The following is a direct copy and has been Pasted in for future reference from the Art of Photography coursework PDF Doc. (pasted in Maroon)
4 photographs total
Diagonal lines are rather easier to create in a photograph, as they depend mainly on viewpoint. Whereas many scenes contain real horizontals and verticals – streets and buildings, for instance – there are few real diagonals; staircases are one of only a few instances. The camera angle and perspective, however, make diagonals common in photographs. To add to your set of examples of horizontal and vertical lines, now take four photographs which use diagonals strongly.
Straight edges, such as a flat top to a building, or the top of a wall, will become diagonal in the picture if you photograph along them towards the distance – this is the normal effect of perspective. If you look down onto something, such as a simple still-life arrangement, rotating the camera will turn horizontal or vertical lines into diagonals. If you have a high view of something on a large scale, such as a road coming directly toward you, moving to one side will create a diagonal. They are also very important in giving a feeling of depth in an image – linear perspective is largely based on diagonals.
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Equipment
Nikon D4
24/70 f2.8 lens
80/400 f4.5 lens
Method
For this exercise I have shown a variety of diagonal related pictures, from stonework to zip wires. Please see the images below.
Note – all pictures have been compressed hence there will be a quality reduction when enlarging.
- Picture 1 (Stone mural – Diagonals) This picture was taken with a 24/70mm lens, aperture of f7.1 and a speed of 500th sec. ISO 2500, focal length 42mm.
This picture of a stone mural was taken in the Cotswold town of Chipping Campden (Oxfordshire). We can clearly see a relationship of diagonals in the mural design.
- Picture 2 (Zip wire man – Diagonal) This picture was taken with a 24/70mm lens, aperture of f14 and a speed of 320th sec. ISO 500, focal length 70mm.
This picture of a man coming down a zip wire was taken at the Eden project where it boasts speeds of up to 100 km/h and is the longest in the country at 660 metres long.
- Picture 3 (Roof Bracing – Diagonal) This picture was taken with a 24/70mm lens, aperture of f2.8 and a speed of 50th sec. ISO 200, focal length 24mm.
This picture was also taken in the town of Chipping Campden (Oxfordshire). We can clearly see a relationship of diagonals in the roof structure.
- Picture 4 (Portsmouth Marina – Diagonal) This picture was taken with a 24/70mm lens, aperture of f16 and a speed of 125th sec. ISO 100, focal length 62mm.
This picture was taken at Portsmouth Marina and the more you look the more diagonal lines you see.
What have I learnt from this exercise
From this exercise I have that diagonals exist everywhere and to emphasise the diagonal more in a photo it can be achieved by gently moving the camera more to one side or gaining on the subject.
Thoughts and Reflection
Another good exercise pointing out the importance and recognition of diagonal lines within the subject and frame. Like many things in life at first they don’t exist …. but they are there and until somebody shows you …. Now they are everywhere. In retrospect if it was not for the diagonal line all images would be dimension two only, the same can be said of the circle versus the oval.
stingray493 