Assignment 10- Composition & Geometric Shapes

[Doc]

Welcome to assignment 10!  If you want to know the rules of the assignments, just check one of the first few assignments- they‘re listed there.

There are many Rules Of Composition (Rule of Thirds, etc.) and one of the ways that you can make your photos have more impact is with the use of geometric shapes- squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, etc.  They just “look good” in pictures.
 
Door and window pictures are good examples.  We see others taking pictures of them all the time, but why are they compelled to do so?  A door or window, in and of itself, isn’t all that interesting, but it’s their shape that makes the picture look appealing.

Geometric shapes are everywhere!

A triangle in a bridge:



A circle in an old steering wheel:



A hexagon in some old bolts:



Your Assignment is pretty simple: go out and find, then post 2-3 pictures that emphasize and feature different geometric shapes.  Note that a geometric shape needs to be the major feature of the picture.

Have fun!

[Pahunt]

Here is one:

[Doc]

There ya go, good job.  Some k for you.  Is that an old water well wheel?

(BTW, for others doing this assignment, don't forget the other rules of composition, like the rule of thirds, etc.)

[Pahunt]

No, it is a close up of a wheel..Gear of an Apple Press. Last fall Grandson had a field trip to an Apple Orchard. This was displayed at the front of the Gift Shop.

[Celestya]

[Doc]

I'm gonna get tougher on you, ok?  These are close, but I think you can do better.

In both of these you forgot the rule of thirds lesson.  Granted, you did find a geometric shape (would've been better if you found more than one type), but I wouldn't consider the shapes to be the focal point of the picture.  That diagonal really overpowers everything else in the first and the window is too close to the edge, and the partial window in the second... maybe a different crop to isolate just the lower one would be better.  Probably a reshoot so it's as clear as the first is in order.

You can do it, I got faith in you!

[Celestya]

I'm gonna get tougher on you, ok?

I wouldnt have it anyway :-)  I wouldnt learn much if you go softy on me lol

[Celestya]

Take 2! 

[Doc]

Closer!  Nice shot of an interesting shape (really!)  I like the darkness of that wrought-iron look.  But I think we're after more "pure" geometric shapes for this assignment.  (I'll bet you've got one you've already taken?)

[LiseG]

I really like the three photos you used as models.  The bridge in particular is very interesting. 

Looking for geometric shapes wasn't as easy as I first thought it would be.  Here's what I found.

#1 - Triangular iron sculpture



#2 - Rail support



#3 - Octogonal gazebo with a triangular roof

[Doc]

I'm gonna get a bit picky with you too, ok?

#1- That's great!  THAT is a nice shot, and a great example of a geometric shape adding a dramatic element to a photo.  Probably would've give the bottom a bit more space, but that's nitpicking.

#2- Another good one.  The main rectangle makes it and the smaller squares and even a small circle doesn't hurt at all- lots of good shapes going on there.

#3- Rats.  This is close, but I'd like you to try to find either another shape, OR reshoot this one again.  You've got this great octagonal roof, but it's hard to see it's shape at that angle, and it's not a major focal point of the picture.  You've got the triangle thing going, but if you were going to use that, then you needed to get a lot closer and emphasise it.  Looks a little underexposed.  And (gasp!) it's tilted.

So let's try for a third shape, ok?  You can do it!

[Celestya]

(I'll bet you've got one you've already taken?)

Sure, in my archives, but I dont wanna go throught all the pictures ive taken in the years and find one that I took and without knowing it at the time had Goemetric shapes etc..

I wanna KNOW that its actually what im shooting.

[Doc]

Good girl, Celestya- go for it!

[Dodie]

Here's my shot Doc. Hard to get out with all this snow so had my car in the shop at work here and said cool. Hope it qualifies. Got circle, hexagon, pentagon.

[Doc]

Yep, sure does!  Good Job.  Now I need another one with a different shape to complete the assignment....

[Dodie]

squares and rectangles Front light of a loader

[Doc]

There ya go!  K for you.  Cut it a little close on the right edge, but you got the idea.

[Celestya]

Ok here are a couple of shots I took.  The rule of third is most of the time not followed  The quality isnt as good as it couldnt be.... I was in the car with my sister on a highway.  Althought I would of loved telling her to stop a sec so I could shoot, I dont think the other cars would of appreciated LOL

#1



#2  Hey... the M in McDonalds has forms 


#3

#4

[Celestya]

Found more :-)

[Doc]

Nice job.  I'm gonna give you some K for this assignment.

