A Contemplative Look at the Principles of Design - Balance

A feeling of balance results

when the visual elements are

arranged symmetrically or

asymmetrically to create the

impression of equality in

weight or importance.

  I prefer asymmetry.  It comes, partly, from my love of Chinese landscape painting.  When things are symmetrical, I am overcome with a feeling of static and somewhat boring certainty.  Like the image above...it is most unpleasing to my eye.  A horizon line right in the middle gives nothing importance...it makes no "statement" about what you are seeing and how you are seeing it.

   Now if I were to crop the image into an asymmetrical composition, I immediately like it far better.  There is a tension and a visual movement that is lacking above.  You can begin to see that even though the horizon line is still relatively centralize your eye moves between the large bail and small bales...into the picture.

   The large bale is balanced by the many little bales as well as the large open area to the left of it.  As in Chinese painting, "empty" space is very important, giving the eye a place to rest.  Interestingly, when I tried this with the left side of the photograph it didn't work.  The hay wagon and small bales were all on the same plane and didn't create the visual recession I like.

   Experiment with balance when you are photographing.  Try both vertical as well as horizontal compositions...symmetrical and asymmetrical balance.  See what each has to say to you.  Do you like to keep your focal point centralized or off to one side?  Do you think much about it at all?

   You might like to look at a post I did on "Framing Your World" as this also touches on the idea of creating different types of balance in your photographs.  Each will give a different interpretation to the landscape.

   Photographers are dependent on what they find in the landscape but you are in control of how you frame it...that will make all the difference in the world to the outcome of both the photograph and the reflection.