Image elements (photography)

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MS Diessen (Ammersee): The main picture elements are the many passengers, the clouds on a beautiful summer day, the ship and - in the center - the captain who controls the ship

Image elements are an essential part of the photographic composition or image design . The position, number and size are decisive for the composition and its message. Image elements are strong points of fixation and therefore also form the code of an image and thus the effect on the viewer. Basically, picture elements in photography have the same effect as in painting and follow the same rules.

effect

The choice and position of the picture elements largely determines the effect a picture has on the viewer. The effect of the positions is shaped by the usual visual behavior. Unusual image elements or unusual placements require decryption and therefore often have an activating effect on the viewer's dwell time. Familiar picture elements and familiar placements can appear boring and thus lead to a very short dwell time for the viewer. So the attention has to be given by the photographer. The viewer initially focuses his attention on potentially interesting picture elements.

weighting

The "weight" of a picture element is to be equated with the attention it attracts. The weight of a picture element is just as subjective as the attention . The distribution of the differently weighted picture elements determines the overall effect of the picture in terms of rest or tension. A composition that is designed very evenly usually creates a calm impression.

Positions

Image elements can be placed in the foreground or in the background. Image elements can be positioned in the middle (dominant), decentralized / asymmetrical (greater tension), above, below, left, right. The position of the main motif can be visually balanced by a second, less strong focus in order to create a harmonious overall impression.

If a picture element takes the central position in the format, i.e. it occupies the center of the picture, it appears dominant, stable etc., possibly monotonous. A picture element in a decentralized position in the format achieves greater tension. A distinction can be made here between above, below, left and right. These positions produce very different effects. Image elements that are at the top can convey possible impressions of importance, aloofness, but also threatening. Far down in the format, the elements seem less significant, even falling. Image elements in the left or right edge position seem rather unimportant with an unbalanced overall impression. This can be optically compensated for by a second, less strong optical focus. In this case, the photographer addresses the importance or importance.

arrangement

The arrangement of the picture elements also creates an effect in the sense of a perception of lines (horizontal, vertical or diagonal), alignments (spatiality), shapes and surface distributions, which play an important role in the image statement of a composition.

number

The number of picture elements also means that the viewer has to decide in which order he / she perceives them. Few picture elements are therefore also easier to decode, while a large number of picture elements lead to complexity and even excessive demands on the viewer.

Alignment and directionality

In photography, a distinction is made between image formats that are square (e.g. 6 × 6 cm) or those with different length / width ratios, i.e. rectangular (e.g. 9 × 12 cm, 24 × 36 mm, APS-C- , FX, or DX format etc.).

A square image format brings calm to a picture, as it does not emphasize any of the sides, but makes the subject appear neutral in the picture frame. The square image can look boring, but it also gives the photographer the option of cropping them later, which creates the desired effect of the image elements. Square photographs are often the capture of the situation in order to later extract a non-square format.

Rectangular, not square images, correspond more to our habit of seeing with two eyes and therefore often appear "natural". The decisive factor is the choice between portrait and landscape format, a decision that must be made before the exposure and that has a fundamental effect on the effect.

The landscape format comes closest to the normal visual impression, it emphasizes the horizontal lines and invites you to "wander" when looking at it. It is therefore well suited for classic landscape photos, among other things. The panorama is an extreme landscape format in which hiking is practically forced.

The portrait format clearly emphasizes the vertical lines and therefore enables other visual and creative design options. The alignment results in certain effects for the picture elements. It creates a spatial depth through its perspective. In a portrait format with the main picture element in the background and a second (secondary) picture element in the foreground, the result is a very spatial effect, which makes the distance between the objects clear.

Disturbing picture elements

In photo practice, disturbing picture elements in the exposed image are normal. You only notice them after exposure, such as B. street signs, power lines, dirt, cables, garbage cans, objects lying around, passers-by, birds and much more. In order to focus on the essential, desired picture elements, these disruptive factors can be eliminated in the digital image post- processing. This can be done moderately, but also too strongly, so that a picture is suddenly too "clean", ie no longer perceived as realistic. It is important to find the right balance here.

meaning

The choice of picture elements, their arrangement and weighting, their symbolism are important for every picture message and every genre. However , this is particularly true in product and advertising photography . Here, a picture should generate a clear message that is not primarily realistic or artistically oriented, but rather relies on picture elements that show a strong symbolic character. The intended effect of the symbolism on the viewer is almost the only task of the picture message. Eye movements are analyzed especially in advertising : the lingering on image elements of images, the fixations, and the movements to the next image element, the saccades, are interpreted in the eye movement analysis . The conceptual arrangement of the image elements results in a "controlled" eye movement that lasts over the duration of the Consideration and the quality of information processing are decisive.

literature