Blog #3, February 1, 2014 The "Line in Composition Part 2"
Food for Thought:
"The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."
- Ansel Adams
"While photographs may not lie, liars may photograph." - Lewis Hine
"The Art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." - William James
Ed. note: and the Art of Photography too!
"Tulip & Red" © Hank Erdmann Veldhere Tulip Farm, Holland, Michigan
Verticality dominates nature and image format
The Concept of Line in Composition, Part 2...
I continue with more thoughts on "Line in Composition" for part two on the subject. Humans can be so
anal in their need to order or name everything but order and name does has its purpose occasionally,
especially in learning. And so we name kinds of lines and look at their various uses and characteristics to
better understand how we can use line in composition and make great images. When we compose within
a frame we can't really separate the discussion of line from its context within the frame and in this
discussion on line I will continually make connections in that discussion with regards to the effect of a
vertical or horizontal frame and placement within a frame.
The most obvious lines we note are vertical, horizontal, diagonal and curved. Then we have a looser group
of lines that are random, that meander, or move erratically. Such lines are really nothing more than
variations of the four. While harder to define odd ball lines, such lines make shapes. All lines are very
useful in both graphics and art.
I will start with vertical lines as we see vertical lines everywhere. Think trees, stalks, stems, buildings,
towers, posts, roads, etc. Just look around you, vertical lines are everywhere. Verticality can also be
discussed with respect to format. A camera lies flat usually, in its box from the store, in your camera bag
or sitting on a table. When we first took up a camera, our natural orientation to it, with it and using it was
horizontal. Horizontal is safe. We sort of see horizontally with two eyes on one horizontal plane. In John
Shaw's Field Guide for Nature Photography, he states; "In fact, beginning photographers can be identified
by the vast predominance of horizontals in their work.
"Morning Reflections" © Hank Erdmann Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Vertical lines can work quite well in horizontal formats as well
That was certainly true for me, when I started out most if not nearly all my compositions were horizontal.
Then as I learned composition, I started to not only see more clearly or I should say more defined with
respect to the subject, but I also started to see more vertically. Nature is vertical, especially with respect
to many isolated subjects, cities are vertical, at least when within them, so we tend to photograph vertical
things vertically, and horizontal things horizontally. That's certainly nor to say we can't do the opposite,
we do so all the time. A great example is Ansel Adams aspen tree images. He shot those vertical aspen
trees both ways but my favorite of the two by far is the horizontal version. Most of us regularly make
vertical and horizontal versions of the same subject when it makes sense to, or when the image will work
either way. As I progressed through my career I shot more and more vertically as time went on until at
this point I shoot 65 to 70% vertically. I have to make a concerted effort to think and make horizontal
images or I'd be shooting vertically 90% of the time! Calendar companies mostly want horizontal images,
hence my reason for fighting my vertical instinct.
Let's look at some psychological or "feeling based" reasons behind using different kinds of line.
Remember there are no absolutes, no "rules" of line, no laws that say you must or must not. Our format
can support line within our composition or oppose it and even end up somewhere in between, but line
can definitely have great impact on how we see subjects and how we image them. Line can create calm or
tension when used in conjunction with subject. Line can imply action or it can imply peace, it can imply
balance or imbalance, order or chaos.
Line placement within the frame is also of the utmost importance. Again we can use line for balance and
symmetry, imbalance and direction, peacefulness or tension. Move line closer to corners and edges and
you increase its importance, move it away and you lose some importance and notice.
"Wave Flow" © Hank Erdmann Lake Michigan Shore, Point Betsie, Benzie County, Michigan
A horizontal line provides peace; add a diagonal to break up that peace with some direction, power and movement
A straight vertical line can imply balance, stateliness, vigor, strength and permanence. It can also create
tension when used in association with other elements. A vertical line may create the feelings that forces
acting upon it are balanced and the subject is at rest. Let's lay the line down and make it horizontal.
Implied feelings now change, decidedly! We now have the feeling of total rest, almost a placidity, lack of
motion or movement, the feeling of no force acting on it at all. Take a line represented by a tree and put
in in the middle of a horizontal line in the bottom of a frame. Straight up or even slightly leaning, that tree
feels safe, unlikely to fall and creates a balance of symmetry to proportion. Make that same composition
in a vertical frame and even just a little leaning of the tree gives us feelings of wind or an impending fall
over of the tree. Move the tree just a little off center and it strengthens the feeling more and more as it
moves away from center. Move back to the horizontal composition and the effect of leaning and off
centering is less important until you move some distance from center.
