Principles of Design Balance Emphasis Rhythm Proportion Unity/Harmony

Balance Balance: the visual weight of an artwork…think about your positive and negative space and where the areas affect composition 3 types of Balance: Symmetrical, Asymmetrical and Radial There are many other factors to consider in order to make pictures appear balanced. Some of these are as follows: An object far from the center of the picture seems to have more weight than one near the center. Objects in the upperpart of a picture seem heavier than objects of the same size in the lower part of a picture. Isolation seems to increase the weight of an object. Intensely interesting objects seem to have more compositional weight. Regular shapes seem to have more weight than irregular shapes. Elements on the right side of an asymmetrical picture appear to have more weight than elements of the same size on the left side of the picture. The directions in which figures, lines, and shapes appear to be moving within the picture area are important to balance; for example, a person may be walking in a direction, or his eyes may be looking in a direction, or the shape of some element creates a feeling of movement. When the feeling of direction is present within a scene, it tends to upset the balance if judged on the size of the subject alone.

Symmetrical The visual weight is the same on both sides of the composition….does not mean it has to be the same subject on both sides!

Asymmetrical The visual weight of both sides of the composition is uneven.

radial The visual elements radiate from a central point, much like a bicycle or flower

Are you balanced? Important balancing techniques in photography Light against dark. Black against white has a much stronger contrast than gray against white. To balance gray against white you need a larger gray area to compensate compared to if you used black. Colors Small areas of vibrant color can be balanced to larger areas of more neutral colors Space Open space can be balanced on one side with the primary subject on the other side of the image Large against small Sometimes larger elements on one side of the image can be balanced by a smaller element that is positioned by itself at the far end of the other side of the image. Shape Large flat areas without much detail can be balanced by smaller irregularly shaped objects since the eye is led towards the more intricate shape. This is a very tricky type of asymmetrical balance that often ends up looking out of balance. Texture Smaller areas with interesting textures (variegated light and dark, or random fluctuations) can balance larger areas with smoother, untextured looks Eye direction Your eye can be led to a certain point in a picture by using elements like triangles or arrows or as simple as the eye is led in the direction the people in a picture is looking.

Emphasis/Focal Point The dominant area of the photograph. It is where your eye goes to first or where it dwells longest.

Ways to create Placement: near or around center Size: either smaller or larger than other elements Detail: more or less detail than other elements Color: contrast in temp or use complementary colors Converging lines: diagonal directional lines lead Contrast: any contrasting element The unusual: anything out of the ordinary

Unity/Harmony Use of similar elements throughout the image to create an overall sense of all areas relating Color Texture Value Shapes subjects

Proportion proportion refers to the comparative, proper, or harmonious relationship of one part to another or to the whole with respect to size, quantity, or degree; a ratio Regular: the usual or normal relationship Distorted: some or all parts are bent at an unusual angle\ Exaggerated: at least one part is either smaller or larger than normal

Rhythm Visual movement created by repetition of a motif or module. Motif: 2-D elemental unit Module: 3-D elemental unit Used to manipulate where the viewer looks in the image 5 types of rhythm: Regular, Random, Alternating, Flowing and Progressive

Regular Rhythm: even repetition of motif

Random: irregular repetition of motif

Alternating: repetition of 2 or more motifs OR altering the repetition pattern of one motif

Flowing: I think you get this one…

Progressive: Each time the motif is repeated, it changes

Compositional do’s and don’ts Do not bookend Do not center focal point Do not “Corner” Do not put even subjects with even negative space Frame within a frame Do isolate and concentrate Do let subjects go off page Do frame within a frame Do Use Rule of Thirds