I want to share a page I found that was a really great, simple but detailed piece of information on composition.
One thing they talked about was viewpoint, and this is what was said about high viewpoint:
High Viewpoint and High Camera Angle
High viewpoints and high camera angles help orient the viewer, because they show relationships among all elements within the picture area and produce a psychological effect by minimizing the apparent strength or size of the subject.
This was interesting to me (as a psych student) because the current trend for MySpace and Facebook and other such sites is people to take high viewpoint pictures of themselves. From a photography student perspective, this seems like a good warning that shots from above can make the subject blend into its surroundings, and to avoid these shots if this isnt my desired effect; and to intentionally use the viewpoint if its important to make it easier for the audience to orient themselves.
Sam,
ReplyDeleteThe research article about composition is
a good source of information and ideas for
a photographer that is truly interested
in photograhy.
Angela
Hmmmm, I thought I had left a comment here already....?
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the link you posted. As for the comment on face book photos, I love to see what everyone is doing out there with their own photos. One thing I wish I would never see again is a pic of some young hottie making a duck face! Ugh.
There are "antiduckface" facebook groups :D
ReplyDeleteHay Sam, thanks for sharing this article, I found it very helpful. I also like their definition for photographic composition.
ReplyDelete~Ekta
This is some great research that you have found, and it seems like you have a good sense for what is a good composition and what isn't!
ReplyDeleteI have a Psych degree myself, and I've thought the same thing about Myspace photos! I think where it originates from is that the subjects in the photos are 1) normally taking pictures of themselves, so their angle options are limited. 2) there is also a trend for emo, goth, and punk style, of which the minimizing of the subject actually plays into the personality half of the trend much more than a portrait-type shot would. 3) a downward angle is much more attractive than an upward one for 90% of humans!
ReplyDelete