Elements of Design and Principles of Design for Photography
Today: Visual Elements If we want to be good photographers, we must train ourselves to see the parts of a photo, not just the sum. If we’re going to build pictures, we must learn to recognize the parts and learn to assemble them into a whole, or coherent pattern.
Today: Visual Elements What are the parts?
Today: Visual Elements Visual elements are the vocabulary They are the construction materials
Today: Visual Elements Dot Line Shape Form Texture Tonality Directional forces Color
Visual Elements Dot: A single point
Line: An unconnected stroke of pen or pencil Visual Elements Line: An unconnected stroke of pen or pencil
Shape: When connected, lines make two dimensional shapes Visual Elements Shape: When connected, lines make two dimensional shapes
Form: When extended in space, shapes have three dimensional form Visual Elements Form: When extended in space, shapes have three dimensional form
Visual Elements Form:
Visual Elements Form:
Visual Elements Texture: Simulation of tactile stimuli. Texture bridges the gap between senses of sight and touch, between eye and finger
Visual Elements Texture:
Visual Elements Texture:
Visual Elements Texture:
Visual Elements Texture:
Visual Elements Tonality: Continuum of light to gray to dark An expression of contrast Long range – high contrast Medium range – moderate contrast Short range - flatness
Visual Elements Tonality:
Visual Elements Tonality: Helps create atmosphere Dark tones: mystery, intrigue, sadness or drama Light tones: light/airy, brightness, joy, thoughtlessness,
Visual Elements Tonality:
Visual Elements Tonality:
Visual Elements Directional forces: Pointers within a picture that direct eye movement Leading lines
Visual Elements Directional forces:
Visual Elements Directional forces:
Visual Elements Directional forces:
Visual Elements Color: A major visual element which we will treat separately later in the semester
Visual Elements Color:
Dot Line Shape Form Texture Tonality Directional forces Color Visual Elements Dot Line Shape Form Texture Tonality Directional forces Color
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) But we also need the syntax, the blueprints How do we organize the visual elements so they cohere? How do we create the feeling of unity within a picture?
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) POD for photography are the syntax They are the blueprints
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Balance Emphasis Economy Repetition Proportion Unity Variety
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Balance Distributing the apparent weight of the visual elements prevents the work from appearing lopsided or top heavy
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Balance Can be symmetrical - elements exactly the same on either side of a center line or point Mirror image/centered
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Balance Can be asymmetrical - elements of different visual weights arranged to create the feel of balance using size, position, color, etc.
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Balance
Balance:
Balance:
Balance:
Balance:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Emphasis Focusing on a single strong visual element, unifies a picture Also called focal point/CVI
Emphasis:
Emphasis: Emphasis using DOF Emphasis using color
Emphasis:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Emphasis Emphasis is often achieved through Placement in the frame Contrast of shape Contrast of value (color, tone) Scale (relationship b/w size of an image and of its surrounds) Light Angle
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Economy Eliminating everything not necessary to communicate the information and create the effect. This clarifies and strengthens the message.
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Economy Economy involves the viewer in the creative experience. The less an artist shows us, the more of ourselves we have to bring to a design to give it meaning
Economy:
Economy:
Economy:
Economy:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Repetition Repeating visual elements: lines, forms, textures, etc., creates a powerful attraction Pattern
Repetition:
Repetition:
Repetition:
Repetition:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Proportion Arranging the size relationships of visual elements to each other and the to the whole picture so that they are pleasing. This is often an emotional response.
Proportion: One proportion often cited is the “golden rectangle” Photographers often translate this as the “rule of thirds”
Proportion: Golden Rectangle An image ratio (width vs.. the height) that makes the most pleasing, balanced impression on the viewer. Panoramas are long and skinny; square negatives often make it hard for the viewer to recognize the central focus of a composition. A 35mm format is pretty close to a golden rectangle.
Proportion: Rule of thirds:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Unity Arranging the elements and using the other principles of design so the picture coheres - feels like it all belongs together. It becomes a balanced, harmonious, complete whole. Elements have a clear visual relationship to other elements. Not cluttered or confusing. Elements aren’t competing with each other.
Unity:
Unity:
Unity:
Today: Principles of Design for Photography (BEER-PUV) Variety Changing visual elements adds interest Precise repetition runs the risk of boring the viewer. Slight variations on a central theme, or strong contrasts to that theme, are effective
Variety:
Variety:
Major ideas today: The visual elements and POD are not merely descriptive They do carry content But they also are expressive, convey emotion
Major ideas today: 4. Often this emotion is registered on a subliminal level, not a conscious level. 5. But it is still a part of our reaction to any image.
Major ideas today: 6. But the same content can be expressed with altered visual elements to create an entirely different emotional response and, consequently, a different meaning.