Images which are decidedly asymmetric often have a different ‘feel’ when oriented in one direction as compared to the other. This is important since it effects the message conveyed by an image and in the digital era it is a trivial matter to flip an image on its horizontal or vertical axis.
In cultures where language is read from left to right, images that ‘flow’ from left to right (or have an isolated subject placed on the left) are said to feel more peaceful than those which have a flow in the opposite, or right to left direction. The theory is that eye movement from right to left goes against the natural tendency for people to ‘read’ an image from left to right, thereby causing a sense of tension. In cultures where written language is read from right to left, the opposite is said to be true.
This can, at times, be used in a subtle fashion to accentuate the feeling we are trying to convey in an image. I am not suggesting that an emotionless image will suddenly come to life if oriented differently, but if an image has something to convey, its orientation may help give it a bit of a nudge in a specific direction.
In an earlier blog post I discussed this image:
In its current orientation, the flow is from left to right. The image, as it was originally taken was actually oriented from right to left as seen here:
Images Copyright Howard GrillI flipped the image in Photoshop because I felt that there was a subtle change in its feel with the change in orientation. As suggested earlier, the top image flows from left to right and, to me, had a more peaceful feel to it. In other cases, one could well be trying to convey a sense of tension, which might be accentuated by the opposite orientation.
I find the whole idea of the relationship between culture, writing, language and the ‘feel’ of an image quite interesting. Is there a difference in the ‘feel’ of the two images, or am I imagining it based on a preconceived notion?
2 comments:
Very beautiful image Howard. I have read your other post concerning this image and color/saturation changes and I too like this color rendering better. It does portray the "feeling" and therefore has done it's job in my opinion.
I too am intrigued with how our perceptions are based on culture but I also wonder if in this particular photo, the mood or feel is not more affected by what I would consider "balance". Personally, the original orientation feels more in balance to me. The flipped version seems to create "tension" for me. It is hard for me to explain what I am feeling, but the flipped version just feels like the rock is hanging, not as well seated in it's position on the photo, as if the rock is fighting the flow, whereas the original feels as if the rock is comfortable with it's place. Hmmm, well, just a feeling but worth further thought on my part.
I love a shot that causes me further thought. Well done sir!
Thanks,
Dave Pickens
Intersting way of looking at it Dave. I am glad you commented because I would really like to get other people's perception of this.
I wonder if one explanation for the sensation of the rock fighting the flow in the flipped version might be...and this is just a thought...that in the flipped version the water flow is left to right, our eyes are moving left to right, and there is space to the right so for the rock to stay in position it has to 'fight' being carried by the water in the direction our eyes want to move. In the other version the flow is right to left and perhaps it is harder for our eyes to 'carry' an object as heavy as the rock in the 'wrong' direction.
On the other hand, maybe there is just an aesthetic balance that has nothing to do with the way our eyes want to move across the picture.
Interesting ideas.
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