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PhotoPlay: The Visual (and Mysterious) Poetry of Thirds
Photography needs creative expression, and last week’s PhotoPlay prompt allowed for it. I presented the rule of thirds, gave possibilities on how to break it, and then left it wide open for your personal interpretation and application. And you came through.
I approached the prompt in this way because of something photographer Chris Orwig reminded me of in his book, Visual Poetry. He writes:
"The rule of thirds is based on an ancient mathematical concept referred to as the golden mean, golden ratio or divine proportion. It has been used for pyramids, skyscrapers and cars. It shows up everywhere: the human body, tree branches, flower petals and seashells. It is based on the ratio of Phi which mathematicians call the irrational number because it has no equivalent fraction and its decimal keeps going and never stops."
“Do you catch the irony?” he asks. “The rule is based on something rationally irrational.”
Welcome the mystery
Photography is like this. Rules work but they also don’t. Mystery is always part of the mix and there is that untouchable element which even the best photographer cannot control. In fact, when reading biographies and articles by famous photographers, you realize that the more you progress, the more you welcome that “untouchable” mystery. These veterans have allowed it to become part of their work.
How do you invite this element into your own work? Naivety is one approach. Be astounded by what you see around you and you will capture the mystery. They say that “seeing as if for the first time” is one of the most important steps toward becoming and remaining a pro.
A rationally irrational example
Jennifer accomplished the rationally irrational in her image by breaking the rule and keeping it at the same time. The spike takes up one-third of the frame and forms the primary focus of the image. However, the hand in the background takes up two-thirds of the frame, yet only serves as a complement. It doesn’t distract or detract from the primary focus. I'm happy to feature her excellent example here:
Susan and Jessica decided to break the rule. Susan did so by placing her focal point in two-thirds of the frame while Jessica placed the focus in one-ninth of the frame:
Sandra decided to keep the rule for one of her images. The bird on the wire takes up one-third of the frame horizontally:
To enjoy the other PhotoPlay submissions, browse through the gallery below. Click on the thumbnail images to view the photographs in full size and with accurate dimensions.
See you in July for a prompt on family photography that will also feature the dials on your camera.
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For more photos by non-HCB photographers, visit Flickr's Rule of the Thirds.
Post photo by Laura Boggess. All PhotoPlay photos used with permission. Post written by Claire Burge.
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