This exercise requires me to produce 8 images in total; four with examples of vertical lines and four with examples of horizontal lines. I'm going to convert this set of images to mono so that the colour doesn't distract from the lines within the image. For both vertical and horizontal lines I've tried to include both obvious and subtle examples.
Image 1
This is a picture of a panelled fence where the vertical slats are showing vertical lines. I've used a wide aperture to give a small depth field giving focus to the centre of the image. There is an optical illusion here in that the slats to the right narrow as they move away from the lens and this causes the right side of the image to appear longer than the left side.
Image 2
This is an image of a chair back positioned in a doorway with light coming through the window. Whilst both Image 1 and Image 2 very clearly have verticals lines the photograph taken in portrait format accentuates the vertical lines more
Image 3
A less obvious example than the first two images but the tractor tracks at the bottom of the image, the dominant hedge to the left extending to the horizon and the large log on the right all demonstrate vertical lines
Image 4
Keeping the stone wall on the left of the image gives a clear vertical but the stone step pathway is a more subtle vertical line and acts as a visual pathway through the image as they eye starts at the bottom and them travels upwards.
Image 5
Very obvious horizontal lines of barb wire which strongly contrast against the lighter sky. I've used a wide aperture here so that the clouds / sky are out of focus ensuring the viewer takes notice first of the horizontal lines.
Image 6
The horizontal line of the horizon and also the hedge are the dominant elements of the image and together split the image into equal horizontal thirds of sky, fields and hedge.
Image 7
I've placed the horizontal bars of the gate on a bottom horizontal third and again using a wider aperture and narrow depth of field the horizontal wooden bars being in focus will ensure that viewer notices these first and therefore also the horizontal line I've created.
Image 8
In this image the gate is framed by the hedge to each side and the viewer is almost stopped initially from progressing further through the image because of the gate. With the horizon placed just above the top horizontal bar of the gate, the viewer focuses I feel on the horizontal lines of the bars. A much more subtle example of horizontal lines
Exercise Learnings'
a) Vertical and horizontal lines can be accentuated by using framing composition of portrait or wide respectively.
b) Use of depth of field and focus can assist the photographer in ensuring the key focal point when composing the frame is also that first seen by the viewer
c) Horizontal lines appear to give a feeling of stability; I think this partly due to our side by side eyes seeing things in a wide view and also a self balancing say if you had fallen over to position the horizon in a horizontal line
d) Vertical lines can give an impression of movement, I think perhaps due to gravity but also stability in tall subjects such as trees and buildings. However there remains gravity's desire for such vertical items to eventual succumb to a horizontal format hence I feel the stored energy in vertical lines before being made horizontal; a human standing up right spends energy before resting in a horizontal way.
e) As per my images above vertical and horizontal lines can be seen around us in both obvious and also subtle ways
f) lines can be used by the photographer to lead viewers of their image through the image and so using visual language. I see this aspect more and more now as I follow these exercises.
g) Michel Freeman in his book The Photographer's Eye details how a telephoto lens can help compress an image which can create horizontal lines in landscapes but also by foreshortening a view into a vertical perspective. I've not experimented with this in these images but its something to remember
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