the beach and took this shot from a low angel, the foreground in this is dominant - I wanted to draw the viewer's attention to pattern on the sands as it moves the viewer's eye forward.

Conclusion:  It is interesting to see how the placement of the horizon can affect the image. I am not convinced by the effect the low horizon gives in the above image of the beach -  I prefer the sense of depth when the horizon is placed high in the frame.  The exercise has raised my awareness of "division" in the frame, and in future I think I will make a conscious effort to think more constructively about where to place the horizon. In particular, I guess I wont be too afraid to place the horizon high.. as experienced in this exercise, I quite like the effect on the image.

Two more images: the first shot is with the horizon placed high in the frame. I wanted to capture some early morning fog as the sun was coming up over an olive grove. In the second picture, I 've placed the horizon low, it is difficult to say which image I prefer as they both seem to have an element of drama with the band of fog.

Exercise: Balance

Balance is the resolution of tension the eye seeks to balance one force with another (1). This exercise focuses on balance using six existing photographs. Balance in this context refers to any of the graphic elements - for example tones, colours and lines.  However, balance is not the only the guiding factor in composition as..."an expressive picture is by no means always harmonious" (2) and an image that does not balance is often more challenging to the viewer.

A

 

 

the child is the larger element, this is offset by the placement of the smaller island on the right hand corner. This produces a balanced image, with some tension though, as the elements are not symmetrical.

B

 

this composition is similar to "A", balance is achieved here with the smaller lily in the far left hand part of the frame and the larger element near the foreground. There is a dynamic balance in the unequal size of the flowers.

C

the bamboo being the only element is centred and symmetrical - it does appear very heavy and thereby in my opinion creates slight tension in an otherwise, undynamic image.

D

again, dynamic tension is balanced with the larger element placed in the right foreground and the smaller element to the left rear.

E

here the dancers are symmetrical and both are weighted equally over the centre (I am trying to improve my photoshop skills for diagram drawing)

F

here the dynamic elements balance each other the narrower pole to the left is taller than the boat and the end of the wharf which I've grouped as one block and I find the weight of the larger element balances the effect of the taller element.

conclusion: this has been a very worthwhile exercise, if anything it has forced me to re-evaluate some of my shots, and on doing so, I realise that a lot of my images verge on the eccentric.  Going forward I will keep in mind the principles of balance and symmetry and try and experiment more with both symmetry and eccentricity. As this course progresses  I am hoping to master the elements of composition.

[1] ,[2]Freeman, Michael, (2007). The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos,  The Ilex Press, pp 40, 41.