Documenting a Moment


One of the most basic reasons to take a picture is to capture a likeness, the essence of a place, or the power of a moment. We want to freeze it in time so that we can look back on it and remember. This is a basic motivation that most photographers have, from the most basic amateur to the seasoned professional. To move past simple snapshots and begin taking compelling photographs, we must abandon this basic impulse and expect more from the image compositions.

Depiction of a Place

How do you communicate the essence of a place? A good way to approach this is to imagine how you react to a place you're encountering for the first time. Your first reaction is likely impacted by the quality of light that's present. If it's a landscape, and there is full sunshine or a dramatic sunset, you're likely to have a much more positive response than if the same scene is cloudy or gloomy. Even if it's an interior room or enclosed space, a dark space with shadows elicits a different emotional response than if the space is well lit and clearly described. Are you looking to express the scene positively, or to convey a sense of foreboding?

 Yellow Door
Nikon D2H
1/10 sec, f/8
Focal length 75mm

 Statue with Skull
Nikon D2H
1/250 sec, f/7.6
Focal length 340mm

We usually don't think of lighting as a compositional element unless it defines delineated shadows that create shapes or textures in the subject. But I'm not talking about that aspect of lighting at this point. I'm talking about how the lighting in the scene sets a tone that we can use as a starting point for how we approach the composition. With a basic idea of the tone you want to set, consider the variables of spatial depth and diagonal pointers for creating compelling images of places and landscapes.

Spatial Depth

When we look at an image of a place, we tend to analyze it and navigate through it as though we were there. Perceptually, we break the space into foreground, middleground, and background areas, considering the elements in each section in relation to our viewpoint within the scene.

If we see clear paths that allow us to move through the foreground and deeper into the scene, we're likely to go further and visually explore the space. Conversely, if there is little description in the foreground area, the image is less likely to hold our attention. Even worse, if the foreground elements block our path and get in our way, it's extremely difficult to engage with the scene at all. The vineyard path in Figure provides a clear entrance to the scene, which is picked up by the winding road, taking us to the compositional focal point of the building in the middle ground.

When considering this principal, keep in mind that the deeper the space, the further you can stretch or compress it. If the visibility stretches deep into the landscape, you can sometimes pass over the foreground all together and introduce elements in the middleground that stretch to the back. Or in the case of Figure , the deep horizon was cropped out to keep the viewer from exploring the distant hills, focusing instead on the house. A scene that has a deep space that's full of detail from foreground to back (as is the case in the uncropped Figure ) can overwhelm the viewer with too much detail and make it harder to create emphasis. Compressing or eliminating the space can be effective when you want to draw attention to other subject elements.

 Monteriggioni Vineyard (uncropped)
Nikon D2H
ISO 640
1/125 sec, f/15
Focal length 75mm

 Monteriggioni Vineyard
Nikon D2H
ISO 640
1/125 sec, f/15
Focal length 75mm

Diagonal Pointers

It's important to make the distinction between physical pathways into the scene and purely visual ones. Figures and show a literal pathway in the vineyard that leads the viewer into the scene, but in reality, almost any diagonal line pointing in the right direction will do the trick. Figure shows this idea: the hill, rock wall, and foreground shadow all point the viewer's gaze to the blue tarp in the lower center of the scene. These pointers, and the unique landscape in general, create a sense of mystery and drama around something as mundane and ordinary as a blue piece of plastic. In addition, notice how the wall and trees close off the background, pushing the interest to the subject.

 Blue Tarp
Nikon D2H
ISO 640
1/200 sec, f/9
Focal length 12mm

A Sense of Time

Capturing a moment forces you to take a position with regards to time. Are you trying to convey that the scene is old and stagnanthaving endured a long passage of timeor are you saying that the scene is fresh, new, and immediate? Is the scene volatile and rapidly changing, or is it steady and constant, perhaps even timeless? When you have a basic idea for how you want to communicate the scene, consider the following tips for using the angle of view to convey time, movement, or stability.

Movement, Diagonals, and Duration

Because we read from left to right, we read the visual cues in an imageas well as the progression of eventsin a left-to-right fashion. Viewing image elements from left to right implies a narrative sequencing that moves you from one thing to the next.

When your gaze is pulled in the opposite direction, moving from right to left in a scene, it feels unnatural and awkward. For example, look at the image of the village of Cuna in Figure . The first image shows the scene as shot, with the sloping fields moving from left to right, leading you up to the fortress. Figure shows the same image flipped, so that the field leads you to the left, creating an uncomfortable imbalance.

 Cuna
Nikon D2H
1/250 sec, f/6.3
Focal length 135mm

 Cuna (flipped)
Nikon D2H
1/250 sec, f/6.3
Focal length 135mm

As you think about the presence and direction of angles in the scene, consider how you might use contrast to create emphasis. Instead of making everything dynamic, what if you arranged one dynamic element in an otherwise static composition? Or what if all the angles moved in one direction while one element went against the grain, creating a counterpoint? In Figure , the angular projection of light against the square column elements is more dramatic because of the contrast in directional elements. Consider these options and use angles to create a dynamic sense of time and movement in your image.

