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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Out of Balance
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01/03/2011 05:15:08 PM · #1
I am struggling here - could someone explain what is balance in photography?
01/03/2011 05:29:46 PM · #2
I would think this is a compositional challenge and the idea is to break the compositional rules with a visually unbalanced image. I don't have any examples offhand.
01/03/2011 05:31:37 PM · #3
It can be several things, balanced lighting, balanced composition, physical objects balanced, someone behaving in a way which indicates they are mentally "balanced," etc....
01/03/2011 05:38:32 PM · #4
I uploaded 2 images:
Aggressive kangaroo
Weird take on a horse
Would you say they are both unbalanced?
01/03/2011 05:51:13 PM · #5
Maybe instead of thinking of unbalanced, think more along the lines of tilted,,, on an angle, sweet against sour, big and small.
01/03/2011 05:57:05 PM · #6
Originally posted by JulietNN:

Maybe instead of thinking of unbalanced, think more along the lines of tilted,,, on an angle, sweet against sour, big and small.


But that means unbalanced subject, not unbalanced photo.

Who came up with this challenge idea?
01/03/2011 05:57:33 PM · #7
I'm in after about 50 shots, I finally am happy with what I have.

Message edited by author 2011-01-03 17:57:53.
01/03/2011 06:01:15 PM · #8
Originally posted by ShutterPug:

I'm in after about 50 shots, I finally am happy with what I have.

Is it unbalanced subject or unbalanced photo?
01/03/2011 06:15:50 PM · #9
Originally posted by marnet:

I uploaded 2 images:
Aggressive kangaroo
Weird take on a horse
Would you say they are both unbalanced?


Two nice shots. The kangaroo shot would be considered unbalanced, but the horse shot would not. The horse shot is nicely composed though with the eye being basically on the lower left third.

01/03/2011 06:18:22 PM · #10
Originally posted by marnet:

Originally posted by ShutterPug:

I'm in after about 50 shots, I finally am happy with what I have.

Is it unbalanced subject or unbalanced photo?


Both...playing it safe. :)



Message edited by author 2011-01-03 18:18:40.
01/03/2011 06:29:12 PM · #11
Originally posted by ShutterPug:

Both...playing it safe. :)

That makes it a double challenge! :o

01/03/2011 06:31:29 PM · #12
So is off-balance similar to or the same as off-center?
01/03/2011 06:36:48 PM · #13
An unbalanced photo has little if anything to do with the subject you choose to shot. It has everything to do with the visual heaviness or weight to the eye regards to it's position in the frame.

Yo_Spiff is correct when he says it normally breaks the compositional rules and is visually unbalanced.

GeneralE is incorrect when he says the photo is considered unbalanced if it contains say a mentally unbalanced person, and unbalanced object. Unbalanced lighting is correct to a certain extent, but it's highly subjective.

An unbalanced photo...again..everything to do with the visual weight that the eye perceives in certain areas of the frame in relation to the rest of it.

Dark colors are "heavier" to the eye than lighter colors such as pastels etc. Brighter areas of a photo are lighter to the eye than the shadows which evoke a heaviness and are more solemn etc.

It is subject versus negative space in the frame. Negative space being areas of the frame that are void of subject, leading lines, detail or interest. Negative space can be light or dark...doesn't matter as long as there is no real visual interest that pulls the viewers attention away from the subject.

Can a unbalanced photo contain a physical subject or object that is physically unbalanced such as a stack or rocks or yes..even a crazy unbalanced person...yes, but that's missing the point and true definition..and meaning of an unbalanced photo. If you were to choose an object like that it's placement in the frame would have to give a Visual and Emotional unbalance to the photo and not just rely on the subject. That would be a DNMC.

So for example..

Say you take a photo of a tractor out plowing a field. Say that field is very light and sunlit with light shades of earth tones and nothing else. Now day the tractor is a dark green and dirt it's tilling is of a much darker and richer tone. Now place that tractor in the frame of the photo that is less than conventional for arguments sake let's say off to the right edge of the photo.

To the eye...the darker colors are heavier in the area where the tractor is, and the mind also knows the tractor is a heavy object to begin with. The mind's eye process the entire frame and contrasts it with the lighter tones of the left side of the frame which are void of any real detail that distracts the eye..negative space and it feels lighter. So the photo is perceived as visually heavy on the right side in comparison to the left and the viewer feels that sense of unbalance.

To visually balance the photo one might include a farm house or barn in the distance on the left side of the frame to even it out.

That's an unbalanced photo.

01/03/2011 06:43:03 PM · #14
Hmmmmmmmm......
01/03/2011 07:17:44 PM · #15
I am gong to agree and disagree with you DC.

I think you are correct, but I also think that there is going to be a lot of balance related subjects in this challenge. I am not sure most people are going to read as much into it as you have done.

But then again, I could be totally wrong on all the above points
01/03/2011 08:01:28 PM · #16
It's kind of a difficult one to purposely cause tension by throwing a composition out of balance. We instinctively seek balance.

In a lot of cases, placing the subject off-center doesn't mean the photo is out of balance. Dynamic balance often allows the wight of the off-centered subject to weigh as much as the larger background objects.
01/03/2011 08:10:41 PM · #17
It does sound it is a tough one. I agree that off-centre is not off-balance, and neither is off-scale (or off-this-planet! :) Even putting a tractor in 1/10 corner of white page will not be off-balance if the photograph is pleasing to the eye. My conclusion does far - there is a clear contradiction in the description of this challenge ie. if it is Out of Balance it will NOT be effective.

If anyone has a good example that would clearly meet this challenge please post it here.
01/03/2011 08:40:38 PM · #18
Originally posted by marnet:

if it is Out of Balance it will NOT be effective.


Not necessarily true. Out of Balance CAN be effective if used to cause tension or drama.


01/03/2011 08:43:49 PM · #19
Example?
01/03/2011 08:54:16 PM · #20
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by marnet:

if it is Out of Balance it will NOT be effective.


Not necessarily true. Out of Balance CAN be effective if used to cause tension or drama.


Very true....in regards to the comment about tension or drama.

Message edited by author 2011-01-03 20:54:54.
01/03/2011 08:57:15 PM · #21

Isn't this out of balance? Nicely?

Message edited by author 2011-01-03 20:58:25.
01/03/2011 09:02:31 PM · #22
Originally posted by pixelpig:


Isn't this out of balance? Nicely?


Composition follows rule of thirds so would it be off-scale? Yo-yo is much bigger than the kid. To me as a photo it is in balance.
01/03/2011 09:45:51 PM · #23
marnet, this seems to be causing you much angst. I can understand the need to understand the challenge description. Many descriptions have been put forward on this thread for you. You have to decide in the end, which one you think best suits your style and thinking. There is no black and white. Hardly ever is there a black and white description as each person descides for themselves,, what it mean and how they interpret the challenge description.

So go out and shoot what YOU think the challenge description means.
01/03/2011 11:10:00 PM · #24
OUCH!! I am only new here!


Message edited by author 2011-01-04 01:01:14.
01/03/2011 11:21:14 PM · #25
Even though I cannot participate in this challenge, I was curious. Reading the posts in this thread got the musician side of my brain thinking. In music, we use balance and imbalance, tonality and atonality, to "create drama", as stated by fotomann_forever. One thing I've learned about imbalance (as it applies to music), is that it usually takes trained ears to appreciate.

I'm interested to see what comes out of this challenge, because my eyes aren't trained yet, and I'm eager to learn.
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