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On COMPOSITION and the so-called "Rule of Thirds."

[a response for the Rochester Meet-UP Group "Photo-Editors, posted Dec. 13, 2012]

Black Creek Park, Rochester NY, 2012

There are other histories / stories to the Golden Mean / Golden Ratio / the Divine Proportion. See, for instance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

Now we are given a frame by our camera, a viewfinder or back-screen that reflects the size and proportions of our film / sensor / light-sensitive recording device. These frames in turn have been defined by probably three millennia of decorative or artistic representation that had to match the walls (yes, before the couch, one had to match the walls). The people of Lascaux did not use frames, they just had caves where ceilings met walls in one unique surface–no need for frames then!

Thence probably too the need for geometry derived from architecture. Who says walls, says architecture, says geometry applied to representation (to match the size and proportion of the walls, people once they had to move from house to house (Julius Caesar's generals for instance) had to carry their artwork with them, thence what was mural work became transportable framed work!

As a result the proportions used in architecture (Greek, Roman...) mostly derived from human size and proportions and from the observation of nature other than human nature began to be used in the visual arts (painting, sculpture...). The XIXth century came and with it photography that applied all that had been learnt and applied to painting and drawing in terms of choice of the frame and choice of the organization of information within that frame.

Carl Chiarenza, SUNY Buffalo 2012

To summarize: as we grow as image-makers we tend to learn, and grow more sophisticated and exacting with ourselves and others. Our expectations should grow if we want to grow with them. From a single subject in the center of the frame standing against an uncontrolled background, we grow to understand that the relationship between background and foreground is important to generate more meaningful information, use the frame, that piece of information we extract from the world, fully. Then we divide the frame in two halves, either vertical or horizontal, to generate a dialogue between 2 elements (sky/ground, speaker one / speaker two), then we combine both and generate 4 quarters, diagonal lines become obvious. The next step is to divide the frame in thirds... and here we go.

We can also subdivide each ninth of the frame (2 equidistant vertical lines define 3 equal vertical thirds, 2 equidistant horizontal lines define 3 equal horizontal thirds. Combine the 4 lines and you define 9 equal rectangles, 8 surrounding a ninth central one, "the frame within the frame") into 9 equal rectangles using the same equidistant vertical and horizontal "lines of thirds." We then have 9x9, 81 frames to deal with!! Not mentioning their medians and the diagonals.

 The HighLine, NYC, 2011

This is all about using geometry to organize space. It is architecture: at first and mostly safe and predictable, lacking creativity but necessary for apprenticeship. The next step toward the mastery of the organization of the frame (composition) is to take risks, in the same way as an acrobat, a master dancer, an Olympic gymnast or ice-skater LEARNS the skills (the language, the code, the moves, the tools) FIRST and THEN takes risks and BECOMES CREATIVE. One has to test and stray away from learnt, predictable and helpful geometry to use the frame and its guidelines creatively, maintaining at the same time a sense of balance, harmony, meaningful organization of the frame supporting and advertising the CONTENT of the image, facilitating the dialogue/communication between author and audience. It's all work, intuition (developed thanks to experience and work; intuition without work and experience is not competence, it’s just a bad habit), imagination (the power to project a representation of the piece of the world into a meaningful frame and organization, to produce a MEANINGFUL image.. the rest is just decoration).

Stépane Wrembel, Boulder Coffee, Rochester NY 2012

As human beings and social animals, we need to communicate. Culture has its own codes. Human beings have invented codes for everything in order for messages to be clearly understood by all within the same group, culture. Green, orange, red for traffic lights for instance. Imagine someone from a different culture where those colors mean exactly the opposite; imagine them driving on Monroe avenue from downtown to Pittsford! Composition is but a code invented by western culture, we should be aware of it. It has now travelled through the world as well as other codes have influenced our culture. We need to learn codes in order to understand other and be understood, generate information that others can understand. The rule of third is one code, learning it and applying it helps us organize information in a way that can be understood by others. Ignoring it may be stupid if one wants to really share their experience with others, testing and pushing its limits is what the dedicated and creative person does… sometimes at the risk of straying to far from the common language and his or her audience, at the risk or satisfaction of only speaking to an elite of experts like her/him.

Back to our cameras...

(Invitation for fake exhibition)

  

All images copyright Bruno Chalifour 2012.