Balance and Symmetry
If you place every element of interest in a photograph on one side or another, or more commonly by the beginners in the center of the image, you are leaving little or nothing to look at on the opposite side. This will be a unbalanced and most likely an uninteresting image. Balance when composing an image requires the correct combination of colors, shapes, and areas of light and dark that complement each another. It is easier than it appears and a lot of practice will help. By looking at your subject and capture it from different viewpoints, angles or even at different lighting, you can composed a balanced image. Rearranging the elements can also make the wanted effect.
There are basically two types of balance in photography. The first is formal balance, also called symmetrical balance. As the name suggest it is when one or more identical or similar subjects are repeated symmetrical on each sides of a given point. The formal balance is most often recognized by subjects that are uniform in shape.
|
The second type, informal balance or so called asymmetrical balance is when one or more dissimilar elements are balancing on each side of a given point. Informal balance is less obvious because the subjects are not uniform. A well made image using informal balance is more appealing to the viewer compared to a symmetrical composed image.
If you have a large object in the image it should be counter balanced with a smaller object or objects to make a good composition. If you have flower appearing large in the foreground on the right side of the frame you can balance it with two or more smaller flowers on the left side. It does not need to be flowers on the left side, but anything that naturally balances the image. Use of asymmetrical balance is more challenging and requires more artistic skill and training to do well compared to symmetrical composition. |
There is also a third type of balance in photography – radial balance. This is when all the elements of the design “radiate” from a center point in a circular fashion. Radial balance is a great way to lead the eye into the focal point in the center of the ad.
|