PART 1: Project: Cropping & Extending

For this exercise I took three of my images without thinking too much about the cropping potential and then looked for alterantive crops:

The first image was taken primarily to show the sunset sky but focussing in on the clump of trees as a more prominent subject and changing to a vertical composition provides an alternative. I placed the tree clump on a horizontal third and the sky transition from orange to blue seems to fall nicely off centre as well.

For this second image I tried a horizontal and vertical crop placing the window on a third. The vertcial one worked best. The character of the image changes from being about the building to being more about the texture and pattern of the brickwork.

For the third image, I processed it to bring out the drama in the sky and then focused in on a small set of the buildings placing them on a third low down to give prominence to the sky. In this case I think the impact of the sky is lost a bit by cropping.

Key Learning Points

Cropping is a valid means of composition and alternatives should be explored but the principles of composition still need to be followed for the crop.

PART 1: Project: Looking Through the Viewfinder, Exercise: A Sequence Of Composition

I have found the approach of taking a sequence of images as I work through a composition and then reviewing these afterwards a useful technique. I used this approach for one of my assignment images and the sequence below shows some of these images:

The sequence shows the varying angles I used to arrive at the final image and also the placement of some coloured smarties on a third with similar colours leading a line through the image. There are also elements I feel I could have improved after review i.e. the bright orange smartie in the background.

PART 1: Project: Dividing the Frame, Exercise: Positioning the Horizon

The images on the left have varying horizon positions.

The first has the horizon in the lowest third of the frame and in this image the sky takes prominence with the foreground a secondary element.

In the second image, the horizon is in the middle and this gives equal prominence to foreground and background.

The third has the horizon on an upper third and in this case the foreground becomes the subject but the sky still plays a part.

In the final image the horizon is farther up the image and the sky plays almost no part in the composition

Key Learning Points

Horizon position influences the extent to which the foreground or background influences the composition.

This also applies to other dividing lines in an image e.g. ground and building line.

It is also equally applicable to vertical divisions in an image.

PART 1: Project: Focal Lengths, Exercise: Focal Lengths from different Viewpoints

For this exercise I used a window ornament and positioned it at the same size for two focal lengths:

The difference in the two images is clearly in the appearence of the background. With the longer focal length the background is larger and appears closer to the main subject and the depth of field is more prominent making the subject stand out (both images were taken with the same aperture).

Key Learning points

The compression effect of a telephoto lens can be used to help subjects stand out and provides a tighter feel to the image - which may feel more dramatic in certain situations.

The opposite effect of the wideangle lens gives a more expansive impression and could be used when the landscape is a key part of the image.

PART 1: Project: Focal Lengths, Exercise: Focal Lengths

For this exercise, I used a number of focal lengths on the same scene:

From a compositional viewpoint it shows that focal length can be used to isolate parts of a scene to create compositions of parts of the subject in their own right.

Key Learning Points

Isolated compositions using a telephoto lens also need to be valid compositions themselves to produce a good image.

Exposure also needs to be appropriate for the isolated element - it may be different than the overall scene.

PART 1: Project: Dividing The Frame, Exercise: Balance

For this exercise I have looked at images not taken as part of TAOP, most were taken before I started the course.

Both lighthouse buildings are close enough together to be considered one element and I consider the other balancing element to be the sky on the left. The buildings carry a bit more weight for me:

The balance in this image is a bit more complex, I see it as the group of NYPD cops and their two cars. I think the cops carry more visual weight because our eyes are attracted to people first:

This image also has human interest but the figure is so small in the frame and his colours so muted compared to the ribbons I think he has less visual weight:

This is one of my favourite pre-TAOP images and analysing it in terms of balance maybe explains why. Again I think the figure carries more visual weight because of our visual interest in people. But the bicycles balance the figure in just the right proportion:

The balance in this image is more subtle, I think the two elements in balance are the buildings and the out of sight setting sun, both are fairly equal in visual weight and I think the sun being in the middle lessens it's impact:

This image also has a subtle balance I think it is the figure balanced by the cloud formation above him, again the figure has more visual weight:

Key Learning points:

My more succesful pre TAOP images appear to have balance but this seems to be more succesful compositionally when there is a proportionate visual weight between the two.

Balance can be in the vertical plane as well as the horizontal (and possibly diagonal?)