Balance has proved to be more complicated than I originally thought it would. I have been looking back through the pictures that "work" for me over the last few years, and have found it difficult to pick out the balance in many of the pictures even though they are some of my favourite photos.
While I originally made choices about whcih photos to use for this assignment, I kept finding myself re-examining them over and over. This was because I was trying to decide whether I was choosing these pictures because they were balanced, or because of the frame position, because of the Rule of Thirds for example.
The photos that I picked are included below.
This photo balances in two ways -firstly the symmetrical aspect of the picture and also with the central location of the colour surrounded by the white of the petals.
I feel that this photo balances well as it has three distinct areas and the groups of zebra balance across the image. There is also distinct areas of contrast between the lake and the foreground.
In this image, the balance is achieved with the bright sunlit leaves on the tree and the shaded areas in the bottom portion of the picture. Using the "Weighing Scale" interpretation would have two equal weights equidistant from the middle of the scale.
This picture is similar to the Orchid picture above. It is symmetrical around the elephant.
I feel that these pictures are balanced, but some are also examples of the Rule of Thirds and implied triangles, both of which help to make a photo "pleasing" to look at.
Balance is definitely something that needs to be looked at during the coming assigments and I will be continuing to look at how my photos balance to aid the way that I look at potential subjects.
