9. Rhythm and pattern

Rhythm

This image was taken at Southend and i needed to be fairly sharp as there wasn't a gull on every post for very long. The split second when there was, coincided with one of their colleagues flying over, but this didn't detract too much from the rhythm. If anything, the motion blur emphasised the static nature of the sitting gulls. 




Pattern

This image was taken in a vineyard during a wine-tasting visit. The pattern created by the bottles, with alternating rows of tops and bottoms, was considerably better than the taste of the wine inside them.

8. Real and implied triangles

Real triangles


1. Triangular subject

A strong reflection in the evening sun enhances the triangular shape of the bushes.


2. Triangle by perspective, apex at top

A fish-eye lens enhanced the perspective in this evening shot of a road, heading off into the distance under a very striking sky.


3. Inverted triangle by perspective

This was shot at the same time as my previous image of the statues at St Pancras; it isn't simply a crop of the previous shot. I did go lower, with a wide-angle lens and only shot the legs, which make a stronger graphical image than the whole statue. It also enhanced the perspective in the roof but, again, I wish they had put the olympic rings elsewhere.


Implied




1. Triangle in still life, apex at top

2. Inverted triangle in still life

These two images of pebbles in the sand are 'found' rather than 'constructed' still lives, but I doubt if I could have done better in my 'studio'. I particularly like the enhancement from the indentations in the sand and the shadows. There are strong senses of movement in the images, inevitably; the first away from the photographer and the second towards. The second, therefore, I feel has more impact.




3. Group picture with subjects forming a triangle

The triangularity of the composition is emphasised by the sun through the trees catching the girl's face and the noses and tongues of the collies.

7. Implied lines

Identifying implied lines in given photographs

1.

2. 

Identifying implied lines in own photographs

1.

2.

3. 

4.

A more experimental approach with a wedding photograph:

Implied lines created by eye-line

(...and 'lens-line')

Implied lines created by the extension of a line, or lines that point

6. Curves

1.

This long curving water sculpture in the city centre has a graceful  sweep of its own. In my image I tried to enhance this by shooting from a position that included its reflection and its proximity to other curved features such as the pond edge, the steps and the street lights. Therefore, there is a clear sense of direction, but also of an interesting image created by the interplay of a variety of curves creating elegant lines and shapes.

Atget often featured curves in his photographs of Paris, especially in his collection of staircases, (Krase A & Adam H, 2008) . The curve of the bannister sweeps down and almost seems to cause an eddy with the bottom steps, providing a restful and smooth experience for the viewer.





















2.

The ridge remaining from the crater of a long extinct volcano provides a graceful curve in the natural environment. It creates a strong feeling of  circular movement.

The opportunity to take my picture of the volcano reminded me very much of the work of Ansel Adams, of which this photograph of sand dunes is a good example,  (Alinder, J and Szarkowski, J, 1987, Ansel Adams; Classic Images, Little Brown & Co). The curves are emphasised by the mastery of tone separating the bright and shaded slopes.



















3.

I was initially attracted by the spherical shape of this city centre sculpture. However, when I got close, I found the reflections of the buildings in the watery surface much more interesting.  They have curved buildings that are usually very upright and straight, making them much more natural and elegant. (There's a little touch of Lee Friedlander here as well with the photographer in the image.






4.

Many photographers use an arch or tunnel to frame their images or to provide a focal point for a 'path'. In this image I was attracted by the way the curves completed a circle due to the reflection and gave a sense of escaping from a dark damp place through a hole - only to be confronted with a metal fence, the straightness of which contrasts with and emphasises the curves of the arch.

A significant number of Atget's images feature an arch or a bridge. This one provides a longer view of the staircase featured above, introducing more curves to keep the viewer's eye moving smoothly around the picture, (Krase A & Adam H, 2008).

Fay Godwin's picture;  One-Way Bridge, provides a good example of a circular aperture providing a focal point for the direction of travel and drawing the viewer into the picture ( Landmarks, 2001).

Perhaps one of the most effective uses of curve to emphasise grace and elegance is in images of the human form, this picture by Man Ray being a very good example, (Gruber, F, 1990, Man Ray, Benedikt Taschen). I decided that taking such images was probably outside the scope of this particular exercise.

5. Diagonals

1.

The diagonals are created by using a wide-angle lens over the bridge towards the block of recently re-furbished flats. The walls of the bridge guide the eye in towards the corner of the flats, which is further emphasised by the roof lines sloping away from it. The diagonals add a strong dynamism and structure to the image. Further interest is added by they contrast between the 'disorderly' graffiti and the neatly arranged windows, however there is also a complementary element in the colours.




2.

This diagonal in this shot of the Royal Border Bridge in Berwick is created as much by the viewpoint as the lens. It adds to the feeling of the movement of the train, which is further enhanced by the curve at the end of the bridge. The rhythm of the arches also carries the viewers eye along.









3.

A wide-angle lens was used in this shot of the interior of a derelict factory. The converging diagonals in the roof and wall lines give a strong sense of depth to the image. Foreground interest is established by the graffiti on the wall and the rubbish on the floor, whetting the appetite for what may lie in the murky depths.








4.

I tilted the camera when shooting this image of a city-centre water feature. It makes the outcome much less statuesque and immobile. It even provides a slight feeling of the shouting at or regurgitating the city.










As with previous exercises, Eugene Atget's photographs of Paris raised my awareness of what is possible and what to look for. Two examples (from Krase & Adam, 2008) stand out:

Atget used viewpoint and size of lens to create diagonals in streets and buildings that lead the eye to key points of interest and that create movement.

