Exercise: Implied Lines

The brief required me to:

1. look at the two photographs, the bullfighting scene and Threshing Corn in Sicily, and find the implied lines, sketching them for the purpose of the learning log;
2. perform the same analysis on three of my own photographs; and
3. take two photographs where the following kinds of implied line lead the eye:

• an eye-line; and
• the extension of line or lines to a point.

1.  Text photographs

Bullfight

In the Bullfight scene above the implied lines converge into the centre of the photograph.  There are two lines directly associated with the bull's movement, the eye-line of the matador and the lines constructed through the "sticks" supporting the red "flag".  I have also made use of the curved line traced in the sand to extend into the "stick" held in the matador's left hand.  This adds strongly into the dynamics of the photograph, bringing the focus into the centre.



Gottard Schuh, Threshing Corn in Sicily

The implied lines in Schuh's photograph are primarily eye-lines.  I have constructed these on the photograph above.  The most dynamic of these are the ones from the two horses, which, combined with the angle of their bodies provide a strong perception of their movement in a curve.  This is added to by the feeling that the farm-worker  is at the pivot of this curved movement and this is addressed through his eye-lines leading to the horses' hooves.

The main eye-lines of the lead horse and the farm-worker create a triangle adding a further design element to the photograph, bringing order and structure.

2.  Analysis of own photographs




Wood carver:  ISO 3200 70mm f16 1/30

This photograph of a wood carver in Thailand is a straightforward image.  The eye-line clearly takes us tothe point of what he is doing - carving intricate patterns and sculptures in a block of wood.  The lines of his hands and the motion of his hammer provide further accent as shown by the arrows.  There is also a triangular structure created with the lines of his arm, torso and eye-line.

I was shooting indoors, so had a high ISO setting, but here I also wanted to show some movement if possible, so I used a fairly slow shutter speed.  The downside of this is that the f-stop is higher than I would have wanted, bringing a distracting background more into focus.




Group photo:  ISO 200 300mm f6.3 1/1000

This photo is all about eye-lines.  The girl at the front of the row had taken a group photo from that position.  With the exception of the lady on the right, all the eyelines lead to the camera providing , as well a small inverted triangle of two ladies and the man in the group.  This ensures that the point of interest through these implied lines is the camera.  All of this is further accentuated by the close grouping and the way the hands, arms and shoulders create further lines in the same direction.

The photograph was a candid "street" photo, so I took advantage of the structure as it happened - The aperture was one stop in from fully open - this also ensured I did not suffer from camera shake at this point. 



Black and Orange:  ISO 500  28mm  f3.5  1/60

Another straightforward image.  The Buddha's eyes leading to the orange flowers.  I liked the monochrome look here and kept my aperture wide open as I wanted the accent on the flowers, throwing the Buddha slightly out of focus.  The closeness of the wide-angle lens at this point further brought the flowers to the fore and pushed the Buddha into the background.  The main connection being established through the eye-line.

3.  Newly taken Photographs

Battle:  ISO 200 400mm f5.6  1/1600

 The photograph of the two lady re-enactors at a medieval fair at Castle Hedingham has the eye-lines leading to a point out of frame. This is also supported by their stance.

I was using the lens at its widest aperture as I was keen to throw the distracting background out of focus and also provide a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and, in this case, I also wanted to have no camera shake.

Walled garden:  ISO 200 24mm  f16  1/30

Taken at Cressing Temple, the lines initially established by the bench and the brick flower border on the right are continued into the distance to the tree growing above the wall.

The implied lines are accentuated by using the wide angle lens and, as I wanted to ensure sharpness throughout, I used f16 as my aperture, knowing that this would give me a good DOF.


Project: Using Lines in Composition

Up to this point, we have been examining lines in their own right and how they add to composition.  So:

• Horizontal lines - these give breadth to a photograph and there is also implied strength and stability;
• Vertical lines - these naturally provide height, but there is also implicit strength and power;
• Diagonal lines - these provide strong dynamics and tension.  Through this tension there is drama;
• Curved lines - like diagonals, these provide movement, however instead of the direct movement associated with diagonals, these are more graceful and smooth and could suggest relaxation.

In the previous exercises, these have been generally complete, however lines can also be implicit.  In other words they may either be incomplete or they can be suggested through movement, direction in which a person, animal or any object which has sight associated with it, is looking. 

The purpose of all of these is to endeavour to convey a story to the viewer, by leading him, using these methods in the direction where you consider the focus of the photograph exists.  Of all of these implied lines, I consider those constructed as a result of where an individual is looking to be the most powerful.  This is so as we have a natural affinity to a person's eyes, or that person's line of sight.

Taking an example, using one of my favourite photographs by Robert Doisneau - Fox Terrier on the Pont des Arts.  This is a rather curious title as the dog, though in the photograph has really very little to do with the photograph.  There is a great number of questions about the artist, the nude he appears to be painting and the extension of the nude in the painting through to the foot which can be seen just past the artist's left knee.  All of this is very important to the construct, but for me, the highlight is the man with the dog and the lines down which he is looking.  We cannot see his eyes, but these lines, or his line of sight, are constructed by interpreting the angle of body and the position of his head.  The big question is, is he simply trying to see the painting on the easel, or is he trying to look around the easel at the nude woman (perhaps) on the bench.  A copy of this photograph can be seen here.

