Curved lines

The aim of this exercise was to look for and take four photographs using curves to emphasise movement and direction.

In this first photograph I like the way the curved white line cuts neatly through the maze of shadows on the ground created by the tree branches. This line guides the viewer through the photograph and around the bend as it guides the runner in real life. The fact that the runner is off the ground and casting a strong shadow is reminiscent of the photograph of a man jumping over a puddle (Cartier Bresson, 1932)

In the second photograph the movement is more gentle. The old couple are pictured slowly ambling over the humpback bridge crossing the canal the curves of the bridge are reflected in the water of the canal. The curved contrast nicely with the rigid horizontal and vertical lines of the loch in the centre of the photograph and the anarchic undergrowth at either end.

This photograph doesn't quite meet the brief of the exercise there is motion generated by the runner, and it will follow the gentle curves of the fence background, but the median curves represented by the ribs of the bridge holding up tons of steel and concrete, their sturdy and strong appearance allowing the runner to pass under with confidence.

My final photograph is of a statue in Belfast called "'beacon of hope". In Belfast we have a tendency to ignore something's official name and bestow our own nicknames, consequently this statue is known as "The Thing With the Ring", "The Doll on the Ball" and " The Nula With the Hula". The reason I chose to use this sculpture in the exercise is because there is not a single straight line on it. The myriad of curved metal bars emanating from the single curved spine (although traditionally spines are at the back of a figure) combine to make up the figure of a woman holding aloft "the Ring of Thanksgiving".  So essentially, thanks to its design, it would be impossible to take photograph of this sculpture without capturing curves.

Reflection

Was I wrong to include two photographs which did not specifically meet the brief of the exercise over two photographs which would have met the brief but were of much lower quality? Of course the ideal answer is that I should have strived to create two more high-quality images that met the brief. This failure was due to my approach to this exercise. Instead of sitting down and thinking about how to create images I just grabbed my camera and went out looking for images.

For instance in the last five minutes reflecting on this exercise it has occurred to me that instead of dismissing light trails as clichéd I could in fact have tried playing with long exposure and light painting, perhaps a runner with a head torch or several runners. Or perhaps swinging or throwing balls of fire. It does show that a little pre-thought could have made this exercise a lot more interesting and a lot less difficult.

Diagonal Lines

This exercise is similar in content to the previous horizontal and vertical lines exercise in that it required four photos but this time this time diagonal lines would feature. It would have been very easy to find some horizontal lines, turn the camera 30° and press the shutter button, and there you have diagonal lines. That would have made a very dull blog post and they wouldn’t have learned much along the way.

“Of all lines, diagonals introduce the most dynamism into a picture. They are highly active, with an even stronger expression of direction and speed than verticals. They bring life and activity precisely because they represent unresolved tension.”  (Freeman M, 2007: P76)

There is definitely a sense of movement and direction in this picture due to the diagonal lines we can see where the train is coming from and the direction it is heading in. If I had composed this photograph so that the train was coming directly at me head on the viewer would not have the same sense of motion.

The white picket fence also gives a very strong diagonal running through the photograph but if you look closely you will see that it also forms a zigzag pattern separating the people from the train.

In the previous exercise on horizontal and vertical lines we saw that horizontal lines could have the effect of flattening perspective into bands of texture or colour. In the photograph above we can see that the converging diagonal lines actually give depth and draw the viewer’s eye into the picture. This is the effect of perspective and also viewpoint. If the photo was taken directly in front of the steps they would be shown as horizontal lines with much less of a “depth effect”

in the photograph above the diagonal shadows emphasize a point in the center of the photograph but in this case it is not an effect of perspective but rather the intersection of the diagonals that draw the viewers eye.

This photo comprises some of the elements of the previous photos into one. the depth perspective is provided by the ground floor escalators and lead your eye to the center of the photo where it encounters the people on the escalator heading up. their movement in turn leads your eye  to the people heading down on the escalator. the converging and diverging diagonals give this photo a real energy.

Reflection

We often hear people talking about the language of photography. Stretching that analogy a little further I would suggest that these compositional exercises are teaching me the grammar of that language. When I become proficient in the proper use of that grammar I will be able to more effectively communicate in the language of photography.

Horizontal and Vertical Lines

For this exercise we were to find specific examples of vertical and horizontal lines and take photographs of them. I chose to look for lines in the city because architecture is primarily built up of  these lines. Both (Freeman M, 2007) and (Shore S, 2007) both point out the fact of viewpoint on the new relationships created between three-dimensional elements transposed onto a two-dimensional plane. This is illustrated in the two photographs below.

In this first photograph horizontal lines  are made up of several unconnected elements :-

• the bottom of the frams
• the grass
• the path
• the bench
• the railings
• then next patch of grass
• the trees and buildings
• the top for the frame

each of the elements are three dimentional shapes in "the real world" their own right but from this view point y form horizontal bands of texture stacked from bottom to top in a 2D plane.  Andreas Gursky is a master of this type of composition as can be seen in these examples of his work:-

• 'The Rhine II', Andreas Gursky | Tate
• 'Centre Georges Pompidou', Andreas Gursky | Tate
• '99 Cents', Andreas Gursky | art in asia

To further emphasise the importance of view point further look at the second photograph

here we see the same benches forming a vertical line thorough the middle of the photograph. there are an infinite number of camera angles and view points. were we position ourselves to take the photograph has a huge impact on the final image.

“In the field, outside the controlled confines of a studio, a photographer is confronted with a complex web of visual juxtapositions that realign themselves with each step the photographer takes. Take one step and something hidden comes into view; take another and an object in the front now presses against one in the distance. Take one step and the description of deep space is clarified; take another added is obscured.” (Shore S, 2007: P48).

Horizontal Lines

Vertical Lines

Reflection

I found the first part of this exercise (horizontal) to be much easier than the second part (vertical). Whether it was because I am more used to seeing horizontal lines or the fact that I had spent a couple of hours focused (excuse the pun) on horizontal lines, when it came time to shoot verticals I couldn’t see any. Eventually I was able to capture a few vertical lines in the wild.

Now when I look at other photographers work I see some of the compositional elements that we have covered in the previous exercises. I wonder are these deliberate conscious efforts or do these concepts become so ingrained through practice and experience that the photographer composes on auto pilot. I suspect it’s a combination of both.

Continually surprised by the complexity and challenge of these exercises which on initial examination seem simple and straightforward but in many cases require for an effort to produce any kind of interesting images.