PART TWO: ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

POINTS

I am glad to start part 2 of the course elements of design. For the first exercise to place an object at different parts of the frame, i experimented with landscapes and birds. Image no 1 shows the tree a little of center, no 2 shows the image at the edge of the frame and no 3 shows the bird at the center of the frame.

I quite prefer image 1 because its more eye catching. It also obeys the rule of thirds with draws the eye to the tree creating some visual tension.

Image 1

Image 2 has the tree at the edge of the frame and the city of kaduna in the background. I  am not quite fascinated with the  image because of the position of the tree in the frame. The sense of movement is very slight because it is proportional to the distance from the side.

Image 3

For image 3 , first the bird is too small for the frame and the image does not create that visual attraction needed. And by positioning the image at the center, it gives it a static outlook which does,nt work. The 300mm lens has not quite worked well in this image.

According to Michael Freeman in The Photographers Eye (2007), the most basic element of all is the point and the simplest form of a point in a photograph is an isolated object seen from a distance, against a relatively plain background.

CENTRAL: STATIC AND USUALLY DULL

CLOSE TO THE EDGE: MARKEDLY ECCENTRIC, NEEDING SOME JUSTIFICATION
SLIGHTLY OFF-CENTER: MODERATELY DYNAMIC, WITHOUT BEING EXTREME

 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POINTS

We  now look at the relationship between several points. In previous exercises we have noted how the eye naturally moves from the srtonger point to the weaker point in a photography. Or lets say from the bigger point to the smaller point. We also noted how you can achieve balance in a photograph by positioning the bigger image to occupy at least two thirds of the frame.

However when visualizing two points with relatively the same proportions the eye would naturally move from one point to the other without settling visual weight on one point. This can be illustrated with a close-up shot of a two eyes as shown below.

Image 4

I was going through Nicola's blog when i came across her small write-up on this http://nicola-shepherd.blogspot.com/search/label/Part%202%20-%20Elements%20of%20Design.

Thats how i took a similar picture and noted her observations on this.

MULTIPLE POINTS

The next exercise was to take 6 pictures of still-life with an unfussy background. The instruction was to use six  to ten similar sized objects each compact in shape. So i looked at the books in my library and decided to use them . Hopefully the genre will shed further light on my personality.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

As can be seen i have a blow by blow sequence of photographs which have recorded my decisions. It looks arranged. Micheal Freeman discusses this The Photographers Eye(2007) where he says several points can unify an area by occupying the space between them.He goes on to say that the effect will depend on their location and spacing, and the eye having an irresistible tendency to create shapes from their arrangement. He says that the order and placement of several objects that need to be arranged can be very demanding. How well can one take the pictures without looking so artificial? He concludes that forces in nature are constatntly at work for us.

LINES

This next exercise on horizontal and vertical lin es is to help m,e discover appearances and in the process of searching be able to reach some conclusions.

Image 1: Vertical Line

I took this shot from the car which was the most convenient position for me . It represenrts a vertical line.

Image 2: vertical

This image 2 also portrays verticals in the sense that the windows are projected, though i could not get the best composition with wooden poles and wires spoiling the composition. Micheal Freeman in the Photographers Eye(2007) discusses vertical lines as the secondary primary component of the frame and so naturally seen in terms of alignment with the format and with the sides of the picture. He says a single vertical form sits more comfortably in a vertical format than a horizontal. as in image 1. while a series of verticals , however acquires a horizontal structure as can be seen with the windows in Image 2.

Image 3: Vertical which doesnt sit comformably in this horizontal frame.

Image 4: Horizontal line angle dependent, Zebra crossing

Image 5: Horizontals and verticals

The combination of vertical and horizontal lines in a frame can create  an equilibrium with energies being perpendicular to each other. Each one acts as astop to the other. Due to the underlying association of standing upright supported on  a level surface, the combination creates a primary sensation of balance. If used strongly, this can produce a solid satisfying feel.(Micheal Freeman, 2007).

Image 6: Horizontal, a row of objects at the same distance from the camera.

Image 7:Vertical, Road seen from high viewpoint

Image 8: Horizontal, the horizon

DIAGONALS

Image 1

For diagonals , i have taken the picture of my staircase to project a diagonal effect. In image 2 below i have triesd to create a diagonal effect by zooming in simultaneously while taking the picture of a still object which in this case is a plant.

Image 2

By zooming in with my lens while taking the picture, i have created lines that converge at the center thus creating a strong diagonal effect which leads the eye to the center.


