What is Photography?
Photography is a process of capturing an image along with considering other factors as well such as the lighting, the setting and making sure everything is where it is meant to be. When looking at how the photography is captured, using grid has become a way that helps the composition of your photo enhance and reach its full potential.
The Vitruvian Man
From the Ten books of Architecture, the description of a male anatomy is found. This book goes into the details of how the body is proportioned and what is where on a male’s body. With this description, Leonardo Da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man along with edits of Da Vinci’s input on the male proportions. To figure out the Vitruvian Man, men models from Milan were measured to gives these results. The Vitruvian Man lets us take a dive into mathematics and art that was made in the Renaissance period due to its accurate measurement and details of the young man. This piece of artwork is a famous introduction into grid work within images as it is the circle and the square that helped line up the male’s body proportionally. There was some speculation around the Golden ratio process, however, there is no proof of those that match that ratio.
Golden Ratio in Photography
The golden ratio was a ratio that can be found in many forms of art; however, it can also be found within objects or parts of nature. This is a number that appears which is 1.618. The wonder with the Golden ratio is why it is so important in Photography? It is noticeably clear as it is to create balanced and harmonious compositions which can be an attractive outlook for your images. There are two basics methods on the Golden Ratio: the spiral and grid.
The Spiral is the method that is found within nature. This can be found in shells, flowers, and animals. This method can help balance out the main point of interest. When using the spiral, it can help highlight what areas need improvement on and help you capture the perfect image.
The Grid is a similar aspect to the Rule of Thirds which helps spilt the image into thirds and with that the best compositions will have the main subject placed a third of the way. The Golden Ratio for Grid is different as it divides the points of the image that fits the Golden Ratio. Comparing the Rule of Third with the Golden Ratio, some would argue that it is the simpler method for images, however, the Golden Ratio gives the perfect outcome and makes the photos stand out more. When doing landscape photography, it helps with the positioning of the main subject.
Edward Weston
Edward Weston was one of the most well-known photographers of the 20th century due to his work helping the opinion change of photography to modern and involved in the influential impact of art in that era.
Edward Weston was an average working-class man when he discovered that his passion was creating photography that captured the essence of the beauty of everyday objects. For the period it was, Weston was a modernist who expressed the passion for the change in art within society. It was this passion that helped the western growth into clarifying photography as a form of art. This growth would later help influence American photographers years later. Weston’s photography helps change how common objects are viewed and can give life to objects such as pears, apples, and flowers.
Ansel Adams
Going with another older but very iconic and relevant photographer, Ansel Adams is an American landscape photographer of the 20th century. Growing up I have always heard of the name Ansel Adams with his work being plastered onto calendars, posters, and postcards. Having such an impact on how photography is viewed today, Ansel Adams need to capture the hidden and unspoiled nature of national parks and conservation areas is what brought him his success. Ansel, being a committed environmentalist, shows a gentle and soft side to him as a photographer which is reflected in the images he takes. The natural word has a lot of objects and areas that go unnoticed, and it is this relationship with the rest of the that is interesting to capture for Ansel Adams, along with the relationship these objects have with the Lens as well.
Gina Glover
Being a trained photographer, Gina Glover has an extensive list of achievements under her belt as she was a student at the Chelsea School of Art. In 1979 Gina Glover became a Co- founder of the Photo Co-Op which later turned into a photography center in 1991. Looking through Glover’s work, I came across her collection called Metabolic Landscape which was a display of landscapes that were taken in spots she had visited. These photos appeared dreamy and breathtaking as they do not look like real settings, something fictional in a book. This highlights the beauty around us and makes us feel that we are in a historical place of significance.
Annie Leibovitz
Being an incredibly famous portrait photographer, Annie Leibovitz is a name I have heard about within the photography industry. With her fun and professional setting of celebrities, Leibovitz’s work can involve the most intimate of settings along with posing as well. These images have been proven as a success due to the attention that Leibovitz’s is bringing to her work. Her work was referenced as ‘Iconic and provocative’ which is the response I think Leibovitz wanted. The piece that I know best is the cover she shot for the film Les Misérables as I found the image striking and it became one of my favorite covers the film had. With her photos challenging society’s norms, these images, that would be shamed, are now being viewed as beautiful and like art. It is this approach that many would take inspiration from Annie Leibovitz and use her work to influence their own.
