Assignment #7: Elements of Design

By now the students have learned all the technical tools and

it is time to work on some visual/creative tools to throw

in the mix so the students can feel more equipped to achieve

the imagery they are striving for. I introduced some elements

of design to look for in subject matter or to create through

camera angle and framing.

1-Rule of thirds- imagine the scene cut into 9 even sections

3 across and 3 down, placing your subject on any of the

third sections on the edges helps make the image more

dynamic. (We are all have built-in equilibriums/levels where

we square everything up, put the subject in the middle of our

field of vision, and stand back so we can see as much visiual

information as possible, like we do when we are engaging

someone in conversation.....but using the rule of 3rds and by

filling the frame more with the subject can force

the viewer to break out of the box and see the subject different

than they would have seen it with their own eyes)

2-Leading lines- this is either having a physical line move

through the image, or have a series of subjects that creates a

line when the eye as it goes from one subject to the next. This

element is used to create visual movement and to allow the

viewer to travel through the image to either be lead the most

important area of the photograph or to keep the viewer

exploring through your image to to keep their interest. Diagonal

lines are more dynamic, just make sure that none of them lead the

viewers eye right off the page never to come back.

3-Symmetrical balance- one of the harder ones to still make

unique, uniqueness of subject matter and of filling the frame is

key.

4-Asymmetrical balance- the distribution of tonal values, space,

and shape to create an overall balance of visual weight. Much

like the motivation behind Pete Mandarin's painting.

5-Rhythm- the repetition of shape to create a visual rhythm

as the viewers eye bounce from one to the next. The closer the

spacing of objects, the faster the beat. The further apart the

slower the beat. You can say something about a particular

subject depending on if you place them on the beat of the back-

ground or off of it.

6-Proportion- knowledge that things closer to the lens will be

bigger than things farther away from it. Often used in the

commercial world to make things that are big, small and

things that are small, big in order to sell.

7- Texture- with the right side lighting you can capture

the texture so that the viewer wants to reach in and touch

the subject.

8-Contrast-knowing that the viewers eye will always go

to the area of highest contrast (tonally) first, playing with

juxtaposition of contrasting textures as well.

I had the students pull the element they were going to

focus on out of a hat so they wouldn't just settle on what-

ever one they thought was easiest. That way they were

forced to start seeing elements of design which they would

have usually missed in the world around them.

I didn't do the best job at collecting work for this post, at

the time of this assignment I was starting to get really

swamped with all that I had going. But these are a few that

I did manage to record.

Celeste A. {symmetrical balance }

Todd S. {Symmetrical Balance }

Sergio O. {Line}

Destinee P. {Texture }

Will B. {Rhythm }