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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Non-centered and b/w?
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 02/02/2005 12:14:34 AM · #1
Why are centred compositions considered a no-no? I've seen quite a few comments on photographs (not mine) that said they were voting down because it was 'too centered'.

Also, it seems too many people here are fond of b/w. The original for 5th place in 'best of 2004' was posted in the forums, and looked better in color to me. Why does conversion to b/w fetch higher votes?
02/02/2005 12:15:45 AM · #2
Then you have the people that vote low because it's not using the rules of third :P
 02/02/2005 12:25:22 AM · #3
What is the 'rules of third' ?
02/02/2005 12:28:44 AM · #4
Throughout the centuries people have come up with an informal set of rules for photography. They are supposedly created by judging why and how people react to various types of images. From that you have the rule of thirds, leading lines etc etc. In most cases central compositions can appear static and not as dramatically appealing or visually interesting as following the rule of thirds. As with all rules there are exceptions and central compositions can work well also.

I believe some comments are made by people who learn the 'rules' and then strictly adhere to them. If they have read that the subject should not be in the center they will say so to all images no matter what. Of course the central composition could be all wrong too. You have to know the rules in order to know when to break them.

Can there be such a thing as too many people being into black and white? What about too many people being into colour? Both colour and black and white lends itself to a statement, a style, an emotion, or whatever the photographer wants to communicate. Some people seem to convert to black and white for no reason other than 'well it looks cool' or 'the colors were bad so I got rid of them' but just as many images work in black and white also.
 02/02/2005 12:40:56 AM · #5
I don't shoot for B&W in fact I wouldn't really know how to but I do test most images by conversion to B&W while some images look great as a B&W others look drab. Its really just what suits the image.
 02/02/2005 12:45:51 AM · #6
I agree that b/w seems to be THE thing around here.
I wonder if all the fans of b/w also buy/watch TV without colors.
Yes, some photos look better in black and white, but I think its overused now.
 02/02/2005 01:07:49 AM · #7
Originally posted by moodville:
In most cases central compositions can appear static and not as dramatically appealing or visually interesting as following the rule of thirds.

Thanks, glad to know.

Originally posted by Beetle:
Yes, some photos look better in black and white, but I think its overused now.

I think so too. Too many people convert perfectly good color photos into black and white.
 02/02/2005 01:23:52 AM · #8
Well since my photo has come up in conversation here I guess I'll weigh in. People use black and white for a lot of reasons, but I usually use it to simplify. My photo had a lot of distracting, loud colours which I thought took the focus away from the subject. Take away the colour and you're left with more basic compositional elements like form, tone and texture. Don't be mistaken that we look at photos just the same as we perceive scenes in reality. There's a much more complicated process of interpretation that our brains go through when assessing a scene. Try to think, for instance, of 10 of your friends' eye colour (if your friends are white, anyways). Can't do it? That's because we process visual information in such a way that detail like colour is often thrown out in our interpretation of something.


02/02/2005 01:33:15 AM · #9
I use lots of B&W, i just like the feel and mood it gives to certain photos, usually when i take photos on studio of me or some people i usually use b&W. For example on landscapes and things on out of the house i usually use color. It's more the mood it gives, i usually use the sepia tone because i really like the mood it gives, now that dependes on what people are tring to achieve.
About the compisition i normally shoot with out thinking to much on that, but sometimes i go with the rule of thirds, or just move the subject to one corner or pla around with it.
02/02/2005 03:20:33 AM · #10
Discussion of composition started on a new thread called "Rule of Thirds".... To separate the two topics...

Robt.

Message edited by author 2005-02-02 04:03:46.
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