Lesson Info

The Horizon Line

The Horizon Line is one of the most important compositional elements in a photograph, whether it's an implied line or the actual horizon. At its simplest, it determines eye level now, controlling eye level influences how the viewer relates to the photograph in two ways. First of all, it's shifts emphasis with a low horizon, the eyes of forced look upwards, accentuating the visual elements above the line. For example, in this image, I've placed the horizon in the bottom of the frame toe, emphasize the spectacular sky. When the horizon line is placed high in the frame, it forces the ice to gaze downwards on objects below, the liner emphasized. This is a useful technique for scenes where, for example, the sky is banal because it draws the eye away from the blandness on directs attention onto interest in the foreground. When the horizon line is positioned exactly half way, there's equal weighting have applied this technique in this image, which helps to accentuate the mirroring effect of t...

he water surface. Theo extent, it becomes almost impossible to tell which half Israel on which half is the reflection. I level also affects us psychologically. Dude way psychoanalytical theory known as the adult child relationship. Adults look down towards a child, and they are the dominant party in that relationship, while Children look up adults, making them the subservient participant. Now in adult adult relationship, where both parties are at the same eye level, neither is dominant nor submissive. Instead, the relationship is one of equality, and this psychology spills over into composition on. Beyond directing, our gaze determines the emotional relationship formed twin, the subject on the viewer. For example, if I compose an image from the high eye level looking down on the subject, the viewer becomes the dominant party in the relationship and assumes power over the subject. By changing to a low I level shooting up the subject. The relationship reverses the subject, becomes the dominant party and takes with its superiority. If I change my level again this time so that subject and viewer I toe I neither party dominates and the relationship is one of equality. This is the reason that when photographing my specialist subject wildlife, I almost always shoot. I level. When I want to add visual tension, I might drop eye level to emphasize the animals Dominion. Rarely do I ever give power to the viewer because it makes for a less compelling image. Now none of these impressions are wrong or right. It depends entirely on your story. As the author, you have to decide on the character of your subjects and use eye level to reveal it to your audience.

Class Description

Lessons

1. Your 10,001st Photograph
2. Camera Gear
3. Piece of Gear We Always Forget
4. Be a Storyteller
5. Finding Ideas For Photography - Know Your Subject
6. Cae Study - Why Are Zebras Black and White Striped
7. Photograph What You Love
8. See the Extraordinary in Ordinary Things
9. Have an Opinion
10. See With a Child’s Eyes
11. Tell Your Story
12. Find a Needle in the Haystack
13. Lions Hunting Under Star Trails
14. Ansel Adams and Visualisation in Practice
15. Keeping an Open Mind and Thinking on Your Feet
16. Case Study - The Maternal Bond
17. Don’t Tell the Same Old Story
18. Relevance
19. #1 Reason Photographs Fail
20. Getting Rid of Clutter
21. Post Capture Cropping
22. The Elements of Design
23. Elements of Design
24. Elements of Design - Shape
25. Case Study - Shape
26. Elements of Design - Color
27. Case Study - Color
28. Color in Camera
29. Pattern
30. Texture
31. Seeing The Elements of Design
32. Gestalt Theory
33. Case Study - Cove
34. Case Study - Hat
35. Light and Contrast
36. Light and Form
37. Light and Depth
38. Perspective
39. Lenses and Perspective
40. Rule of Thirds
41. Centre of Frame
42. Case Study - Positioning the Subject
43. Positioning the Subject - Dynamic Symmetry
44. The Horizon Line
45. Should the Horizon Line Always be Straight and Level
46. Other Lines
47. Rhythm, Balance, and Visual Weight
48. Negative Space
49. The Two Most Important Controls on Your Camera
50. Training the Mind