A PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE … ANYONE CAN JOIN IN.
What's this?
In the year 1424, an Italian artist named Fillipo Brunelleschi, devised a system known as Single Point Linear Perspective. It was basically comprised of a vanishing point , a horizon line and any number of lines that converge at the vanishing point .
The concept, a mathematical system for indicating spatial distance in two-dimensional images , where lines converge in a single vanishing point located on the horizon line , ...
A photograph is a two-dimensional image and yet, to varying degrees, a given photograph can create the strong illusion of three-dimensionality depth in addition to height and width .
Understanding the concept and incorporating it into photography (or any visual art) will often make an immediate difference in the imagery of almost any photographer who was previously unaware of how it applies.
SO, HERE'S THE CHALLENGE:
1) POST ONE (JUST ONE) PHOTOGRAPH THAT INCORPORATES LEADING LINES (JUST ONE).
Here's an example. Notice the fence posts, the stream banks and the path. Each constitutes leading lines that draw the viewer's eye into the scene.
A. Mac
Nature uses leading lines the leading lines on these flower petals go to the reproductive parts, a likely way to draw pollinating insects and guaranteeing future generations. ( A. Mac)
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Take the challenge!
Perfect! Thanks for posting this, John.
The receding building heights, the surf edges along the beach and the waves create a set of leading lines that draw the viewer in. Obviously, not all leading lines are immediately conspicuous as such but they need not be. What makes them effective is the way they direct the viewer inward.
Not sure if this would qualify or not but the perspective is interesting.
It absolutely qualifies -- the tire tracks and the rows of verticals are right on the mark.
Here's one of me. The shelves in the background provide the linear-perspective.
Indeed the lines converge and in this example, the leading lines bring the viewer to the face of the subject and in a sense, frame it and strengthen its impact.
Well done!
Im not too sure if these fit your challenge A Mac, but here goes. Let me know if I got even one thing right.
I thought this shot of my front street after the 2009 ice storm kind of draws your eyes down the road.
Same for this view of what I see about 5 miles from my shack that's up in the hills on the right.
This one took my view from the back deck down to the holler below and then back up to the hills on the horizon, but I'm not sure if there's any one thing that takes the eye to the horizon so this might not be what you're looking for.
The top two are each strong examples of how leading lines draw the viewer in. The bottom image also uses the line of the fence railing to direct the viewer's eye but more towards outside the image than into the bulk of its content.
I'll next be doing a Rule-of-Thirds challenge which will deal with more about image composition and structure.
But technically, all three of your images contain leading lines. So, you met the challenge in each of the three.
And I'm damned good looking too! LOL!
I failed to mention that because I thought, "Why state the obvious?"
I have one more that seems to fit into this. Early morning mists on old back roads were fun.
Trails, paths, roads inherently display leading lines as do stream banks.
This is interesting stuff and I am learning a lot. Thanks for starting this.
I have a stream bank where we used to fish for food back in the 30s. Great brookies. I'll see if I can find it.
There are leading "lines" in a sense but they are somewhat random and don't necessarily direct the viewer's eye to a horizon or vanishing point. The tree limbs and their foliage are leading lines but again, direct the viewer randomly to various parts of the composition. The trees themselves constitute what are called "repoussoir" elements that frame the scene and add depth as overlapping planes (all subjects for future challenges).
I found what could be interesting in that the figure in the shot could create a distracting element, too.
Because the figure is placed approximately at the intersection of the right, vertical third and the bottom horizontal third, is is not distracting, rather, creates just enough visual tension to prevent the image from being static and less interesting.
As I said, most interesting for an old see and snap shooter. Seeingyour fine professional points makes it even better. That is a short section of the Colebrook River and I have taken some pretty neat Speckled Trout out of there and that is the coldest water you can imagine.
I'm going to have to explore this one a bit more! Maybe I have something to submit, but would like to try a new picture or two...
THANK YOU!!! What fun!
tsula, your pictures are gorgeous!!!
Thank you, my dear! These are part of the ones I thought that I had lost! Dowser!
Interesting; in fact Mike, the leading lines kind of go off into oblivion emphasizing the emptiness.
