This first exercise in Elements of Design is about experimenting with the different positions you can put your subject in the frame. There are essentially three classes of position - middle, off-centre and close to the edge. We were asked to take three pictures in these three different positions in the frame, consider why we put a subject in a particular part of the frame and give our reasons and reaction to its position.
I choose a sundial and the three photos are below. Although the course manual says that the centre position rarely works, and my experience has been to agree with that looking at my previous images, in this case I like the sundial centrally. I don't know why this is my preference only to say that the sundial is round and in some ways it seems to sit better in the centre of the frame.
In the second photograph I have placed the sundial off-centre. In fact, I have placed it on one of the thirds which is a popular place for positioning subjects. I like that position too but I think the photograph needs something to the right of the sundial - maybe a child looking at it - to balance the picture.
Finally, I have positioned the sundial on the edge of the frame. It can be observed that the sundial is not quite touching the frame edge if the individual photograpgh is opened into its larger size by clicking on it. This is the photograph I like the least. It seems an unbalanced picture and it makes me feel uncomfortable. The sort of picture where you might wonder if the shutter went off by mistake! There is no balance. Yet, in this position, a subject could be in a good position to lead into a bigger scene. The course manual says that positioning a subject near the edge is supposed to give an impression of movement. I have put the three annotated photographs with horizontal and vertical lines on the positions of the sundial in my written log/sketchbook.
I choose a sundial and the three photos are below. Although the course manual says that the centre position rarely works, and my experience has been to agree with that looking at my previous images, in this case I like the sundial centrally. I don't know why this is my preference only to say that the sundial is round and in some ways it seems to sit better in the centre of the frame.
In the second photograph I have placed the sundial off-centre. In fact, I have placed it on one of the thirds which is a popular place for positioning subjects. I like that position too but I think the photograph needs something to the right of the sundial - maybe a child looking at it - to balance the picture.
Finally, I have positioned the sundial on the edge of the frame. It can be observed that the sundial is not quite touching the frame edge if the individual photograpgh is opened into its larger size by clicking on it. This is the photograph I like the least. It seems an unbalanced picture and it makes me feel uncomfortable. The sort of picture where you might wonder if the shutter went off by mistake! There is no balance. Yet, in this position, a subject could be in a good position to lead into a bigger scene. The course manual says that positioning a subject near the edge is supposed to give an impression of movement. I have put the three annotated photographs with horizontal and vertical lines on the positions of the sundial in my written log/sketchbook.
The next exercise involves multiple points - these are not so predictable. As in still-life photography, there is a need to link objects together in an interesting way. The exercise requires us to build a picture of objects, adding one by one and to produce a final image, after any necessary modifications, that hangs together visually.
I used a tripod and a set camera position to photograph a series of images of fruit. Finally, I rearranged the fruit for a final picture including putting the fruit into a bowl which seemed to encompass the fruit more and bring the picture together. The fruit is held together in the circular shaped of the bowl and the fruit itself forms a sort of triangle. I was not conscious that they way I rearranged the fruit in the bowl formed a triangle until I stepped back and looked at the lines of the image and shaped formed.
I used a tripod and a set camera position to photograph a series of images of fruit. Finally, I rearranged the fruit for a final picture including putting the fruit into a bowl which seemed to encompass the fruit more and bring the picture together. The fruit is held together in the circular shaped of the bowl and the fruit itself forms a sort of triangle. I was not conscious that they way I rearranged the fruit in the bowl formed a triangle until I stepped back and looked at the lines of the image and shaped formed.