Compositional Balance Part 1

I am a strong proponent of compositional balance.  As artists we must learn to perceive balance and the factors that affect it. We can then manipulate it to our advantage.

Balance is every bit as important as the subject matter of your image. It is one of the tools used to determine what parts of your image have greater importance or “weight” in the perceptions of the viewer and how their eye will move through the images.

Balance can be vertical, horizontal, symmetrical or asymmetrical. The elements used for balance can be objective, such as a flower in a vase balanced by a bowl of fruit, but can also be luminance values: light tones carry less “weight”, dark tones can be said to be “heavy”.  You can also use warm and cool tones as balancing elements in the proper context because warm tones are perceived to approach the viewer and cool tones tend to recede, but that’s a discussion for another day.

There are no hard and fast rules regarding balance. You have a lot of freedom and the opportunity to exercise your creativity in how you use balance.
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Today I want to discuss how balance, working in conjunction with your subject matter, can determine what impact your image has upon your audience and how you can use it to enhance your message.

Next Millenium Building Conference Room

In this image you can see the impact is strong and there’s a lot of motion directing the viewer’s eye deep into the image, but the greatest impact is made by the ceiling. I have used several different balancing elements to achieve my goal, which was to create an image that speaks of the projection of confidence, strength and power. And of course the powerful design helps, a lot.

Next Millenium Building Conference Room

• Horizontally we have the door on the right balanced in visual complexity by the T.V. stand on the left.

Vertical balance was more problematic because the ceiling is so strong.

• By controlling the brightness of the table top and using it as an empty expanse close to the lens, its visual weight is roughly equal to the ceiling, but because the ceiling has so much activity it clearly stands out as the primary subject.
• The illumination gradient you can see on the blue walls helps to give the ceiling more weight and focus attention on the light fan from the fixture.
• The lightness of the table top and light fixture combined with the weight of the darker walls and shadows causes the image to almost rotate away from you. This avoids giving the image an oppressive feeling and instead enhances the concept of projecting power.

The result is that by using objective elements, color and luminance we create a dynamic, well balanced image that has the power to stop people in their tracks and be remembered.

I recommend you experiment with different forms of balance, and to include “unbalancing” your images in your experimentation as well. We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our success so don’t be reluctant to fail in your experimentation.

Thank you for your time,
Dean

* I want to both thank and give appropriate design credit to Williams + Paddon Architects + Planners who commissioned me to create this and other images of their offices and the Next Millennium Building, which subsequently won several design awards.