Mike,
You're already there and everyone of us can continue to learn with each click of the shutter.
Not sure that this one qualifies, but I thought it was a decent photo.
You may have seen this photo before of Chinese lanterns in Chongqing. I believe it does at least indicate leading lines.
Notice how the lines draw the viewer's eye into the scene?
What gorgeous horses! My entries, which I'll place below, are nowhere NEAR as pretty...
Love you!
Ok, here goes--
This one is not very pretty, at all, but I took it because it had leading lines. The filter at work was being cleaned, and you could see the baffles, for once!
The next one isn't very pretty, either-- but I was taking it to show the amount of flooding on one of the streets in the Wellhead Protection Area. To me, this may meet the challenge, maybe...
This last one is prettier, but the weather was nicer!
If something would just turn pretty here, I'd try to get a better picture!
Unfortunately, it's too early to find pretty... And we're in a spell of rain and ick.
Thanks, A.Mac, for this challenge! These are a LOT of fun!
All right; you obviously succeeded in posting!
In a way, there are leading lines formed by the horses' backs. They actually create "V" or "U" or even a "W" and at the apex of the lines is a kind of focal point to hold the viewer's eye.
The towers of steam as they decrease in height and the triangular shaped mounds at their base do function as leading lines. The path on the right also leads in and the shadows along their peaks lead in from the bottom left to the point where the others more-or-less converge.
I'll post a discussion about "positive" and "negative" spaces another time as they too can create leading lines.
Nice shot. Is it Yellowstone?
Yup! The lanterns draw the viewer's eye
John- WONDERFUL shot. I just followed the road to it's destination. thanks for the trip.
These leading lines will CRACK up the viewer and also help us all keep A BREAST of ANALogous subjects.
NOTE: Be sure to properly attribute posted images that are from other sources and make sure it is permissible to post them.
These work, Dowser. "Pretty" and "dramatic" shots will present themselves and the photographer prepared with an understanding of compositional elements such as leading lines et al will see them and capture them with high rates of success.
It's a forest fire East of Yellowstone in the Dubois Wyoming area.
Those are my girlfriend's boobs, I think she will forgive me. I debated over the buttcrack pic, but figured that if I'm breaking a law by posting it, it would make for an interesting lawsuit.
I thought of this one because when I look at it...my eye is drawn past them to the pasture...even though they are the focal point of the picture.
This shot was actually an accident that wasn't meant to happen...they were chasing the lawn tractor, and I was trying to get that in the picture too...and missed!
I'd hate for you to be sued and END up in arREARs.
The pasture is somewhat framed by the "V" of the horses' backs; but the eye will tend to gravitate to the most sharply focused areas and certainly to the largest areas. Composition is a kind of balancing act and making all of the elements work together is the challenge of many photographs.
I ASSume I won't be sued, BUTT one never CAN be too sure.
There's more to be analyzed in this image but they will be the subjects of other challenges/tutorials.
Here's the shot without the diagram.
I love when folks TOILET making good puns. But rest now as you appear to be a bit FLUSHED.
Well, I have quite a few from the archives. I guess I paid a little more attention in photo class other mixing chemicals. I did have a fondness for chemicals at the time, most enhanced images in one way or another.
Funny thing is, I had no conscious motivation to capture these elements, and I can count on my left hand the number of shots I have intentionally "composed". I see the shot, and I push the button. I do a lot more bracketing now that I am digital, but the scene has always done the work for me, mostly. I guess if it does not have the composition, I am not compelled to shoot.
Here is an entry or two...
This one is cheating, not any vertical really, but I know Dowser would love it.
These were in Hell's Canyon Idaho some time in the early 90's but I think they demonstrate the concept.
I deleted the others in respect to the 1 shot request, I got excited.
Kind of along the lines of follow the tube to the boiling tank, eh? Just enough pitch in the line to keep it free flowing.
Isn't it though? The Bride and I found more back lonesome roads after we first retired and had great fun doing it too. This one was a trap though. What we did not know was that this was a service road around our reservoir until the Cops stopped us. Heck the gate was opened like it was saying welcome so we went through it. Good thing that I knew the Chief~!
