Tuesday 12 March 2024

Why is this image so pleasing?


I thought I would do some analysis on the photo, but this time entirely objectively. I cannot remember if I consciously thought about this at the time, but I don't think the composition was an accident.

The image is square (not usually a naturally pleasing shape) and H.I. is exactly in the middle.

It is horizontally bisected (also exactly in the middle) by the thick line of blue, and the top half is dominated by vertical lines which indicate the vanishing point that is also in the middle of the image, but higher. The path (a blend of complimentary colours between the greens and blue) begins at a Golden Section ratio point of the lower edge and curves in to the middle where it meets H.I. 

That line is drawn on by the diagonal branch of the closest tree and continues up to a similar Golden Section point at the left edge of the square.

Can you think of anything else?

10 comments:

  1. The path and the figure would work well alone.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't know square wasn't a pleasing shape for photos. My very first camera - about 1963 -took tiny square photos and I'd not thought about why now cameras take oblong - I'm a bit slow cottoning on nowadays!.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The reason why this one is square is because it is difficult to put anything up on Instagram that isn't. It drives me mad.

      Delete
  3. The curve of the path makes it, with all the straight lines..and the front two trees lead in as well

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That path was decided upon by badgers and foxes.

      Delete
  4. The gentle arc of the soft brown path amidst the blue/green ground is very pleasing. The horizontal tree branches with new light green leaves emerging add visual appeal. I suspect, without the leaves and blue groundcover, the photo would take on a more stark look, but equally lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. For me it's the light, in the foreground and higher up behind the trees, which balance it top and bottom, with the darker strip of bluebells in the middle giving depth. Bluebells always do this, appearing more concentrated when looked at from a distance. It's a beautiful photo.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think it is H.I.'s silver hair, exactly in the middle (though I did that piece of geometry with a piece of cloth. The rest of the picture radiates from that point.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think that it is the brilliant shining hair just above the middle (my impression, I did not measure) and that the bluebells work like a blue horizontal border = body exactly in the middle in the "world of the 'now'. -But the person's attention is drawn into a mysterious, alluring future - and that she intends to explore alone - at least at this moment we are forgotten. We see the back of a fragile though strong independent person - concentrating on the beauty around her - not on herself .

    ReplyDelete