On this really boring Saturday morning, I was fumbling about in random sites (trying to forget all the suya) with regards to composition. I like looking at photographs, Sometimes, it’s hard to make a good comment when you don’t really know the right terminology. Sometimes, Bai would go on and on terms and all I get is nosebleeds. :D
So, while he’s out shooting in Ormoc, and I am bored at home, I’m going over some bouts of Composition. Something that I should be studying about, this is the part where I would mostly fall asleep in class (let’s say, this was something about Calculus, the teacher discusses the derivatives, I get all bored but then I wake up as soon as I get to solve problems.)
Simplicity
Simplicity is Key, what you want to focus on counts, if you have a bazillion of noise that hurt the subject , then depth-of-field can help, but I might get that some entries later haha.
taken with the Canon IXY 60
You’d know the statue is what I’m aiming for. Nothing more.
The Golden Mean
an excerpt from here.
The Golden Mean, just like PI (3.14) is another of those strange numbers that we seldom question and very often take for granted. This number is represented by the Greek letter PHI, but dissimilar to PI, the golden mean goes very much unnoticed in our everyday life in such things as buildings, plants and even in living creatures – yet we find these things strangely pleasing on the eye. This is the magical number 1.618.
say what?
For the whole butt-scratching part to be over, I guess it basically means the rule of thirds. This is what you call the points that intersect on your photo on a 3×3 grid (maybe also the magical number 1.618 value? I won’t really know. lol). That’s where you can (most appealingly) place your subjects. Not really a rule, but mostly a composition guideline.
taken with the Canon IXY 910 IS
Anyone who had a grand time reading this can correct my pictures if I am wrong, after all, I am trying to learn here, I would say that can suffice the golden mean, focal point is at the boat, other one is the coffee, same golden mean, different points of location.
Lines
notes
here, this is one of the concepts that I have seldom used and if I did, I wouldn’t have an inkling until it bat me on the face. lol. here’s the except.
THE VERTICAL LINE
It denotes Dignity, Height, Strength, and Grandeur. We find vertical lines in trees, tall buildings, fences, people standing up, mountains, etc. A tall building shows height, strength, dignity and grandeur. Trees show height and strength.
THE HORIZONTAL LINE
Denotes Repose, Calm, Tranquillity and peacefulness, such as a person lying in the grass sleeping, flowers in a field, the flatness of a desert scene or lake. You can make your photograph illicit these feelings if you look for them in the picture area and use them in your photographs.
THE DIAGONAL LINE
This like gives the sensation of Force, Energy and Motion as seen in trees bent by the wind, a runner at the starting line or the slope of a mountain as it climbs into the sky. By knowing this you can create Force, Energy and Motion with your camera easily by tilting the camera to make objects appear to be in a diagonal line. A dignified church steeple when photographed at a slant will change to a forceful arrow pointing towards the sky and show motion.
THE CURVE
Here is a line of great beauty and charm and nothing gives a better example than a beautiful female form with all it�s lines and curves. Of course there are other examples: The curve in a river or a pathway through a flower garden.
THE “S” CURVE
This line goes further than just a plain �curved line. It is called the “Line Of Beauty”. It is Elastic, Variable and combines Charm and Strength. It has Perfect Grace and Perfect Balance. You have seen this �S� Curve hundreds of times in drawings and paintings and other works of art.
Examples: the double curve of a river makes an �S� curve. A path, row of trees or bushes that curve one way and then the other way create the “S” curve. Look for this type of design and use it in your photos to add interest and beauty.
THE LEADING LINE
The line that leads your eye in to the picture area easily like a road or fence, a shoreline or river, a row of trees or a pathway. A successful “Leading Line” will lead your eye in to the picture and take it right to the Main Subject or Center of Interest
An “UN-Successful “Leading Line” will take the eye in to the picture but will ZOOM the eye right OUT of the picture if there is no Stopper to hold the eye in the picture frame; such as a tree, house or other large object on the right hand side of the picture frame which will STOP the eye from going out of the picture. The Center of Interest or Main Subject will act as a Stopper and hold the eye in the picture frame.
The best Leading Lines will start at the Lower Left area of the picture frame but not in the exact corner. Again, the eye likes to enter a picture frame at this point and the Leading Line will help it get in to the picture easily and swiftly.
After reading the excerpt, I have no effin clue even what to place. Haha. I suck. Will try and know more of this later.
Meanwhile, less talk and more pictures shall we? :D
sidemirrorshooting 
c&c (comments and criticisms) sessions
The AWM was really one of the most unaccomplished practice shoots to date.
I was showing the other pictures that didn’t made the cut to my teacher. Whom I share photos to each night over at yahoo messenger and here are the our c&c session. (translation of some words are inside the parenthesis)
picture#1 : the mis-angled shadow
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Tagged american war memorial, angles, awm, bonifacio global city, comment, comments, composition, criticism, criticisms, elements, fort bonifacio, framing, leading lines, manila american cemetery, patterns, philippines, taguig, the fort