Sunday 29 August 2010

OCA Course: Elements of Design - Horizontal and vertical lines


Horizontal and vertical lines: I found it difficult to pick images with just one strong line, so most of the images here have several lines, and therefore probably don't exactly fit the brief. Moreover, often there is a combination of vertical and/or horizontal lines in one image, so I have tried to play on the strength of one over the other.

Vertical 1. Prince of Wales Terrace. Canon S90 compact: 1/250sec. @ F8, ISO 200.
There are lots of vertical lines here, typical of the urban environment. It's almost impossible to isolate one dominant vertical, although the lamp-post right of centre divides near from far.


Vertical 2. Reeds, Filey Dams Nature Reserve. Canon EOS 1D Mk111, 100-400 zoom, 1/250sec. @ F8, ISO 200. A large number of vertical reeds actually end up producing a horizontal line along their top.


Vertical 3. Dead Scots Pines, Beinn Eighe, Scotland. Canon EOS 1D Mk111, 17-40mm zoom, 1/25sec. @ F6.3, ISO 200. The pale dead trees form a contrast with the live, green, rounded ones.


Vertical 4. Bale Stack, Bridlington. Canon EOS 1D Mk111, 100-400 zoom, 1/250 @ F8, ISO 200. It's still harvest time here "up north". This vertical stack of bales compliments the vertical lines of stubble and tractor tracks.


Horizontal 1. Harwood Dale Lake. Canon S90 compact: 1/250sec. @ F8, ISO 200. Despite the vertical format, there are several horizontal lines that divide the image into layers. The line along the far edge of the lake dominates for me, although the slightly oblique dark hedge is also strong.


Horizontal 2. Prunus Serrula Bark, Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland. Canon S90 compact: 1/60sec. @F8, ISO 200. A vertical trunk covered in horizontal lines, all of equal strength.


Horizontal 3. Stubble Field, East Yorkshire Wolds. Canon EOS 1D Mk 111, 17-40mm zoom, polariser, 1/250sec @ F8, ISO 200. One can't really ignore the horizontal line of a horizon.


Horizontal 4. Sir Nigel Gresley, Scarborough Station. Canon EOS 10D, 17-40mm zoom, 1/60sec @F5.6, ISO 100. The lines of the famous locomotive emphasise speed. We occasionally get steam trains on special holiday runs from the National Railway Museum at York.It always brings out loads of photographers when one turns up.

Horizontal 5. Cruise Ship, Castries, St. Lucia. Canon EOS 40D, 17-40mm zoom, 1/200sec. @ F10, ISO 200. The deck line divides the image top from bottom. Must be horrendous on board!


The take-home message for me with this exercise is that finding dominant isolated lines in an image is not easy, but finding horizontal and vertical images is.
In comparison with the list in the "manual", I've included the horizon, a row of objects, tree trunks, and man-made objects (buildings, and trains), and apart from the odd landscape, not much in the way of alternatives.

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