Tuesday 12 July 2011

OF GRASSES, COMPOSITION and THE GOLDEN RULE OF THIRDS.

GRAPHIC GREEN GRASS

TRICHOTOMY

MY 'INTERPRETATION' OF THE GOLDEN RULE OF THIRDS....


HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE SPLENDOUR OF WILD GRASSES?

Or should the title say, my 'interpretation' of it...

Lately I've had a 'rekindled' interest in the compositional rules...
It came through the curiosity and eternal question why certain images 'seem' to work better, please more than others?
My flower photography actually evolved out of that hunger to understand, ( of course it also had to do with lighting, the effects of colours, shapes and textures!)

I am still fascinated by stark compositions... and I love (need) new challenges...



The Golden Mean or Golden Section is a mathematical constant, a ratio that appears in nature and was discovered by Pythagoras in the 5th century B.C.E.
The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts namely painting, photography, design and across cultures and history, designers such as artists and architects, composers and poets have adopted the Golden Mean as a ratio that is pleasing to the human eye.
Rotation of plant leaves on a stalk follow the Phi (φ) ratio insuring that the same position is not used twice, affording optimal exposure of underlying leaves to sunlight.

In philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example courage, a virtue, if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness and if deficient as cowardice.
To the Greek mentality, it was an attribute of beauty.

I know the 'rules of composition'... and personally, once I knew them... I loved to 'break' them... creatively that is...

This is a good site for information, simple and direct!


The last image  is of YORKSHIRE FOG or Holcus lanatus.
On a tour in our garden last Summer, in between two showers, I found these grasses, they love this type of weather, thrive on it! Very common in grassland and moorland, also in waste ground and neglected gardens.
The birds must have brought in the seeds, or they glided in on the wind...
When I looked closely, I saw all the beautiful colours, the shimmer... the beauty!
Decided I could make a lovely, strong and graphic design, comp in camera. 
Up close and personal, there's beauty in everything? (well most...lol.)

During a stop on our outing this Summer,  last Sunday to Malham Moor, the views were stunning, the silence deafening, the sky high, the grasses glisteningly waving on the breeze...

I'd taken my shots and was just enjoying everything, while Paul was still busy (aah, the joy of both being photographers... we understand and have a lot of patience with each other)
I looked at the verges and discovered grasses, amongst the abundant Yorkshire Mist (www.flickr.com/photos/9550033@N04/4422947132/in/photostream ), I had never seen.. picked three and photographed them for you...
Now last weeks grasses, well, not wanting to throw them away, I put them in some water, to my surprise, they flowered, well, as you can see, different stages.
Sadly they are gone now, the pollen not so good for Paul!!!


For years I 'experimented' in the studio, to get that Flemish painter's light? Well, I was born in Flanders, it must be in my blood? LOL.

NEW!!! A NEW TREAT HERE, a second choice of some of my images:
 youtu.be/IzRM4viw-7g


Lead and enjoy a good life, do and say things that enrich... and do not forget to tell the people close to you,  how much you love them!
With love to you and thank you for your time, M, (* _ *)

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved


WHAT PART of DO NOT USE is it that you DO NOT UNDERSTAND?
I  find my images on numerous blogs and websites EVERY DAY, without my permission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!