Themes for the HCPC Print Competitions for the 2015/16 Season
John S. Butterworth, Print Competition Chairman
The over-arching topic for the three print competition themes for the current season is the visual design of images. We are providing information about the themes early in the club year because we hope you will take this
information and treat it as an assignment to produce new images to address these themes.
The three themes are: Dominance, Balance and Repetition. The following information will describe what these
themes entail and will provide examples.
Dominance
When you first look at a new image, what first attracts your eye? Some images contain an element which
through various attributes, serves as
the focal point of the composition.
Dominance relies on contrast,
whether it is achieved through size,
colour or value differences. Contrast increases the Visual Weight of
the focal object.
An example of such an image is
shown on the right. This image was
not fortuitous, but was the result of
a deliberate design choice and required cooperation from the model.
Note how the lines of the rocky
ledge on the side of the mountain
guide the eye toward the human
figure which is the focal point. Also, the dark figure contrasts strongly with the lighter background formed by the sky. Despite the figure being a relatively small part of the image,
it has great visual weight. Below is a second example. Here, the model was asked to wear a red coat in order to
increase the model’s visual weight in the composition.
In summary, more visual weight results in more
dominance. The visual weight can be increased
through:
Size: larger elements usually carry more weight;
Colour: in general, red is the heaviest and yellow
the lightest;
Value: a darker object will have more weight than
a lighter one.
Balance
“Balance is the state of equalized tension”—Alex W. White, The Elements of Graphic Design
According to photographer Freeman Patterson, every object in an image can be said to have tension, which we
experience when viewing a composition. Our visual experience is dynamic, because the tension between the
various image elements keeps our eyes constantly moving. Photographers control tension by the way they balance objects in the picture space. Good balance prevents the pull of any one object getting out of control. The
concept of tension is explained further in the Appendix.
Formal and Informal Balance
Formal balance refers to images which
are bilaterally symmetrical, such as the
sea blush image shown here. Formal balance is analogous to a see-saw with equal
weights at equal distances from the pivot
point:
Formal balance is likely to be more static
and to evoke feelings of consistency, elegance and classicism.
The majority of our images however are likely to involve informal
balance (analogy at left) where there is an object of large visual
weight offset partially from the centre line of the image counterbalanced by an object of lesser visual weight further from the centre
line on the opposite side. Informal balance is more dynamic as
there is more variety in the visual
elements. It allows the photographer much more freedom of expression, but it is more difficult
to achieve.
As we saw before, the main factors which affect visual weight
are size, colour and value.
This second image shows a road
runner of high visual weight
counterbalanced by the much
larger and distinctive desert
plants extending to the right edge
of the image.
Repetition
Repetition is a basic concept in the world of art. When you
repeat a certain object in size, shape or colour, you add
strength to the overall image. If you repeat something once
or twice, it becomes more interesting. If you want to make
a statement, you repeat certain elements again and again.
Many natural subjects can include repeated elements, such
as the sedges in the image to the right.
Repetition can change an image which is purely documentary into something that is more appealing artistically. Multiple repetition without variation becomes pattern, which
can become boring. Our eyes tend to seek out variation.
Broken repetition might include adding a contrasting object (colour, size, value) or removing one of the repeating elements. The wall in the image below, covered in US one-dollar bills, becomes more interesting because of the variations—including a Canadian five-dollar bill!
Another aspect of repetition which is
frequently discussed is rhythm. This is
where elements are repeated regularly,
so that the image has direction and
flow. This is particularly effective if it
takes advantage of the natural tendency
of the eye to move from left to right.
Rhythm produces considerable strength
in an image, much as it does in music.
It has momentum and, because of this, a
sense of continuation. This final image
shows one interpretation of rhythm.
Conclusion
As photographers, if we learn the principles of
visual design we are much more likely to achieve
clear and effective expression.
By taking on these three themes as assignments,
we will gain practice in an important aspect of
photography and achieve satisfaction from the
experience of putting some of these principles
into practice.
(Appendix overleaf)
All images © 2015 John S. Butterworth
Appendix—The Concept of Visual Tension
In general, images that contain only vertical
and horizontal lines do not contain any visual
tension, but instead convey a feeling of solidity and stability. This is exemplified by images
of buildings or other rectangular structures.
On the other hand, images that include sloping or diagonal lines often convey instability,
as though the force of gravity could cause a
collapse. Including such lines causes visual
tension, which is a way of making the image
more dynamic and interesting.
Pete Turner’s classic image Rolling Ball was
taken just as the sun touched the slope of the
foreground structure. This image has been
reproduced countless times since it was taken in 1960. It derives its continuing interest because of the visual
tension it contains. We expect gravity to exert its influence at any moment and that the “ball” will roll down
the slope, as the title implies.
At left below is another image featuring sloping lines, where visual forces seem to be pressing the apexes of
the two parts of the sculpture together, causing tension. Two more examples are shown to the right.