Figure-Ground
I have been writing this blog since 2011 and have had a post come out every five days to six days from the start. For those new to my blog, I teach an online class with the BPSOP and I conduct my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops around our perfectly round planet…meant for those naysayers!!
My blogs come from all directions and sources, and ideas can at any moment…even when sleeping.
Big and Small
As I tell all my fellow photographers, to me, the most important part of photography is to keep the viewer an active participant in our imagery. I want the viewer to stick around as long as possible while enjoying what I’m offering up in my photos.
How we perceive and process visual input is a part of our everyday life, and as photographers, it’s our prime objective to present this visual information in a way that takes control of what the viewer sees when they look at our photography.
Diagonal Lines
In one of my online lessons, we work on ways to generate Visual Tension, one of the most important ways to keep the viewer around…and paying attention.
In my third class on the six concepts on the Psychology of Gestalt, one of the concepts we work on is the Figure-Ground relationship. The Figure is the subject, and the Ground is the background…see photo above. Besides the contrast, if the figure and the ground carry equal weight it can create tension; the silhouette against the truck.
Framing Within a Frame
Contrast is another way. Not the contrast in the above photo of the silhouetted man, but in light and dark and big and small for two examples.
Diagonal lines create more tension than vertical or horizontal lines. Why? Because it’s the feeling of the diagonal lines falling forward, and they are perceived as less secured.
The subject and it’s reflection
Showing the subject and its reflection, framing within a frame, are two more ways. Of course breaking all the STUPID rules, such as putting the subject close to the edge of the frame…instead of that creative killer known as “The rule of thirds”.
As you can see, there are many I’ve discussed and so many more. The bottom line is to use these methods to keep the viewer interested…especially for six seconds!!!
Come take my online classes and come shoot with me in one of the workshops I list at the top of my blog. We can talk about it some more.
Visit my website at www.joebarban.com.
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JoeB
