In professional photography, the interplay between your subject and the camera’s viewpoint and framing can distinctly segment the image into areas of varying tone, color, and detail. These divisions often reflect the shapes and proportions of the objects themselves, but can also result from the frame’s edges cropping elements, such as a building or person.
Consider these segments as zones or bands of tone, pattern, color, etc., which you can adjust in proportion, position, and scale through changes in viewpoint or angle. This adjustment can significantly impact the image’s meaning.
Key divisions in a scene might include the horizon line, a vertical foreground element like a wall or post, or the junction of wall and floor in an interior shot. For instance, tilting the camera in a landscape can shift the horizon, altering the composition from one-third sky and two-thirds land to the reverse. When the image is dominated by dark land details, it conveys an enclosed feeling and enhances the perception of depth through scale differences. Conversely, emphasizing the sky creates a more open and detached impression.
A central horizon splitting the image into two equal halves results in balanced areas with neither predominating. The effectiveness of this depends on the shapes, colors, and tones in each half. Complete symmetry is rare in analogue photography, and when used, it forms a strong overall pattern that often leads to a central subject. Digital manipulation allows photographers greater freedom to create repetitive patterns by duplicating symmetrical shapes.
Optimal division placement depends on the tonal weight, color strength, and detail pattern in different parts of the image. Achieving a balanced effect, where tonal weight allows the picture to pivot like a set of scales, avoids monotony and over-symmetry. Conversely, deliberately creating an imbalanced composition can add tension and make the image stand out. A slight change in camera angle can introduce a remarkable sense of chaos.