CURVES

Image 1

The road cutting shown in the image above is what am using to imply a curve which has a sense of movement and direction.Micheal Freeman discusses curves in "The Art of Photography (2007) as being inherentlt attractive to most people especially when they undulate.They are however harder than diagonals to introduce into a picture. While a diagonal is usually a straight line of any direction that is altered by viewpoint, curves must usually begin as real curves.(Michael Freeman, 2007).

Image 2

The picture of a circular shaped building shown above also adds to the effect of a curve in the picture.


IMPLIED LINES

 This exercise asks to find implied lines in images:

Image 1

Am sorry if the lines i drew are not too visible. I had a hard time figuring how to draw lines on the image. However the implied lines of the bull fighters photo are shown in black with an s shape forming in the fore, middle and backgrounds. For the man and the horses, the implied lines are indicated with the black arrows.

Lines are compelling pulls for the eye with diagonals having a powerful compositional effect due to their inherent instability which creates tension  and verical and horizontal eyes possessing a reduced feeling of dynamics but heightened feeling of permanence or stability.(Bruce Barnbaum,The Art of Photography, 1994).

I have surprisingly found part two of this course to be a bit rather challenging in the sense that i don,t get to see images to use as examples.or maybe i still need to improve my seeing abilities. Though sometimes i think the projects are,nt as interesting as i expected.

Never the less i have taken some shots of what i believe are eye-line and extension of a line examples.

Image 2: Implied Eye-line

Image 3: Lines that point

In image 2, the man,s gaze towards the small crowd shows an implied eye line and the distant light reflection in image 3 implies lines that point with the eye being direted towards the distant reflection.

SHAPES

As i progress, sometimes i am not too happy with quality of pictures, but ibelieve that by the time i understand all elements of composition and put them in perspective when taking a picture, my photography will improve. I also need to go out more frequently to take pictures. Maybe away from this environment that i am bored with. I would like to go on a safari in the very near future because i have a lot of interest in wildlife and bird photography, with the only constraints being those expensive telephoto lenses. Have followed the works of renowned wildlife photographers like Boyd norton, Arthur Morris and rathika ramasamy.

REAL AND IMPLIED TRIANGLES

The next exercise is to produce two sets of triangular compositions in photographs,one using real triangles, the other making implied triangles.

Image 1: Real triangular shape in a tree trunk:implied

Image 2

Image 3

Triangles are the most useful shapes in photographic composition. They are common partly because they are simple to construct or imply(they need only three points for the apices and these do not need to be in any particular arrangement) and partly because of convergence-the natural graphic effects of perspective make convergent diagonals very common in photography, particularly with wide-angle lenses. (The Photographers Eye, Micheal Freeman, 2007, p84)

RHYTHMS and PATTERNS

Here we are asked to produce at least two photographs conveying rhythm and pattern. I took a picture which may convey either though i hard a hard time thinking whether its a rhythm or a pattern. its shown below:

IMAGE 1: CIRCULAR PATTERN

This picture was taken during a swimming and helicopter underwater escape training that i participated. The picture has a circular pattern and attention was paid to the framing ensuring no boundaries to the pattern. The yellow life jackets accentuate the pattern of the picture.


The second picture below illustrates my idea of rhythm; kids skiing on an ice king. I took the picture during a visit to Houston, Texas.

9

In The Photographers  Eye (Micheal Freeman 2007) rhythm is discussed as a feature of the way the eye scans the picture as much as of the repetition. The kids on the rink appear to go be going round in a circular motion which gives the picture some added momentum.

TUTOR FEEDBACK

I got  feedbacks from my tutor on Monday, November 14 2011. He was impressed with fact that i was able to complete assignment one in a relatively "short" time considering busy schedule of work and having to turn what was once a hobby into an academic pursuit.
His comments on my pictures were noted with some considered dull and others where he thinks I used the angle of lens to good effect. On the whole I was pleased with suggestions he made to improve the artistic quality of my pictures.
Am moving into part two elements of design with his advice and suggestions in mind and a determination to improve.

ASSIGNMENT 1: CONTRASTS

                                           STILL


Fig 1: Still

 This was taken from the balcony of my apartment and it was one of the exercises to demonstrate shutter speeds. Taken at exposure time of 1/3000 secs, the subject even though its moving becomes stationary.
    
                                           MOVING

Fig 2: Moving

At a shutter speed of 1/45s , the motorcycle rider is blurred which conjures a sense of movement and speed.


                                         STRAIGHT


Fig 3: Straight

                                           CURVED

Fig 4: Curved

This picture was taken in a rural community in mid western Nigeria. Its a beautiful countryside with the locals occupation being mainly agriculture. Oil exploration and production has not impacted negatively in any way on the environment. On the contrary, it has brought much needed infrastracture such as the road shown in fig 3. This winds down leading to a curved  intersection.  Women are more active in the farms and use bicycles as mode of transportation as shown in fig 4.