Many photographers have based their work in Paris. One contemporary photographer, Gabriele Basilico is more interested in Paris's transition to an industrial city than in a romantic portrayal of its historic buildings. His use of line, including diagonals, is therefore more about the geometry of modern architecture and the layout of roads designed for modern traffic than a lead-in to cathedrals or a gentle meander up a canal:

These pictures, taken in 2002, appear in Bright S. (2005)





I also had a look at the work of Fay Godwin to see how she used diagonal lines in landscapes. Two images appealed to me, both from her Landmarks collection (2001);

I felt that the diagonals in the sun rays and cloud formation added considerably to the atmosphere and drama evoked by the pictures.

I tried to find such examples of diagonals in the natural environment, but with less success;

Sun breaking through over Derwent Reservoir.

Cliffs on the Northumberland Coast, near Craster.












Following the completion of this unit, I found a good example in the landscape of how implied diagonal lines can add to the impact of an image:

I composed this deliberately to have the fence in the foreground moving around the corner and diagonally into the image. Then the crossing of the diagonals created by the golden trees descending from the right overlapping the green and golden trees from the left and the parallel valley on the moor all combine to give the photograph interest, depth and 'movement'.

4. Horizontal and vertical lines

Horizontal

1.

The horizontal line created by the top of Derwent Dam stands out because it is a man-made artefact in the natural environment.  In taking this image, I had in mind the work of Fay Godwin for whom a strong theme was 'man's traces' in nature, with both positive and negative impact. The dam is fairly 'sympathetic' given its tone, texture and the way it is nestled in the trees.

This image from Godwin's 'Landmarks' collection (2001, 'Great Langdale, Cumbria', provided a model for my attempt. While the contrast between the natural and the man-made is stark, the dry-stone wall is by no means a blot on the landscape.

The same cannot be said for the pipe-line I photographed in the resevoir below Derwent Dam. In this case, the 'horizontal' draws a stark and uncomfortable line through a pleasant scene. With reference to the course notes, both my images are static, stable and have weight, but their location evokes very different emotional responses.

Fay Godwin also took striking landscape images that did not necessarily include 'man's traces'. This one of Beadnell Bay in Northumberland has a strong 'horizontal' that is not man-made, but neither is it static or stable. Because the sea and sky seem to converge on the horizon, it creates a sense of movement into the distance.

Again, I tried to follow Godwin's model, just south of Beadnell at Howick. In my image, the dynamic is mostly in the sky. The sea and land are relatively still, therefore there is little sense of movement towards the horizon and it is much more stable.










2.

In this image, the horizontal is more of a boundary than a base, separating the newly refurbished, well-ordered flats from the old wall covered in graffiti. This is quite symbolic of this part of the city, where old 1960's flats have been modernised to provide high quality apartments for professional people.

I was aware that some contemporary photographers take similar images of urban life. One in particular that gave me some ideas was Joel Sternfield, one of whose images I have included, (from Bright, S, 2005, Art Photography Now, Thames and Hudson).















3.

This image was taken in a derelict factory which has almost become a graffiti workshop for aspiring Banksies. The horizontals in this image provide lines and an appropriate frame for the work of the artists.











4.

The line of cauliflowers not only provide a 'base' for the display of vegetables, but also a striking feature that attracts people to the stall.

Eugene Atget was clearly struck by the graphic elements in shop displays as well as in buildings, as shown in this photograph of rows of shoes, (from Aperture Masters of Photography, 1980, Eugene Atget, Koneman). The rows are at a slight angle therefore there isn't the same static quality that there would be had the photograph been taken at 90 degrees to the shoes to create more horizontal lines. My photograph had to be taken at a slight angle as well, but my closeness, and the use of a standard lens, minimised the convergence of lines.











Vertical


1.

A low angle emphasised the 'tallness' of the statue at St Pancras' Station and increased its impact on the viewer. I also wanted to include the roof to enhance the 'drama' in the shot. A straight shot from a standing position in front of the statue would have been much less powerful. I'm not sure that the Olympic rings add much to the image and I may re-shoot this after August.

Henri Cartier-Bresson used a similar device to emphasise the power of the speaker and the size of his audience. (from 'A propos de Paris, 2004, Thames and Hudson).










2.

There is also a sense of 'power' created by the tallness of this television mast shot with a wide-angle zoom lens, at 17mm, against a fairly dramatic sky. Representing it as a silhouette increases this feeling.

When the image is shot with the lens at 10mm, a slight bend is introduced into the mast which adds a sense of 'threat' to the power.

Alexander Apostel (from Bright, S 2005) used strong verticals to represent power. In this case, a water fountain is his 'power-tower' and is symbolic of the surge in the Venezualan economy in the 1950's due to oil. It isn't a strong and lasting 'power-tower' though, which was also the case for the Venezualan economy.













3.

The vertical in this image is created by shooting upwards at the corner of a modern hotel building. The height is emphasised by the repeating 'blocks' disappearing into the sky and the arrow formation created at the corner of the roof lines.

Eugene Atget  (from Krase, A. & Adam HC.) provided a model for my approach; emphasising the tallness of a building by photographing the corner and creating strongly converging lines in the roof. In addition, he increases the sense of height by having the building disappear beyond the top of his photograph.
















4.

For this image, I used a very low structure to create a vertical. I did this by shooting along the top of a dry-stone wall with a wide-angle zoom lens set at around 12mm. This angle, and the curving horizon, gives a strong sense of movement towards the far distance, which is clearly an illusion since it is only one field's length.