I admit that I try not to over-analyze or think too much when in the field trying to come up with different compositions. Most of the time, I am playing around with what just looks and feels right to me. Sometimes this has to be very quick for a fleeting moment. But often I do wonder the why behind that perhaps instinctive or developed response. Do some photographers look for balance in their images subconsciously which contributes to that overall ‘feels right’ response? Or is it more of a systematic planning effort? I do believe that trying to understand the why leads to more consistency in what I am trying to achieve.
I think a lot of different things can affect balance of an image – the key elements being colors, graphical objects, sharpness and areas of contrast. After all, these are what tend to lead our eye around an image – that create that visual interest to explore it. Balancing these elements within the frame can lead to a more harmonious composition. An unbalanced image tends to lead to tension. Generally I try to judge balance of a composition by using a ‘teeter-totter’ test, or the more technical – fulcrum test.
So in my mind I try to picture the image physically balanced on a point at the bottom center. Do the elements of the image (color, contrast, sharpness, objects) tend to make it tip one way or the other? When I am in the field, are there changes in my camera position or aperture that can allow me to acheive some type of balance with my subject? Should I try to add or eliminate elements in the frame? I put a couple of examples in this post to illustrate what I am thinking here.
I was out photographing Eastern Meadowlarks yesterday (a beautiful bird by the way!) and was thinking about this concept of balance. For the first shot here, I tried to use the features of the evergreen to create balance with the position of the bird. In the second, I used camera position and selective focus to balance areas of sharpness. It is a common trap to fall into the ‘bird on a stick’ type of image. We can all fall into it with the excitement of just being close enough to photograph something. This type of image can be particularly off-balance by the ‘rule-driven’ desire to want the subject off center but not having much to counterweight it on the other side. Such situations might mandate how close you want to put the subject to the center of the frame. If there is nothing else around, then perhaps a dead center composition might just work.
I wish I could say I thought all of my own images were perfectly balanced. They are certainly not. It is something that I try to be increasingly conscious of these days, sometimes it may just happen naturally. Does a balanced image make a better image? For the most part, I think it just feels right.
Diane – thank you for the comments, I have plenty of those that you refer to!
Andreas – I may go back this weekend to try for some other birds, and a meadowlark or two if the situation fits certainly!
Paul – I hear what you are saying for sure. Perhaps part of my analytical side makes me question WHY it feels right. Particularly for a learning or teaching aspect on composition – it is very hard to communicate to someone why something works because it feels right. So I have thought in some aspects, it is the balance of an image that plays a key role in that ‘feel right’ part.
The ‘most/some/little’ mantra is interesting. I suppose it might depend on the situation. For these images I have here, mostly bird might throw off the balance I was trying to achieve between the bird and the environment.
Thanks for all the comments so far, I find this discussion terrific!!
Mark, I tend to go by feel. If it looks right through the lens, I’ll shoot, if not, I won’t. I’ll also try to move around my subject to get different compositions;
However, that said, I keep the mantra: ‘Most, some, a little.’ in my head. This is something that I picked up from the book “The simple secret to better painting” and it has to do with having no two intervals the same and including, for example: mostly bird, some grass, and a little rock. If you were to, or have read the book, it would make sense.
If I’m shooting wildlife, then perhaps all bets are off because animals can be quite skittish!
Glad to see you found the Meadowlarks.
Hopefully the weather will be nice the next coming days as I am planning on trying for them again.
/Andreas
As you know, Mark, I’m “playing” with a 100-400 lens this week and my normal conscious composition is replaced by my excitement of seeing everything up-close. I think I’ve already shot about 10 of those bird shots on a twig that don’t work : )
These two images that you took are WONDERFUL. I like the simplicity of them… there is a gracefulness to the branches in the first one that set off the bird and in the second, I love the softness and perspective. Whatever you were thinking on those two definitely worked.
Thanks Michael, Troy, and Cindy! I appreciate the comments and the feedback. It is helpful me to write about this stuff sometimes because I think it cements it in my brain more firmly. Quite often I get in the field and everything just goes to mush! 🙂
I tend to shoot spontaneously.. but I also try to keep habitat in my shots, which you’ve done exceedingly well here. (BTW, Eastern Meadowlarks are my nemesis bird when it comes to photography.. they’re skittish and I lack the focal length to get alot of detail.. one of my most favorite songsters).
An ‘unbalanced’ image to me is one that looks awkward.. like the photographer just took a snapshot, more like a documentary shot. Sometimes ‘birds on a stick’ shots look unbalanced to me because there is nothing there to compliment the bird. By including more of the plant, like you have here, you’ve added more interest IMO. I love both photos!
I probably need more coffee in order to put my thoughts into this in any kind of deep way! 🙂
When out in the field shooting, I guess that many of my images will come about in a natural way, without much thought other than what feels good to me.
Then sometimes I will put some thought into it and go after the funky, unbalanced images.
I don’t know now! You have me thinking to much this morning and I will have to come back to this one.
Good piece you have written here this morning Mark!
And those two images shown? Killer!!
I often think of this “visual balance” when photographing, particularly in macro work. It seems I have more time to pay attention to it in that type of work.
Beautiful images Mike.