Composition - Frame and Arrangement

I understand that a lot of composition is common sense. You can tell whether an image appears balanced or not and whether it is easy on the eye, this should work for most standard compositions. However, when the composition needs to suggest a dominance of a particular aspect, arrangement and scale of components play a bigger part in the overall effect of the image. 

I found this text interesting to read as it raises a lot of issues to consider, some of which I was already aware of but others have been newly brought to my attention. For example, not splitting the picture in half hadn’t occurred to me as being something that would make an image awkward to look at. 

The point about not having all the components competing for attention will be useful to me as it will make me consider which objects need to be most dominant before arranging them within a frame. I think this will also force me to consider the overall message or meaning of my image more as this will need to be reflected in the composition. 

• We can place importance on certain things within the frame by thinking about their size and location. If it takes up more space on the page it will attract the most attention. 
• By overlapping objects, we are replicating how things work in everyday life. 
• You can make certain components more prominent by covering other objects with them.
• Overlapping is best achieved when some objects are overlapped and some are isolated.
• Overlapping can look bad if objects are only just touching or if everything is too uniformed and objects are lined up - commit to overlapping!
• You can crop an image using the frame. 
• The frame represents our view of the image, how closeup or far away we are viewing the scene from. 
• One criticism of the handout is the disapproval of top heavy and bottom heavy compositions because sometimes this may add to the concept behind an image.
• By optimising and reducing the size you can create drama within the image. 
• Subtle differences in size and use of space can make a big difference. 
• Overlapping allows you to organise information.

Analysing Images

Hokusai

• Scene has been cropped and the whole frame is filled with information.
• The people seem lost within the landscape as the surroundings dominate the image. 
• The top of the waterfall is not placed centrally and follows the rule of thirds.
• The edges of each of the cliffs curve over leading your eye downwards, following the direction of the waterfall. 
• Greenery overlaps the water and some of the cliffs which adds foreground detail. 

Brian Saunders

• Diagonal from top left to bottom right - line of sight follows the direction we read a page.
• Dramatic foreground which overlaps a lot of the background. 
• The frame crops out a lot of information of the piano in the foreground which makes it difficult to realise what it actually is at a first glance. 
• The piano is stripped of detail and colour which is odd as it is in the foreground and would usually be the thing we would see most clearly. 
• Piano and sheet music in foreground, books, desk lamp and figures in mid ground and the wall and view through the window in the background. 

Marc Aspinall

• The characters are dominated by the space making them appear vulnerable and in danger. 
• The angle at which they have been placed makes the image seem tense and puts the viewer on edge. 
• The angle at which the blue and white tape and the direction the man is looking in leads your eye towards the space in the bottom right of the image which gives you the idea that this is where these characters will end up. 
• The image has been split in half - I personally think this image has a successful, dramatic composition which contradicts what is said in the 'Points to Remember' section of this week's hand out where it says that you shouldn't place all your content towards one side of the frame.