There are very few compositional conventions I pay attention to on a regular basis. I try not to cut people's heads off at the top of the frame. When I think about it I try not to crop people at the elbows. I try not to leave big areas of dead space that make a frame look dorky instead of interestingly artful. And I try not to overlay the "golden rule" or the "rule of thirds" on my images intentionally. But one thing that I'm a suck for is diagonals. When I see em in the frame it makes me mash down on the shutter button in an almost Pavlovian way. See diagonal, drool, and then punch shutter.
I like odd compositions but only if they feel right. Diagonals always seem to feel just right.
"If they give you ruled paper turn it sideways." Cervantes.
2 comments:
I really like the first two images with their two dimensional graphic look, especially the second one which would be expected to show depth (with the aid of the contrasting colours) but instead appears (on my screen) almost completely flat. Fools the brain in an interesting way. cheers/Mattias
pavlovian is correct. We are wired to respond to line this way because humans lie down when they rest, thus horizontals are many times perceived as relaxing, peaceful, repose. We are upright when awake and doing things,engaging our world. There is some implied action in the vertical but there is also a stability in the vertical. Columns hold up buildings, trees hold up leaves. the diagonal on the other hand implies action, movement, dynamism, energy.
Try this. While standing, begin to lean your body forward at the ankles, sort of like this /
At some point you will fall over (forward) unless you step forward. That is the energy of the diagonal. That implication of motion and energy.
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