You know, when you get down to it, probably no one wants to see where their water goes before it goes in the pipe. But, the reason these are so rusty is that the chlorine oxidizes the iron and manganese in the water, and it deposits on and in the filters and baffles... At least they aren't green...
I need to work on this one more. Maybe tomorrow, we'll have a decent day and can get out to see things!
That being the case just figure what your pipes look like! Holy Cow!!
LOL! Actually, once the water goes through the filters, most of all that is gone. They add lime and polymers to make the gunk coagulate together, so the filter can get it out. Even very old homes here in Louisville are in pretty good shape, pipe-wise-- except for lead-lined pipes, or lead-soldered pipes.
If most people saw what went in, and how it all swished around, and dribbled over, and was pumped up and through-- they would be amazed!
Please accept my apologies! I did not see the one shot request! I've tried to go and delete to leave the middle one only! I'm very sorry, but I can't figure out how!
Please forgive me, A. Mac! I'll pay better attention next time.
What a neat picture! Where is this? I wanna go!
Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley, CA.
Just your best friends? LOL, nice!
Wow! That is striking! Neat, Barb!
Well, I'll likely never get there-- so I will make do with your beautiful picture! My eye was immediately drawn to the rocks, of course, as in REALLY NEAT cross-bedding-- Then, I saw the dog-- but don't go by me. I have a one-track mind, at times...
You've been there, so tell me-- in the picture it looks like the rocks on the left and the right don't match up-- like there has been movement between the left side and the right side. See the crack that sort of runs on the left side? It's not matched on the right side. Is it really that way, or am I just seeing things in the picture?
That's really a great picture! Thank you for posting it!
Not a problem, Dowser. I post the request as a suggestion not a rule; others have also posted multiple shots -- it's fine.
You're seeing it right, the rock on the left is marble, it was smooth and striated. I have many more pictures of it, but I can only post one here. Let me say that if you ever get a chance, do go, it's one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Maybe I'll do a blog just on Death Valley, it will blow you away!
Why not post a photo/essay/discussion right here?
We'd love it. I have no doubts.
Okay Merleliz, how do you feel about THIS tree trunk? (Sorry for going off topic A.Mac, but I'll make up for it by posting a few more leading lines photos)
I will Macarthur, I'll have to gather my best pics.
View from our deck. Sun setting over Table Rock Lake MO. The tree line leads you to the lake.
Simply gorgeous! Thanks, Kavika-- now we know from whence you find your tranquility!
Thank Dowser, I'm using my cell phone for the photos. I don't have a camera, so this is the best I can do.
Hi Barb, it's beautiful here and in may it will be wonderful.
Indian point, you go right past SilverDollarCity to get there. We stayed in a condo there while we were building our house.
They have a Indian Motorcycle rally!!! I once owned a 1950 Indian Chief. Didn't know that they had one there.
The Corp of Engineers Park named Mill Creek is probably the best campground on the lake. Every spot is on the water, some with wateron both sides of the spot.
My grandparents courted on an Indian motorcycle in 1916.
Grandpa did tricks. I never understood what that meant/believed it, until at age 82, he sat on the handlebars of my bike and rode the bicycle backwards around the yard... From what I heard, he used to do handstands on the motorcycle while Grandma steered!
What I would give for a picture of that!
I think it's GREAT! I can't hold my phone still!
Isn't it neat how the shadows of the clouds also focus your attention toward the horizon?
Thanks, A. Mac!
This is my submission to the challenge A.Mac. It doesn't meet your exact criteria but I love this old barn in the farming community where my sister lives. I remember it in my youth and it still stands today. It was a rainy day and I changed it to sepia. I love old looking photos.
LOL, 5 inches of snow would suck...
What dates is the rally?
Old barns certainly have character, do they not, Mrs D?
Wow. Striated marble.
Marble is metamorphosed limestone-- so, it could be that the metamorphic process wasn't cross-grained, but followed the position of the rock as it was first deposited. So the cross-graining, could be a part of the original bedding plane, or , and I can't tell, that the bedding plane was lifted and twisted, so that the metamorphic pressure was at an angle to the original bedding. Then, when it weathered, it left those lovely grooves in the rock. The line on the left is likely a joint-- but something else is going on here that is really neat, too.
