Sunday, December 27, 2009

Rule of Thirds




The two photos above are exactly the same scene with different composition. Rather the first one is 'as shot' by a friend of mine and the second one is a frame I've cropped out of it.

Composition is arguably the single most important aspect which determines how appealing a photo comes out. The example above illustrates the application (and lack of it) of a classic rule of thumb known as the 'Rule of Thirds'. This rule has been popular since the late eighteenth century, when it first originated as a guideline for painting landscapes. Since then people have found it to create a pleasing effect in many forms of visual art such as sketching, drawing and yes, photography.

The Rule of Thirds itself is very simple to understand. It involves dividing the frame into nine equal parts by two equally spaced vertical lines and two equally spaced horizontal lines. Something very much like a game of cross-n-knots! Now to create an appealing effect, the important or powerful elements of the composition, are placed along these lines or their intersections (called power points). For example the horizon placed along one of the horizontal lines, or a mountain peak placed close to one of the power points etc. This is done to create more interest in the image and an overall harmony, than would have been achieved by simply centering the subject.

Coming back to the example above, in the first photo my friend composed the image of sunset with the sun right in the center of the frame and so the frame is divided into almost exactly equal halves horizontally. This is what is a natural tendency, to put the subject of interest in the center. However, if the scene was composed with the sun placed eccentrically to the bottom right, as in the second photo, it gives a sense of harmony and also the sky with its beautiful shades becomes the dominant part of the photo, rather than a totally dark portion occupying half the frame. Keep in mind that there's no 'extra sky' above the sun in the second photo; it is merely the reduction in the dark area that gives a feel of a bigger, brighter sky. After all, the second photo is merely a part of the first one.

Having said all this, there are instances when the Rule of Thirds does not apply, and breaking it may create some really nice effects as well! This is the beauty and very essence of photography, that there are no real rules to it; there are mere guidelines, and one should keep experimenting and develop different styles.

PS: The author does not claim to have complete knowledge or mastery in photography. This is merely an attempt to share a few useful techniques in this dynamic art form.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Road Rash - sadly not the game!

"Ehh! Dikhta nahi hai kya (can't you see)?!"
"Mein tere age (gadi) chala raha tha toh muzhe kya pata tu kahan se aa raha hai! (I was driving in front of you so how do I know where you're coming from)"
"Abbe mirror mein nahi kya dekh sakta?! (can't you see in the mirror)"

Last evening, after finally finishing the much dreaded end-sem papers and some whiling away with my friend, I was returning home. It was University Road, one of the few 'good' roads in Pune where average traffic speed is thankfully more thank 50kmph.

I was doing a decent 60 and out of nowhere, this reckless guy comes from behind and cuts lanes and all to overtake - actually overtake would be a much sober word! After going ahead a little, he's back to 'normal' speed because of the traffic. Now I don't generally have this stupid urge, but then I saw an opportunity of overtaking him - rather just passing him, 'coz I was in the first (fast) lane and he was in the middle one. So naturally I sped up. Now this *** decides at the last moment that he should take an acute detour and speed ahead in the first lane which was just clearing up. And as luck would have it, he was in no mood to look into his rear mirror. The result, I hit the brakes hard, honking horn all the way and still nearly collided with the jerk!

Maybe the constant horn made him realise he had just made a ghastly mistake, and slowed down just a bit and steered into the middle lane again. I caught up with him and it was then that we exchanged the above lines in an angry tone, practically yelling at each other!

Just to stress a few accepted things-
1) Guys, the mirrors on a bike are meant for you to see the road behind while changing lanes.
2) Guys, the mirrors on a bike are NOT for you to fix your hair while riding.
3) Girls, the mirrors on your friend's / boy-friend's bike are NOT for you to turn them and fix your hair after getting down. (Or at least turn them back in place!)
4) Guys, removing mirrors does NOT make your bike look 'sleeker' or anything, it'll just kill you someday!

We're Gonna Be Alright!


Wanna hold you close,
Wanna hold you tight;
Just say we're gonna be alright!
Wanna close my eyes,
Wanna feel the night;
Just fly with you,
Through the breeze tonight...

Somewhere so near,
Somewhere within;
I can see see you, hear you, touch you now!
When you go away,
And I hear you say-
"I've left myself with you" - I'll know!

And if the night won't end,
If the dawn won't break...
Just hold me close,
Just hold me tight;
Just say we're gonna be alright!

-abhi