Every photographer is different in the way they see and capture the world around them. We all have our likes and dislikes and we all possess varying degrees of insight along with the ability to visually compose the images we capture. Sometimes I will instinctively take a photo and not until later when I begin to look at the image do I see the reasons why it was composed the way it was.
When I first took a closer look at this particular image it looked rather ordinary and not at all like what my minds eye would normally reflect. It is an image taken on the Tallgrass Prairie some years ago and the more I studied the image the more I began to understand the justifications of its composition. What I saw was how instinctively the concept of Convergences was applied to the theme of the image.
Convergence when applied to a photograph means the separations of key elements and how they influence the overall strength of the image. What stands out in this photograph are four elements.
The first element is the sky. The upper left appears dark and foreboding while the lower right appears lighter and more delicate. The two sections are separated by the wispy layer of clouds that angle across the center section with dark elements on the upper left and lighter reflections on the lower right. It represents a good separation of the bold from the more delicate portion of the sky. Without the clouds, the sky would be ordinary and have less influence on the outcome of the image.
The second element is very subtle and almost a non-element yet it defines a key component, the distant horizon. I'm talking about that sliver of straight line in the lower right that defines the separation from the sky and the prairie horizon. It's very small, yet definitely there and serves an important purpose to identify this location as part of larger expanse of landscape.
The third element is the arch of the landscape across the bottom third of the image. Along its top edge you can see random selections of grass extending above the ground to touch the sky above. Without these grass clumps rising above the horizontal arch line, the composition would lose depth and look rather flat. The grass extending into the sky gives the image a sense of place, a feeling of standing in a big open expanse. The large rock near the center is the eye catcher element and it too extends above the arch horizon as well thus adding even more depth and a solid foundation to the composition by becoming the fulcrum high point of the arch. With it being slightly offset, it serves to balance the image against the other elements. The low angle of the morning light also creates dramatic shadowing and highlights on the grassy elements adding more depth.
The fourth and final element includes that single stalk of a white plant on the left...probably an evasive Queen-Annes Lace plant...that stands out against the darker gray background. It is part of the larger expanse of grasses themselves who have elements of lighter and darker textures. That one element helps to bring the image forward toward the viewers eye and adds a 3-dimensional element to the composition.
Three layers can be observed across this arch; the distant horizon on the right, the arch against the sky, and the forward frontal element of the white flower. Everything fits in place...there are no convergences that interfere with each other. Oddly enough, at the time the photo was taken, I probably wasn't even thinking in that context. Somehow, instinctively, it all lined up the way it should have. The fact that it was converted to Black and White with a subtle Sepia tone reduced the visual impact of the image to a more graphic look making the structural elements of the image more prominent.
Convergences can make or break a photograph. When they are properly placed, the image takes on a natural appeal. Seeing them while in the field takes practice and sometimes simple luck. Using and understanding them moves a photograph forward and creates a visual dialog that speaks to the viewer.
No comments:
Post a Comment