Horizons and Composition Lines





         Horizons are something we all deal with in photography. Get it right and the picture composition works, get it wrong and it often looks a mess. Where you put the horizon line in the frame is crucial, especially for a landscape
 
picture. For a travel photographer the horizon comes into play quite a lot.

         There are basically three dominant lines of force within a given composition frame which imply specific subconscious thoughts:

         1 Horizontal - calm and relaxation
         2 Vertical - authority and respect
         3 Diagonal - movement and variation.

         Inevitably these descriptions are bare outlines, but play around with a chosen subject and shoot just three frames using the different lines, you will quickly see what I mean. These 'rules' have stood the test of time. Look at reproductions of great old master artists over the centuries and all will become clear.

         For a horizon, put it low and it will emphasize the sky, giving a feeling of space and lightness, dependent on if there are clouds, of course, which could also make it dramatic. If there is a blue sky, try a Polariser filter; that will make it more dramatic still, as well as saturating the colours.

         Putting the horizon high can be good, if the foreground subject matter warrants it, but the subject has to be bold enough to be framed this way. When it does work well, this can make a very powerful image.

         A horizon placed in the middle of your compostion generally is boring, but now and then it can work. Generally, though, I try to avoid this. Some subjects do need it, though, so never get hung         -up on 'rules.' Follow your gut feeling.

One thing you must always do with an horizon, no matter where you put it in your frame, if the subject demands that it
be level, then ensure that it is. A sunset over an ocean would be typical of the kind of picture where I would make sure the horizon is level, otherwise it will always detract from the effect of your image. I try all the time to get the horizon straight, but know well that in the heat of the moment sometimes I fall short.

         I detest my slightly lopsided pictures, but thankfully with the increasing use of film scanners it is possible to rescue such mistakes by zooming into the frame slightly then cropping, to remove the then-lopsided edges, and saving a new image as another file. If you are submitting pictures to a stock library, check first that they can accept digital files, and if they don't, put those images aside until they do or until you start your own online library. Don't trash those trannies which are slightly lopsided, as in the future you might make a saleable picture from them. I'm sure hanging on to all of mine!

Jeremy Hoare is a freelance travel photographer residing in London, England. Phone/Fax: +44 20 7722 2065. E-mail: jeremyhoare@hotmail.com. Web: www.travelwriters.com/jeremyhoare.

Travel photographers will find profitable information in the newsletter, TravelWriter Marketletter, produced by Robert Scott Milne. For info: reiko@travel/writerml.com . Ask for a sample to be sent to you.


           


           

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