                      

                                            HOT


Fig 5: Hot

 This is to show hot and cold contrasts. Fig 5 was at a local park on independence day October1, 2011. The man was so busy making popcorn from a hot stove that he did not really pay attention while i took his picture. I like the way steam is coming out of the black pot that appears to have seen better days. This picture is set against the croaker fish  removed from my freezer which portray cold.

                                      COLD


Fig 6: Cold

For the next picture, i attempt to show a photograph that demonstrates contrast in one picture. It was on Ed kabir day and i was out buying a ram when these two young girls passed by with their backs turned to me. I was fascinated because they were about the same age and were carrying plastic containers on their heads and chatting away.                                
                                       
COLOR CONTRASTS IN ONE PICTURE:

Fig 7: Contrasts in one picture

The contrasts are in the girls dresses. They are of the same design but different colors. Also note the contrasts in the color of the containers on their heads. I like this picture. Took two shots but accidentally deleted the best shot. I have still managed to portray some elements of design in this picture. You have pattern on the one hand shown in the manner the girls hands are holding the containers. Then you have contrasts in dress and container colors.


                                     LONG

Fig 8: Long

I took this picture from my hotel room in Lagos mainland an regretted not bringing my 70-300mm lens. I would have had a closer view of the third mainland bridge in Lagos. This picture illustrates my idea of long. It links the lagos island with the mainland and is about 11km long.

                              SHORT



Fig 9: Short

 I hope this contrast works. The swimming pool length is short compared to the long bridge.


                                           BROAD


Fig 10: A Broad building

Passing by a local fast food joint, i could not help but notice the neon sign colors on the building and how they contrast with the red colr of the building. The frontage of the building is broad.


                                         NARROW


Fig 11: Narrow

 Lagos is a city with over 12 million inhabitants and the mainland is densely packed with narrow roads cutting through as can be seen from Fig 11 above.



MANY


Fig 12: Many bats

                                    FEW

Fig 13: Few potatoes

For Fig 12, the bats caught my attention as they suddenly scattered from their tree abodes somewhere near the market. They are many in number as compared to the few potatoes seen in Fig 13.

I realise that i have to improve on my imagination and creativity to be able to take excellent pictures and push my photography to the point i want to see it. That obviously takes a lot of practice. I always try to squeeze that into my busy schedule.

The assignment in contrasts is helping my imagination. its not a fast process. But as i progress into the course, i hope my imagination improves. My wife recently made a point that she has noticed i observe things better since i started the photography course. I took that as a compliment and an indication that I am on the right track.

                                         ROUGH

Fig 14: Rough

                                         SMOOTH

Fig 15: Smooth

 The two pictures 15 and 16 illustrate my concept of rough and smooth. One is an untarred  road in the countryside and another a smooth tarred road.  Benin city can be seen in the backgound.

I have come to the end of part one of the course and will be sending it to my supervisor in Barnsley. While am not quite sure what he might think of my pictures, am at least upbeat that i have come this far and have the discipline to study through distance learning. I will need to get some fairly better equipment as I progress to help improve the quality of my pictures. I will also need to get me a good printer. My ultimate aim is to stage my exhibition someday. For now let me go through my blog, dot the i's and cross the t's and send off my assignment.

CROPPING AND EXTENDING

Fig 1



Fig 1:cropped



Fig 2



Fig 2:cropped



Fig 3



Fig 3: Cropped

Cropping is a convenient way to edit pictures. You cut out segments that are,nt needed. It is also a way of zooming into a subject taken from a far distance though this comes with the resultant loss in image quality and sharpness depending on the lens quality.If all lenses were infinitely sharp and films were grainless or if there were an infinite number of pixels on camera sensors, we could easily get by with one wide angle lens and just crop to the image we really want. Unfortunately we do not have that luxury.(Bruce Barnhaum; The art of Photography, 2010). The image in Fig 1 was taken along a countryside road. I loved how  the road sliced through the dense vegetation.  By cropping it in Fig 2 I was able to cut off the sky and zoom closer to the cyclist seen at a far distance.
In Fig 2 I have cut the foreground and got a rather narrow view of the background. Fig 3 is an angular birds eye shot of kids in a swimming pool. By cropping this picture, I have narrowed down the view to only four kids inside the water. Someone seeing the cropped picture only would have no idea about othersin the pool but not shown in the picture.

LESSONS LEARNT:
1. Cropping a picture in digital format gets rid of unwanted areas of a picture.
2. Cropping enables the subject to appear closer in a picture but sometimes with a loss in image sharpness.
3. Cropping also alters the visual perspective of an image.
4. It is generally a convenient editing tool.