Natural subjects versus man made ones tend to rarely be exactly vertical or horizontal with the exception
of a body of water which finds its own level. Angle of view can also play a part here, but I am less
concerned with slight variation in verticality or pure horizontal orientation. If we take line and angle it
away from either vertical or horizontal alignment and we have diagonals. Diagonal lines are some of the
most powerful lines we can use in composition for their ability to lead the viewer's eye to where we the
artist, want it to follow or go. A diagonal line can be balanced or unbalanced within the frame but creates
a dynamic positioning, a feeling of movement, action and or tension. Diagonal lines use the property of
convergence as they move away from us creating a point. Line and point bring us to center of interest
without any ambiguity as to what that center of interest is. Line and point give us direction inferring
movement, action or travel towards the point.
"Dandelion Orchard" and "Snow Beech" © Hank Erdmann Door County, Wisconsin and Morton Arboretum, DuPage County, Illinois
Move a line slightly out of center in a horizontal format and we hardly notice it...
"Tree in Winter" and "Maple Light" © Hank Erdmann
Hammel Woods Forest Preserve, Will County and Starved Rock State Park, LaSalle County, Illinois
Move a line slightly out of center in a vertical format and we instantly notice it...
When using diagonals I almost always also use a blocking element to stop travel and viewer's eye
movement from leaving the center of interest. By nature this blocking element is very often horizontal. If
we take diagonal line and curve it we create a new way of using a non-vertical or horizontal line. When
curving the line slightly we soften the effect of the diagonal. With a slight graceful curve we have little
tension, and we gain tension as we enlarge the curve. A curve is inherently graceful and implies peaceful
movement, it slows the movement or pace that a straight diagonal creates. Curved lines lead your
viewer's eyes at a more relaxed pace, create direction but get to their destination slower and have the
ability to travel through more of the frame.
Line in general proportions a frame. It does so in many more fractions that just the guideline of thirds
suggests. Lines can also be great framing elements that drive the viewer's eyes to your center of interest.
"Dan's Dancing Trees" © Hank Erdmann Headwaters Area, Mink River Estuary Nature Conservancy, Door County, Wisconsin
Diagonal lines have a dynamism and power to them.
We've looked at vertical lines, horizontal lines, diagonal lines and curved lines. Now we can look at what
are really variations of the first four. Lines that wiggle, wander zig zag, cross, connect at an angle, connect
at a right angle, create shapes and direct the eye more slowly, similar to curved lines. Lines that meet and
connect at their starting point create even stronger shapes, they create objects. Some of these lines
become quite identifiable in their shapes to the point that we call the power shapes. In Will Clay's
composition class in the Morton Arboretum's Nature Photography Certificate Program he has an excellent
section on power shapes and his class is well worth the price of admission. The most special power shape
in my humble opinion is the "S" Curve. Forward, backward, on its side or right side up, this is one thing
that if I see it, I photograph it! I don't ever remember being stumped for a composition when I've seen
that shape in front of me. It simply works!
There are many other power shapes and many follow the shape of a letter, or more accurately, that is the
easy way to describe a shape. Two more common and often used power shapes are the circle and the "C"
shape. None of these shapes have to be a physically perfect example of their descriptor, more that they
are more so conceptually the descriptor.
"Weborg Marsh Winter", Peninsula Spring Shore", "Pere Marquette Spring Curve"
"Sand Bay Sunset, Lake Superior", © Hank Erdmann Peninsula State Park (1st Two), Door County, Wisconsin; Pere Marquette National Scenic River, Lake
County, Michigan; Sand Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
"S" curves and "C" Curves are Power Shapes.
More? Triangle, "Z" or Zig Zag, "X", "Y", "L", Square, Oval, "V" and Inverted "Λ" and combinations of two
or more. Triangles are certainly one that is often more implied than chiseled in stone. And the proof that
these shapes work, that they attract attention, is how often they are used in corporate marketing and
brand recognition. IE; The Lexus stylized "L", the triple oval symbol of Toyota, The Nike Swoop, and many,
many others. These symbols or logos are really nothing more that stylized lines. The "line become shape"
create recognition and notice and used in conjunction with the center of interest can help lock the
viewers attention where you want it.
So look at your compositions in a more graphic nature, look at the images elements as graphic elements
versus the things you see in nature, IE: trees, rocks, rivers, etc. Your compositions will improve!
Allbest, Happy Winter, enjoy it while it's here!
Hank
"Kill nothing but time...Take nothing but photographs... leave nothing but good will"
-I wish I knew who said this so I could give them credit!
I drifted into photography like one drifts into prostitution. First I did it to please myself, then I did
it to please my friends, and eventually I did it for the money. - Philippe Halsman
May All Your Trails Be Crooked, Winding, Lonesome, Dangerous, and Leading To The Most
Amazing View" - Edward Abbey
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