RHYTHM OR PATTERN

One word often heard in connection with photographs is rhythm. It simply means a repetition of some kind and maybe a shape or a line (fig. 12-17). An illustration in nature is that of a field of wheat, blown by the wind, with each shaft of grain being uniformly bent in the breeze, producing rhythm with changing patterns.

TONE

Tone refers to the color of each object in a photograph. In black-and-white photography, the gray would run from white through all shades of gray to black One of the most effective ways of giving impact to the point of interest is to contrast it sharply by color with the other objects in the photograph.

Variations in tones or contrast are important elements in the distribution of weight in a composition. Darker tones create the impression of greater weight. Thus a large light-toned object can be counterbalanced by a smaller dark-toned object. The contrasting tones may be nothing more than shadows or cloud formations. The balancing of equal or unequal tonal areas can be simplified by dividing the photograph space and arranging the objects in opposite thirds of the photograph or at the intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines.

DEPTH PERCEPTION

As far as the physical characteristics of a photograph are concerned, it has only two dimensions - length and width. Nevertheless, since we are

Figure 12-17. - Rhythm composition.

accustomed to viewing nature in three dimensions, it is important that photographs also give the illusion of depth to make them appear more realistic.

The impressions of depth and distance are normally obtained when you mentally compare the relative size of various objects - near objects appearing large and the more distant objects much smaller, even though they are the same physical dimensions. You can easily create the illusion of depth in a photograph by placing common objects in the foreground or background, so the relative sizes of all objects can be determined.

You can also create depth by selecting a camera viewpoint that gives the impression of distance by perspective. This illusion of distance is sometimes enhanced when you exaggerate the perspective by changing the camera position, by using a wide angle lens or by emphasizing texture and modeling through the use of strong sidelighting. Focusing the principal object critically sharp and leaving the background somewhat out of focus usually directs more attention to the subject and tends to increase the feeling of depth. Backlighting the subject gives better separation and makes it appear to stand out more prominently from the background, accentuating the subject and increasing the feeling of depth.

The feeling of depth also can be increased by making the foreground darker in tone than the main point of interest or the background. In some cases, this is done during printing by simply burning in the foreground.

Figure 12-18. - Good action shot at its peak.

ACTION

Action in a photographic composition can be either physical or implied.

In physical action, such as a fleet runner, the motion or position of the runner cannot be held. It changes after the split second in which the photograph is taken.

Action can be implied by a position that suggests a physical action will take place, or it can be facial in which the subject's face suggests or expresses action or a definite emotion.

Good action is shot at its peak as shown in figure 12-18. Where the action is fast-moving, as it is in a sporting event, the peak of action is short and sometimes difficult to determine. To capture this action requires precise timing and know-how. However, in feature development you have the advantage of being able to plan the action logically after studying the job.