The rule of thirds refers to dividing a subject into nine sections as shown on the right, and the points in which the crossing lines become perpendicular to each other or just the red dots on the photo are where the main points of focus transform. The percentages you can see on the right are dependable as i will explain. depending on the picture you take, you can shift the focus on any of the different points so that the subject can look there first and longest. of course this is just a personal theory of mine.
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When taking a photo, looking out for leading lines will do you some good in taking some photos. As you can see from the picture on the right, leading lines tends to refer to imaginary lines being created by subjects in a photo such as the pipe here which is creating a line with its edges straight up bringing our attention to the roof above. the lines create sort of merge together to create a point above like a triangle which is in fact one of the most renowned and annoying shapes in math because of aspects such as trigonometry and Pythagoras theorem but we cannot deny how useful this shape is which not only is useful in our math lessons but in everyday life as well.
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Symmetry, again this word should also ring some bells in our brains, something mathematical perhaps but yet again i say this that it is used in photography. Photography also involves math and science. OK now symmetry is when you take a photo and both elements in your photo are similar. In the photo on the right, the shadow of the legs are symmetrical. In my opinion, symmetry is not as interesting as other aspects of photography as it doesn't keep the eye busy enough however some people may disagree as they believe it is interesting and surreal in a sense.
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Framing is using objects around the subject your are taking a photo of and sort of encapsulating them in order to make a line of focus on one subject. By surrounding them and directing attention towards them, they will be the center of attention. This can be easily done by shooting through a window, a door frame or even a fence like I've done.
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Pattern in an image can be really powerful as it is a repeating theme occurring in an image just like a story. Yes yes the first thing that comes into your mind is the quote "A picture can tell a thousand words" well in this case the picture is forcing one thing down your throat and that is the thing that its repeating. With repeating themes you can maximise your space a little and can also bring intent focus on one particular subject. This can be done by repeating shapes, colours or subjects if you prefer such as humans or ducks. a picture full of ducks is repeating ducks for example so the picture might be conveying something on the matter of ducks. On the right the pattern as you can see is the shapes on the bike tyres and the shapes on the manhole cover.
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Angles and perspective refers to taking a picture to a different view to what we are used to hence making the picture look more interesting as by taking photos from different views you can either increase its size and make the subject look menacing or decrease the size by taking the picture from a higher perspective and decrease its size. This can affect how your image is perceived from the viewer, make it have a negative or positive atmosphere its all up to you.
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Minimalist refers to only keeping a few objects in a frame hence decreasing the job of the eye and making the photo less busy. By doing this you can create a negative mood such as isolation or depression or a positive mood such as achievement only accomplished by the character or something else . This is as the character in your frame is fully focused on so deciphering the meaning of the image is all up to the views discretion. So by minimising a photos contents, your only keeping focus on up to three things in a photo and keeping the photo less busy. In my photo as you can see the focus is on the leaves to convey the season of Autumn.
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Maximalist is the contrary to a minimalist photo. A maximalist photo is crammed with a lot of objects so that now your eye has a lot of looking to do and your brain has more thinking to do. Now this image provides you with a lot more clues as to what your photo is symbolising so that you can get more of a general idea of the photo and its theme. The photo on the right is a maximalist photo as it is cluttered with a lot of things to focus on such as the people, the rides, the lights, the ground e.c.t
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A colourful photo is a photo that well, has a lot of colour in it. By using colour in a photo, a more vibrant colour (like neon) will catch the eye more that a dull colour. You can emphasise objects more by using colour by using contradictory colours on the colour wheel such as red and green or blue and orange. As you can see the neon green and the very bright blue does a great job to drag your attention to that point first and then slowly make your eye wonder around and follow the curvy lines the bright blue light creates.
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Figure in ground is creating a sense of differentiation by using the subject and its background. This creates the effect of isolation towards the figure and the ground in a way. You can create an especially powerful image by using a light figure against a dark background or a dark figure against a light background as this will make the figure stand out more due to the use of contradictory colours.
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Triangles in a photo is a photos way to reassure us that we are doing the right thing. What i mean by this is that if we have a triangle in a photo we are using a lot of photographic techniques and so the photo is stable. We humans have a fascination with odd numbers such as three so in a peculiar fashion, photos with triangles are quite interesting and so when we see a photo with a triangle it peaks our interest and we decide that the photo requires some time of observation. So a photo which has a triangle in it is very effective and eye catching.
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Diagonals in a photo are generally straight lines that can intersect at a point or lead our eye to a wanted point. They are created by objects around them and photographers use this to make our eye travel to a point that they want it to travel at. In the photo to the left the diagonal lines are created by the concrete lines, the tree's, the benches, the post, the building e.c.t
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The golden ratio is related to the Fibonacci sequence hence why it is also known a the Fibonacci spiral. It is used to make photos look naturally appeasing as golden ratio is found everywhere in nature. It is related to math. It is similar to the rule of thirds but this is said to be more precise and more proper.
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