 Santa Croce Sunlight
Nikon D2H
1/10 sec, f/4.5
Focal length 75mm

Symmetry, Stability, and Eternity

If angles create movement and a sense of time, then the absence of angles creates a sense of stability and timelessness. Images that are square to the viewer, with thoughtful proportions and right angles tend to offer themselves up for contemplative study. It's as if they invite the viewer to slow down and explore the object or scene being presented, rather than following pointers and angles that would lead the viewer into the space.

The cross in Figure is a good example of this; the symmetry of the cross shape and the right angles in the composition keep the image plane square with the viewer, flattening the space. As a result, the viewer slows down a bit and begins to explore the shape and texture in greater detail, noticing the dappled stone surface, the drips of paint on the cross, and perhaps the subtle modulation of color.

 Cross
Nikon D2H
1/90 sec, f/4.8
Focal length 28mm

When a composition overtly emphasizes symmetrical elements, the image can take on a classic quality in which time appears to slow down. As external references and hints at the dynamic passage of time are stripped away, you are left face to face with the subject. If this composition is done well, it distills the subject down to its essence and creates a more contemplative viewing experience.

Face to Face

From the time we're infants, we have a unique and intimate relationship with the human face. We instinctively recognize and respond to it, and are masters at reading the wide range of subtle expressions that can flash across a face during a single conversation. Although we respond quickly to faces and engage with them immediately, we look to get something back from the subject that reveals their mood, persona, or character. Perhaps this is why it's so hard to do portraits well. Instinctively we know when an expression is forced or insincere, and we're disappointed when we don't get the visual cues that we're used to.

Composing Heads

There are so many ways to depict the face and head that it's hard to come out with a finite list of do's and don'ts that you should follow. Although I do list some tips for portraits and people later in this chapter, the main thing to remember is not to be tentative while you're composing the shot. Be purposeful and emphatic with all your decisions; don't let anything look casual or accidental.

For example, if you're going to crop the top of someone's head (presumably to focus on their features), crop in tight to the point of emphasis, completely eliminating any distracting areas. For candid shooting, be your own toughest critic and throw out images that don't quite live up to your expectations. Be decisive and act fast so that you can reshoot your subject while you have the opportunity.

TECHnote: The Speed of the Read

When you're working on a composition, it's easy to get bogged down in all the rules and options at your disposal. In the process, you can loose the forest for the trees and the design can get overworked, self-conscious, or just fall apart. If you have a design or image concept that's giving you problems, get back to basics with these compositional premises.

What's the Main Idea?

Make sure that the central emphasis is clearly stated, with no ambivalence or distractions. If the image is a portrait, present the face clearly and directly. Don't emphasize the background or create an intricate spatial division that's going to compete with it. If the image is about an overall tone or feeling, make sure that you treat the image components so that they support the central feeling.

Supporting Cast

With the central subject in view, make sure that the rest of the image supports and enhances the main idea. In some cases, this will simply mean creating a harmony with the aesthetic treatments of the main subject. It can also mean adding nuance and detail that moves the subject out of the realm of the cliché and adds a certain authentic specificity. For example, the image at the top of this sidebar is about the beautiful ornate patterning of these Tuscan frames. The oval shapes of the mirror and the lights echo the curving lines of the frame mouldings. And yet, my favorite piece of nuance is the small white price tags that dangle from some of the pieces. They serve to take the scene out of the realm of being just an abstract composition, grounding it in the real world of a Florentine frame shop.

Contrast and Paradox

Finally, try to draw allusions to things that might be paradoxical or suggest multiple levels of meaning or connection. It might be a metaphor that is unintentionally implied by the subject, or aesthetic similarities between various image components. It doesn't have to be a major component of the design (although it could be). It just needs to create a sense of double meaning or inferred association. In the Frame Shop image, I like the way the white price tags hang down in contrast to the upward movement of the white candle lights. They act as counterpoints to each other and provide additional visual interest without distracting from the central theme.


Shooting the Figure

As with the face, the human body is also easily recognized. A key compositional aspect of the figure is that it is naturally dynamic, always moving and always implying movement, even when it's at rest. Arms and legs naturally act as visual pointers, while torsos and necks twist and bend, suggesting movement and drawing arcs through space.

Overlap these formal considerations with the emotional connections we have with faces and figures. Our subjects will be displaying feelings and emotions, even as they interact with each other and their immediate environment. It's very important in these instances to use all the compositional building blocks at your disposal to direct the viewer to the main point of emphasis. Reveal the subtleties of emotion and interaction, focusing on expression, body language, or other non-verbal cues that may be present in the scene.

 Siena Girl
Nikon D2H
1/160 sec, f/6.3
Focal length 400mm

 Horse Trainer
Nikon D2H
1/80 sec, f/4.5
Focal length 80mm




The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers
ISBN: 0672327139
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 141

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