The rocks on the immediate right have a completely different appearance-- and that is picked up in the background, too, just above the point-- in a sort of wedge shape. The rocks on the right have a more crystallized appearance, in a wedge shape, that pinches out towards the bend. There is just a remnant of the righthand rock stuck to the left.
There's a large piece of black something stuck in there, in the foreground. Tourmaline? Could be. It looks sort of like it... The rock body looks crumbly, but I don't think it is. See how it sort of lies on top of the marble layer at the bottom? I am wondering if that isn't some kind of magma intrusion, that heated up and metamorphosed the limestone around it.
It could be a natural breaking point or joint, along the edge of the intrusive rock, which then weathered out to form this really unique view. The gravel on the bottom looks, color-wise, more like this crumbly stuff... Can you remember if it was crumbly, (denoting a more pyroclastic environment), or solid and crystalline?
I just love looking at stuff like this, and really look forward to more pictures of this area. And yeah, I know NOTHING about the geology of this area. Over here in KY, we didn't really get into it. Thank you for your patience!
And, I love your dog!!!
Oh, yes they do dear friend Tsula! I love finding the old barns and buildings when I am out driving. (((((Tsula)))))
Wow! I want to go there, too!
It does! Awesome!!!
Some day, I've got to go to Costa Rica-- it supposedly has the greatest diversity of climate and species of anywhere on the planet... Better see it before they strike oil there!
I'll check out the date and probably show up..I'm the long haired Indian looking guy...LOL
Great photo BadFish. Costa Rica is a wonderful place. I've been there to do some surfing and fishing. If I remember right 80% oftheir rain forestis protected. They depend on eco tourism.
They have no army either.
Yep. Definitely the place I need to go.
It actually has quite a few leading lines which I will diagram with your permission -- I'll copy the image then show how the leading lines actually create a nicely balanced composition. Sometimes the leading lines converge with one another and lead to vanishing points both inside and outside the parameters of the image itself. The result is almost rhythmic -- but visual rather than auditory.
The barn shot is beautifully subtle, almost sad and very effective as a mood shot.
This explains the composition of the canyon better than I can. It's from a page in Wiki-pedia. It's a patchwork of stone, the marble standing out.
Mosaic Canyon
Mosaic Canyon is a canyon in the north western mountain face of the valley which is named after a stream-derived breccia sediment with angular blocks of dolomite in a pebbly matrix. The entrance to Mosaic Canyon appears deceptively ordinary, but just a 1/4 mile (400m) walk up the canyon narrows dramatically to a deep slot cut into the face of Tucki Mountain. Smooth, polished marble walls enclose the trail as it follows the canyon's sinuous curves. The canyon follows faults that formed when the rocky crust of the Death Valley region began stretching just a few million years ago. Running water scoured away at the fault-weakened rock, gradually carving Mosaic canyon.
Periodic flash floods carry rocky debris (sediment) eroded from Mosaic Canyon and the surrounding hillsides toward the valley below. At the canyon mouth water spreads out and deposits its sediment load, gradually building up a large wedge-shaped alluvial fan that extends down toward Stovepipe Wells. This canyon was formed through a process of cut and fill which included periodic erosive floods followed by long periods of deposition and uplift. But due to the uplift when the next flood hit the area it would deeply cut the streambed which forms stair step-shaped banks.
Mosaic Canyon's polished marble walls are carved from the Noonday Dolomite and other Precambrian carbonate rocks . These rock formation began as limestone deposited during Late Precambrian (about 850-700 million years ago) when the area was covered by a warm sea. Later addition of magnesium changed the limestone, a rock made of calcium carbonate, to dolomite , a calcium-magnesium carbonate. The dolomite was later deeply buried by younger sediment. Far below the surface, high pressure and temperature altered the dolomite into the metamorphic rock , marble. The Noonday Dolomite has since been tilted from uplift.
Mosaic Canyon was named for a rock formation known as the Mosaic Breccia. Breccia is an Italian word meaning gravel . This formation is composed of angular fragments of many different kinds of parent rock, and it can be seen on the floor of the canyon just south of the parking area.
