Photography 1: The Art of Photography

Project: Dividing The Frame.
Exercise: Balance.

For this exercise I took six of my own already-taken photographs and decided how the balance worked in each one.  I added small rectangular boxes around the dominant parts of the image.  I also created a sketch of the balance for each of the pictures and have placed this below each image.

Hong Kong Tugs 5

 Here the tug boats are balanced by the tall dark building on the left of the picture.

7167

In this photograph the balance is provided by the two objects either side of the frame.  The composition of this photograph is simpler than the previous one, with fewer objects.  This made it easier to identify the balance.

Hong Kong Tug

 In this photograph the two tugs are balanced by the group of large, dark coloured buildings on the right of the frame.  The balance in this image was difficult to identify due to the large quantity of objects in the image.

7116A

In this image the composition is simpler than the images with the tugs and it is therefore easier to identify the balance.  There is not a perfect balance in this photograph as the objects on the right hand side are larger than and appear heavier than those on the left hand side.

7172

Again in this image there are few distinct objects making it easier to identify the balance.  The blue post in the foreground on the left is balanced by the dark building on the right of the frame.

7157

With only 3 distinct objects in this photograph, (the three buildings) the balance was easier to identify than in the images with the tugs.  The two dark toned areas on the left and right of the frame help to balance the image.

What have I learned from this exercise ?

Balance does not have to be simply between two obvious, clearly-defined objects.  It can be between an object and a background, or between two different areas of tone, or colour.  In general the simpler the composition of a photograph, the more obvious the balance will be.