Elements of design assignment 2: Implied triangles

Image 22: Tulips

Lens 18-70mm at 46mm: Iso 160 f 16 at 1/6oth

This is another of the photographs that I took of the bank of tulips at Castle Gardens (see also image 9).

The tulip at the top of the frame forms the apex of the triangle, and the two tulips in the centre and foreground make up a lop-sided triangle. The upturned bell shapes of the flowers fit together quite closely so that the larger bloom in the foreground seems to "frame" the two smaller sized flowers. I think that the composition works reasonably well as the simple triangular shape attracts the viewer's first glance. There is however some interesting detail to keep the viewers attention, in particular the shapes and shadows of the petals in the three flower heads. There is a relatively open space in the lower left of the frame. However, a more symmetrical triangle of flower heads with two flowers at the same level in the lower half of the frame would probably be more staid and lack vitality.

There were four blooms in the frame of the original picture but the fourth tulip at the back of the group was not sharp. I cropped the frame to place the fourth flower right in the corner of the frame and used vignette adjustment to darken the corners. The position and muted tone of this fourth flower significantly reduces its presence as a visual element.

Image 23: Azaleas

Lens 18-70mm at 70mm: Iso 640 f 8 at 1/125th

Battleston Hill at RHS Wisley Garden has a magnificent collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and other flowering shrubs many of which are in flower at the moment. This particular plant caught my attention as these flowers were quite low down so that the star shaped centre between the flower heads could be seen. In general, these bushes are covered in flowers closely packed together. I like the fact that the flower heads can be appreciated individually in this photograph.

In this photograph, the central flower is slightly lower making it the apex of a rather flat equilateral triangle with the other two flowers. I think that the symmetrical arrangement of the flowers is reasonably suitable in this case as the point of interest of the photograph is the symmetry off the flower heads. The downwards pointing apex of the triangle introduces a slight tension to the composition.

When I took the photograph, I had the two left hand flowers on the same level, with the right hand one higher up. This arrangement seemed relatively dull and lifeless. It was interesting that it made a significant difference when I rotated the original photograph clockwise by a few degrees to "balance" the triangle on its apex.

Image 24: Grasses at sunset

Lens 70-210mm at 70mm: Iso 250 f 18 at 1/60th

Thinking about portraying rhythm with a plant subject sent me back to review some photographs I took in 2008 on the South Downs of grasses silhouetted at sunset. In one of these I noticed that a group of grasses formed a triangular shape against the sky.

In this case, the triangular shape is formed by many more than three points, but I still feel the composition is essentially that of an implied triangle. The highest piece of grass forms the apex of the triangle and the adjoining grass heads slope down to either side. The sun appears near ground level at the base of the highest piece of grass. The regularity of the shape is relieved by a stray longer piece of grass on the right hand side. The grass seed heads across the frame provide visual details for the viewer to appreciate.

In the original of this photograph, the grass "skyline" in fact formed two triangles. I think that the general viewer would not notice this pattern, as I had never previously noticed this. I therefore cropped the photograph around the triangular shape behind which the sun was setting.