Thursday, October 4, 2007

Photography Guidelines Part 2

Yesterday you learned about the rule of thirds and the diagonal rule. Today’s post will focus on another important aspect of photography.

When you look at your subject through your camera, think about the way the viewer’s eye would travel across the image. The best subject to photograph when you first start thinking about this idea is a road or trail or river: something that will run through the length of your photo but won’t move while you’re trying to create the perfect picture.
Look at the photo above, again taken in the Swiss Alps. The dirt path draws the viewer’s eye across and up the picture to the little barn. Then the viewer notices the trees and then the mountain. Is that the way you looked at this photo?

The photograph below was taken in Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France. How does the road draw your attention through the photo?
Look at the final example below. The staircase leads the eye around the circular building and upward until it reaches the ceiling. The lines on the glass roof add an interesting detail to the photograph. When you take your own photos, look for things like lines or natural patterns. This photo was taken in the British Museum in London, England. The circular room on the right is the reading room where people can do research.

Return to main page.

No comments: