The brief for this exercise was to use lines in composition. The human eye tends to follow lines (real lines) and also tries to construct a line from appropriate suggestions (implied lines). The first part of this exercise was to review tree photographs from my collection and find the implied lines within the image. If one direction along a line was dominant to indicate it with an arrow.
Photograph 1:
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Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, f/5.0, 70.0mm, 1/640s, ISO100
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I shot this photograph of the Lotus F1 car at a high shutter speed and hence there is little or no movement in the image. However, the implied line is still toward the right corner of the frame. This demonstrates the extension of visible movement the eye moves ahead.
Photograph 2:
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| Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, f/22.0, 73.0mm, 1/80s, ISO125 |
This photograph of an aerial display team has implied lines from an extension of a line (the vapour trials) that points in a certain direction and also from the extension of visible movement (the direction the planes are flying).
Photograph 3:
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| Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, f/22.0, 80.0mm, 1/6s, ISO3200, +0.33 |
This image of my wife and daughter has implied lines created from the direction in which my daughter is looking (out of frame). However, this does create a little visual tension as we are unsure at what she is looking at. The image also has less obvious implied lines from my wife's eyes to the chick she is holding.
Implied lines are one example of how the brain and eye work to resolve incomplete things - closing gaps. We do not require many 'clues' within an image to imagine these lines.
Examples are:
- A row of points
- The extension of a line, or lines, that seem to point in a certain direction. (the vapour trials in photo 2)
- The extension of visible movement (the F1 car in photo 1 and the planes in photo 2)
- The direction in which someone in the picture is looking. The viewers eye tends to go to the same place (photo 3)
The second part of this exercise was to plan and take two photographs that use the following kind of implied lines to lead the eye:
Photograph 1: An eye-line
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| Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, f/4.5, 55.0mm, 1/640s, ISO100 |
Even though we can't see my fathers eyes and we are not able to see what they are both looking at, this image still shows an eye line.
Photograph 2: The extension of a line, or lines that point
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| Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, f/20.0, 55.0mm, 1/13s, ISO100 |
The steps leading up the slope and to the cottage are a line that points.
