Development communication materials are used by many development communication practitioners to deliver specific message to the target audience. Most common examples are posters, flip charts, photographs, leaflets, wall charts and comic books.
Life
is not just merely working, sleeping and eating. Life has also moments and
stories. And these moments we can only capture through photography. We take
photos not only to photograph moments but also to tell stories or to
communicate. Photography has been part of our life since the day we were born.
In order to capture the best moment and the emotion of the subject, a
photographer must understand the elements of visual design. According to
Professor Wakat (2015), visual design is not about what a piece is saying
literally through words, but it is everything about what a piece is saying
visually and emotionally—solely through appearance.
Let's start with the different elements of visual design.
LESSON 1: ELEMENTS OF VISUAL DESIGN
1. Line
line represents a "path" between two points. A line can be straight, curved, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or zigzag. Lines imply motion and suggest direction or orientation. A line can also be implied, that is filled in by the mind when several points are positioned geometrically within a frame.
2. Shape
Shapes are the result of closed lines. However shapes can be visible without lines when an artist establishes a color area or an arrangement of objects within the camera's viewfinder. Some primary shapes include circles, squares, triangles and hexagons all of which appear in nature in some form or another.
Color affects us emotionally, with different colors evoking different emotions. In short color has the capacity to affect the human nervous system.
The vocabulary of color includes:
- Hue: refers to the names of the primary colors, red, green and blue.
- Value: lightness and darkness of the color - the amount of white or black added.
- Intensity: the purity or saturation of the color
- Monochromatic color: use of one color where only the value of the color changes
- Analogous colors: colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, e.g. yellow and green.
4. Texture
Texture refers to the surface quality or "feel" of an object - smooth, rough, soft, etc. Textures may be actual (felt with touch - tactile) or implied (suggested by the way an artist has created the work of art -visual). Texture is often emphasized in oblique lighting as it strikes the objects from one side.
5. Space
Space is the distance or area between or around the objects of a composition. It might have two (i.e. length and width) or three dimensions. All the objects represented in a three dimensional space have depth and volume. Space can be positive or negative. Positive space is defined by the existence of shapes and forms, while negative space is the empty space around shapes and forms (Wakat, 2015).
LESSON 2: PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL DESIGN
A successful visual design applies the following principles to elements noted above and effectively brings them together in a way that makes sense (usability.gov, n.d.)1. Dominance and Subordination
Positive space is where shapes and forms exist; negative space is the empty space around shapes and forms. In the photo on the left, the black area is negative space and it serves to balance the area in which the shoe and post occupy. Areas of a picture that contain “nothing” are important visual elements that provide balance in an image (Wakat, 2015).
3. Chaos ~ Simplicity versus complexity
Chaos is a disordered state of elements and it is found frequently in nature. The goal of many photographers is to take a picture that exhibits some underlying organization so the viewer sees what the artists intends for them to see, but leaves enough chaos within the frame of the image so the viewer has to put forth some effort to explore and fully appreciate the image (Berdan, 2004).
4. Balance
The position of the elements is also critical. We unconsciously assume the center of a picture corresponds to a fulcrum. A heavy weight on one side can be balanced by a lighter weight on the other side if the lighter weight is located at a greater distance from the fulcrum. Another way to achieve balance is through symmetry. Reflections of the landscape in still water are an example of almost perfect symmetry (Berdan, 2004).
a. symmetry balance
b. asymmetry balance
5. Coherence
Coherence refers to the belonging together or the various parts of the artwork. In reality these parts may be unrelated, but within the confines of the image their color, shape, and size can form a sense of unity. Visual coherence can be achieved through the use of analogous color and color tonality. Coherence can also be achieved through similarity of shape, color, size or texture. However too much similarity can lead to boredom – we need some variety to add “spice” to the image (Berdan, 2004).
LESSON 3: PHOTO COMPOSITION
Photography is a word derived from the Greek words photos ("light") and graphein ("to draw"). Photography is the art profession, or method of producing photographs or the scenes in films (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, n. d.). In addition, the McMillan Dictionary (2009-2013) defines photography as the skill, job or process of taking photographs or using a camera to record scenes or events for a movie or television program.
GUIDELINES IN PHOTO COMPOSITION
1. Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect (Photocomposition articles. n. d.).
2. Balance
You should balance the "weight" of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space (photographymad.com).
3. Leading Lines
When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. There are many different types of line - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc. and each can be used to enhance our photo's composition (Peterson, n.d.).
Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
5. Cropping
Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around the subject you eliminate the background "noise", ensuring the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention (photographymad.com).
6. Depth
Depth is closely related to background, and is also dependent on the type of image you’re trying to capture. In a landscape, for example, you typically want everything to remain in focus. In a portrait, you may want that background to be out of focus. To isolate your subject from his or her background, use a wide aperture. To include the background, use a smaller one.
6. Symmetry and Patterns
We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made. They can make for very eye-catching compositions, particularly in situations where they are not expected. One great way to use them is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene (Peterson, n. d.).
7. Simplicity
Simplify your pictures and strengthen your center of interest by selecting uncomplicated backgrounds, avoiding unrelated subjects, and moving in close. If you want to make your center of interest even more dynamic, place it slightly off center in your frame as we have done with this young artist. Generally, pictures with subjects directly in the center tend to be more static and less interesting than pictures with off-center subject placement (Photocomposition articles. n. d.).
8. Framing
The world is full of objects which make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest (photographymad.com).
9. Background
How many times have you taken what you thought would be a great shot, only to find that the final image lacks impact because the subject blends into a busy background? The human eye is excellent at distinguishing between different elements in a scene, whereas a camera has a tendency to flatten the foreground and background, and this can often ruin an otherwise great photo.
10. Golden Mean Ratio
In golden ratio, lines are concentrated in the center of the frame, with roughly 3/8ths of the frame in
the above part, 2/8ths in the middle and 3/8ths at the bottom. This idea has been around for centuries – millennium, really, and can be found in many of the great classic works of art (Peterson, n.d.).
11. Peak of Action
Take photos at the height of action. This freezes the action. Timing is essential in taking photos showing action.
References:
Berdan, R. (2004, January 20). Composition and Elements of VIsual Design. Retrieved from http://photoinf.com/General/Robert_Berdan/Composition_and_the_Elements_of_Visual_Design.htm
Usability.gov. (n.d.). Visual Design Basic. Retrieved from http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/visual-design.html
Wakat, Anna Liza. “Module 3: Basic Photo Composition.” Benguet State University-OU.
Zuckerman, J. (2014). Jim Zuckerman on Composition. Retrieved from http://www.photovideoedu.com/Learn/Articles/jim-zuckerman-on-composition-backgrounds.aspx
Slazinik, C. (2014). Photography Composition: Creating Depth in Your Images. Retrieved from http://clickitupanotch.com/2013/10/photography-composition-creating-depth-in-your-images/