It works; The rock edges along the falls converge at an apex. And remember, we're not looking for a perfect "roadmap" so-to-speak, just compositional elements that focus the viewer's attention.
Beautiful, Mrs. D-- it almost looks like a church!
Thank you! Breccia is a comglomerate of angular pebbles, just like it says above! I have some, somewhere, from Wyoming...
THANK YOU-- I love puzzles, and was figuring this out, very slowly!
Oh, A. Mac you absolutely have my permission. I have lots to learn dear friend.. so please give me critique. Many thanks as I value your opinion.
LOL Dowser. Who knows, maybe it was a church at sometime in it's history.
(((((Dowser)))))
I wasn't going to do this because I have forgotten exactly where it was that I got this. Just too long ago.Having said that I would A Mac's opinion of this just point and shoot effort. Getting a professional opinion for amateur fun is neat!This was as you can see an abandoned watermill and I still say that its history would be something to know. Just imagine this as brand new and just starting its working life.
We are so lucky to have the advice of a professional like A.Mac. When I first started using a camera, my lessons were learned from the Kodak booklet "How to Take Good Pictures".
I saw that same picture years ago, and fantasized that there is the place where I would want to find peace and tranquility. I would fix it up, install a generator to the water wheel and tell the Power Company to jump in the lake.
Absolutely beautiful Tusla! I would so love to be there in person. Looking at the water it directs me to the lovely quaint mill. Love it!
If you like rock formations, Death Valley is the place to go! If you don't like the view, turn a few degrees and you see something completely different. It should be a destination on everybody's bucket list, it can't possibly disappoint. I do, however, recommend going in spring, before the heat hits records.
I'll post a photo essay, probably tomorrow. Tonight, I'm trying to install a dishwasher and the water line doesn't want to be water tight, LOL.
The shot is perfection; I think it's an abandoned mill in the Smoky Mountains. N.C. .
OK Mrs D; if not tomorrow then Monday.
I guess I'm a dolt, but there is a feeling of stillness in an old barn that feels 'church-like'... Maybe because horses were there?
That is beautiful, tsula! Really beautiful!!!
Representing three-dimensional space (space as we perceive it in the real world) on a flat, two-dimensional surface (drawing or painting) can be quite challenging. And, while a camera, for the most part records what it "sees," an astute photographer can make the most of perspective and composition by shooting the same scene at different angles -- sometimes resulting in multiple winning shots.
The study (science) of perspective and spatial relationships can be mathematically daunting, and for the painter and illustrator, a colossal and elusive problem. Check the link above and you'll see what I mean. The diagram above the link illustrates two single-point perspectives in one image.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AN IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION PROCEED AS FOLLOWS.
___________________________________________________
Below is Mrs D's Barn image which I have diagrammed in order to show lines in the compositions that, if extended outside of the image parameters, would eventually converge at vanishing points. It illustrates just how complex an otherwise beautiful, simple-appearing composition is in actuality.
________________________________________
Note: I realize that some might find this lengthy explanation as "overkill." When it comes to analyzing imagery, I confess, I cannot help myself.
But, but my wife is agoofy redhead...Are there two of you in the world?...
That is just amazing. I never even thought to look at the perspectives given here by you. The difference of being just a shooter in the company of a pro.
Just how would you relate this to the lines showing here?
Here is a photo of my last interstellar race around SaturnI think the rings show exactly what you are talking about...Oh wait,...what year is this,...2013,..OMG,..this is my bad....
Here is a better picture of the enterprise, in your time period, that does thesame as you requested...
Obviously the wall that starts at the lower left corner and proceeds to image center-right, is a leading line (actually a number of them from the top of the wall to the base. It's a well-placed, great and strong diagonal which turns left, meanders wonderfully and takes the viewer for a stroll to the fence and brilliantly, the fence keeps the viewer from leaving the composition!
More good stuff the portion of the wall that turns left, does so on the right vertical third and, the upper horizontal third is the line of dark trees.
This image is not just aesthetic, it is, from a technical standpoint, well-conceived and well structured.
You got it LR. The deck of the carrier, the pier, the water at the base of the pier and the cables too.
