balance

This image is unbalanced because the subject of interest is placed in one of the corner on an empty background.

This image is balanced because the subjects of interest (the three kids on the left) is balanced by a smaller subject (the walking kid on the right).

This is an balanced image because the image is divided in two by a focused part and an unfocused part, which balanced out the image. There is also a small ball in the right side, which balanced out the fire alarm, the subject of interest.

This is an unbalanced image because all the subjects are placed in the right middle part of the image.

balanced image

This image gives out a sense of imbalance because the main subject (the wolf) is off center. But this image still works because the sense of imbalance adds to the dark feel (the dead woods & b/w) of the image.


Even though the main subject (large shuttle scrap) is off center, it is balanced out by a smaller subject that is also off center, and because of the differences in their sizes and placement, it is overall a balanced image.

non rule of thirds photos

Even though this image does not follow the rule of thirds it qualifies as an interesting image. The frame dissected the image well and created interesting shapes. Also, there is contrast between the two shapes, one showing details of the earth and its rigged surface, while the other shape shows water and its smooth, tranquil surface.
For the original image, click here


This image does not follow the rule of thirds but it is an interesting composition because there is contrast between the object of attention (the dog) and the background. The dog is placed in the middle and the background feels like an empty space, so the dog becomes an interesting focus of the image. The background, the sky, the city and the ledge, blends well as the empty space and makes the image's focus to the dog.
For the original image, click here

Rule of Thirds photos

For the original image, click here
for the original image, click here

Quoting out of context

Q. What does John Szarkowski mean when he says that photographers are quoting ‘out of
context’ when they make photographic pictures?

Photographs are images that convey a certain meaning by just the objects in the image, everything else that is not included in the image has no impact. Since the frame cuts all other objects out and there are only certain objects, viewers do not have a full real understanding of the scene but an interpretation by their minds of the scene through the objects and details that are captured in the image. So ultimately, photographers are just quoting out of context when they are taking pictures.

Q. The frame often ‘dissects familiar forms’. At the end of the last century photography was
having a major impact on Art. Impressionist artists such as Degas were influenced by what
they saw.
Find an example of his work which clearly shows this influence and explain why the public
might have been shocked to see such paintings.

The image above has empty spaces such as the one in the right, and this empty space was unconventional at the time of Degas, the primary figures are all concentrated to the middle left and empty space and dissected shapes are shown on the right. He also painted only a portion of the man, not drawing a full image of him, which shows his framing use.

filling the frame

for the original image, click HERE

filling the frame

for the original image click here