#1- How can I find fault with the bridge shot? (Wonder where you got that idea ).  From a moving car it's not too bad.
#2- The MacDonalds sign-  nope, not too much geometric shape there.
#3- The Quilles sign, nice spotting of the circles!
#4- The retangle shape of the door hinges I like, but I would've like the picture of them closer.  A cropping of the top and right side would help.
#5- Tons of retangles!  I wouldn't want to live there, too jail like, but nice spotting of those.  It's got some barrel distortion (bowed out from the center).
#6- There's an interesting door!  Wish you would've got quite a bit closer!  Nice exposure on that one.

Overall, a nice job.

[Celestya]

Thanks Doc :-)

See when you get thougher with me it? *giggle*

[Doc]

Gee, "tougher" sounds so bad.  Let's just say we're all working on "maximizing your potential" 

[Celestya]

I'm gonna get tougher on you, ok? 

You said it 

[LiseG]

I'm gonna get a bit picky with you too, ok?

#1- That's great!  THAT is a nice shot, and a great example of a geometric shape adding a dramatic element to a photo.  Probably would've give the bottom a bit more space, but that's nitpicking.

#2- Another good one.  The main rectangle makes it and the smaller squares and even a small circle doesn't hurt at all- lots of good shapes going on there.

#3- Rats.  This is close, but I'd like you to try to find either another shape, OR reshoot this one again.  You've got this great octagonal roof, but it's hard to see it's shape at that angle, and it's not a major focal point of the picture.  You've got the triangle thing going, but if you were going to use that, then you needed to get a lot closer and emphasise it.  Looks a little underexposed.  And (gasp!) it's tilted.

So let's try for a third shape, ok?  You can do it!

Two out of three isn't bad but I know I could have done better. 
First, I tried taking more photos of the gazebo using different angles, but none worked for me.  I gave up and found something else.  So here are two more:

#1 - This is what someone calls "Yard Art".  It is suspended from a tree in a yard full of other "artful" items.  I just couldn't resist taking a picture. 



#2 - This one is very tame.  It's part of a train rail.

[Doc]

Wow!  If polygonal shapes comes under geometric shapes you got that one covered!  Nice, but wild, shot!

As for the other one, that square nut is perfect.  Also love the diagonal lines in it.  (It's kinda centered- don't forget the thirds rule).

K for you, and sorry I'm a little late getting back to you on this (flu and work).

[LiseG]

Wow!  If polygonal shapes comes under geometric shapes you got that one covered!  Nice, but wild, shot!

As for the other one, that square nut is perfect.  Also love the diagonal lines in it.  (It's kinda centered- don't forget the thirds rule).

K for you, and sorry I'm a little late getting back to you on this (flu and work).

Thank you Doc.  I hope you've recovered from the flu.  'Tis the season though, you must be careful! 

[nusaja]

Giving it a try  :

Now these houses are very old and crooked
hard to make them look nice and straight

#1  hexagon . triangle . rectangle .square



#2 circle



#3 oval



#4 I tought I would trow an old rectangle from a picture I cant seem to do any good with ,
the original is even worst , but love that old red house .. again there was a fence for deers around it

[Doc]

Don't know about the last one, but Good Job on the other three!  K for you!

[nusaja]

Thank you 

[Carla_]

I haven't forgotten about this assignment.  I've been dying to take a photo of this building accross the street from my home but I've just been too busy with my daughter and house hunting lately. 

I walked up the street to get this one.  I thought the angles on this building were screaming for me to find some geometric shapes in there.

trapezoid roof and arch doorway.



Closeup of the doorway (or is it a window?).



Closup of the roof.



On the way back I took a photo of this pine cone.  From this perspective I think I can get away with a circle (can I?).



And this is the clock outside home.  I was hoping for some more DOF but it was hard to take a photo at home without feeling like I was stalking my neighbors . 

[Doc]

Glad you hadn't forgot about us!

I like these.  Well spotted.  The first one is really nice and stands out with the triangle and half circle.  Looks a bit underexposed, as does the second.  That second one would be supper if the view was a bit more to the right.  The pinecone I really like.  Nice DOF on that one, nice circle spotting, but don't forget the thirds rule- some of the left can come off- it's pretty empty over there.  The clock picture is just great(!).  Agreed, a shallower DOF would improve it though.

Nice Job overall!  Have some K!

[Carla_]

Doc, Thanks for the K!  It means a lot that you like the shots.  I was using my polarizer and there were some clouds making softer lighting than normal.  I should probably have removed the polarizer.  For the pine cone I was thinking about power points and tried to place it on the thirds line, but I guess it didn't work with all the empty space to the left. 

Thanks for the input!  I feel like I'm getting a lot more comfortable with my camera lately, largely thanks to the advice I've had here.

[Lucilly]

Wagon wheel

My first post for the assignments.

[Doc]

Very nice.  The composition of this is just great!  The wheel is not centered and the trees frame it nicely.  Good Job!  Now see if you can come up with a triangle or rectangle or something for another geometric shot.

[Lucilly]

Thank you Doc.  Sure will do.