Good post and the space image too the ships cabin, the clouds well done.
Thank you so much A.Mac for your time! I will be checking out your links that you provided and I know it will help me more in taking my photos. You're awesome!
Just wonderful. This is/was a Sod farm between Canaan and Salisbury, Ct. I'm not sure if it is even there anymore. We used to pass by it regularly on our trips into NY state. They also boarded horses there thus the paddock. Long time ago now. Thanks for the critique. Its amazing what you see in these old photos.
I found one! I found one! Maybe...
The Jefferson Davis Monument from the bottom up:
This was taken on a behind the scenes tour of Eastern State Penitentiary. It was amazing.
Gosh, you can really feel the isolation...
Very interesting viewpoint...
Thank you! It was a very eerie but cool experience.
That prison is in my neighborhood.
Oh you live in Fairmount/Art Museum area? It was really nice around there. I'm from the West/Southwest side so I haven't been in Fairmount all that much. The director of the Prison is a good friend of a professor in our department at Temple so he got us behind the scene and the guard tower. Wonderful experience. Then a few of us went to Jack's Firehouse, tasty place.
Watkins Glen
Hey, Pat! yet, another place I want to see! How beautiful!!!
It is, Dowser. And the rocks are amazing.
I am always amazed at the time needed for water to carve its way through the stone involved. A force not to be denied!
And when you think about it-- it all started out pretty flat, too.
A.Mac, I appreciate your explanation of composition and visual representation of 3-D onto a flat surface.
How would you explain M. C. Escher?
Actually I'm a South Philly boy who now lives in Northeast Philly on the edge of the Pennypack.
I've live in Philly my entire life -- took quite a few credits at Temple in Art History (Tyler School of Art). I may have been at Jack's Firehouse after work when I worked in Center City (1983-1999).
Nice to have another Philly kid on board.
Good strong composition, Pat and great to see you here.
Escher created what are called "tessellation" patterns; repeated geometric grids representing impossible spatial relationships.
Ditto! I was born and raised in West Philadelphia. Currently reside in University City and attend Temple for Graduate School.
Glad to meet you Macarthur!!
Thanks A.Mac. This one might have been a little over-exposed but it is hard to take a bad picture in a place like that.
Awe-inspiring, tsula! I am speechless!
Thanks for being the perfect teacher of photography you are, Mac. Now I have to go look at my photo collection to identify exactly what you mean
! Sure is a challenge!
Not sure if this would work-just saw a great sunrise, though there are buildings down the line and another phone pole in the distance.
Sometimes a leading "line" is not visible in-and-of-itself but created by the positioning of positive shapes, in this case the poles. Also, the ridge line of the mountain falls roughly on the bottom horizontal third and leads the viewer's eye to the intersection with the left vertical third. And finally, the top of the near pole sits roughly on the upper horizontal third. In all, a pretty solid composition to show off your sunset.
Diagrammed
Believe it or not, I was facing east at a couple mimutes before 7 a.m. There's a picture I like better, but didn't see the 'lines' in it.Here it is for your perusal:
In one sense it's stronger because the pole becomes the strongest positive shape. But it's best not to put the main subject dead center -- place it on one of the thirds; that creates just enough tension to keep the image from being static. I would have zoomed in and cropped the scene like this. This conforms to the so-called "rule-of-thirds." I'll be posting that subject soon.
Cool. When I can, I take several pictures of things that interest me.I thought this last picture had far too much of that pole in it-kind of becoming the 'subject'. I zoomed out for the other photo. I should have clicked a few more times! I'll keep that inmind next time around.
Okay...on the left side? I see a whole creature...eyes, screaming mouth, and even shoulders and an arm! Cool!!
Actually, there are a number of lines that, if extended, would converge at vanishing points; the sidewalk, the street, the peak of the roof and the overhang, the latticed sides and top of the water wheel, the awning
Well done, you met the challenge.
Great Picture!
This is great, the picture is weighted in thirds: One third water, one third rock and one third trees, all meeting, all presented in triangles..... Nice!
Here is one shot of leading lines, not that much of a statement, but all the same the lines are very strong....