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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