Exercise: Curves

The brief for this exercise is to take 4 photographs which use curves to emphasise movement and direction.  Curves are another form of line and these can take in circles.  Where circles are found, these are more used in the form of a cone where attention is drawn by using a conical perspective.  The photographs below illustrate curves used as a design element.


Benches:  ISO 400 32mm f10 1/80

The benches I found in Colchester town centre - a brilliant design feature by the town planners for a change!  I found that these were visually very powerful, the curve grabbing you and projecting you off the end!  I used a wider angle here to exaggerate the curve and the flow which was repeated by several such benches being lined up along the pavement. 


Castle Hedingham:  ISO 400 190mm f16 1/250

 Here, in a source of much inspiration for me, I found the grass in the moat area, following the line of the moat and directing the viewer to the bridge at the end.  I used a longer focal length to compress the scene sufficiently to give greater value to the bridge and in particular its arches, which themselves suggested circles, thereby giving greater depth into the photograph.



Mansion door:  ISO 200 300mm f8 1/320

In this shot I am experimenting with using a circle to draw the eye to the central object which is the door to the mansion in the grounds at Castle Hedingham.  I am using the trees and shrubs to form a circular window through which the door is being viewed.

Staircase:  ISO 800 16mm f3.2 1/30

Circular staircases are a natural curve which draws the viewer along and, as in this case, up the stairs.  I have, here exaggerated the curves by using the 16mm end of my wide angle lens.  There is strong movement and direction up the stairs taking the viewer to the top left.

Exercise: Diagonals

The brief required 4 photographs demonstrating diagonals in different situations. 

Most diagonals are formed as a consequence of camera angle and perspective.  In addition, I have found that the diagonals are exaggerated with the use of a wide angle lens.  I have seen these aggressive diagonals referred to as "one-point perspective".  One area where this is used today is in architectural drawings.

Researching this further, mostly through Wikipedia, I found that in 1021 a modern optical basis of perspective was given by an Iraqui mathematician named Alhazen.  He explained in his "Book of Optics" that light projects conically into the eye.

By the 14th Century, Rennaisance artists started making use of perspective as the book became available in Italy.  Perspective in art flourished in Italy, particularly in Florence.  At the same time, artists elsewhere were still struggling with the use of perspective in painting.  My examples below are all of one-point perspective.

Castle Hedingham:  ISO 100 24mm f11 1/100

Lake at Castle Hedingham:  ISO 200 28mm f14 1/60



Valdemossa ISO 1600 45mm f6.3 1/25




Colne Valley:  ISO 200 24mm f11 1/160



Exercise: Horizontal and Vertical Lines

The purpose of this exercise is to discover lines and how they appear to the eye and to the camera.  Some of the lines would be clear man-made objects, othere less so, being created by appearance alone.

Horizontal:

ISO 200 67mm f5 1/320

 The rivets on the exposed steam engine boiler created a lot of opportunity and thought.  Even though I deliberately shot this in a vertical format, I feel the pattern created by the rivets is in a horizontal plane.  I believe that this influenced by two things:
1.  the highlight in the upper third which runs horizontally; and
2.  the reinforcement plate which is at the base of photograph.

Of the two, the highlight, to me, has the stronger effect.


ISO 200 28mm f10 1/80

 A man-made landscape at Marks Hall shown above.  There is a walled garden and brickwork forming the bank of the lake.  To me this shouts horizontal lines and there are plenty - doubled in the reflection!


ISO 200 300mm f14 1/200

  Lines created through blocks of colour, though the mist has taken the vibrance away from the sky, however, there are clear lines formed at the division between the blocks of green and yellow.


ISO 200 67mm f8 1/160

 Again, though shot in a vertical format, I feel that here there are strong horizontals formed from the steps which then lead to the apparent platform and bannister railings.

Vertical:

ISO 1600 105mm f10 1/30

 The levers in the signal box provided an opportuntity to have a mass of individual objects lined up tightly with some tightened perspective.  This certainly provides strong verticals, but also diagonals leading into the shot.

ISO 100 105mm f9 1/10

 I was having a bit of fun with purpose.  there were lots of trees in the woodland in the grounds of Marks Hall, but I wanted to accentuate the vertical nature of these Douglas Firs by moving the camera vertically during exposure.  This ends up with a strong vertical feel.


ISO 400 100mm f11 1/250

 I used this photograph previously in the exercise where relationships between points were examined.  Here the lines created in the grass by the lawn-mowers and viewed from a height, provide the vertical lines.


ISO 200 300mm f16 1/125

 A mix of the man-made in the rill which had been constructed joining the ponds at two levels and the opportunistic shot of the youngsters themselves creating shapes and also adding to the vertical lines.  Using the long focal length of 300mm has flattened the perspective and changed the slopes into verticals.