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Author Topic: Alain Briot's latest essay  (Read 42737 times)

Ray

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Alain Briot's latest essay
« Reply #60 on: February 18, 2006, 07:56:50 am »

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Regarding horizontal images in vertical mats and frames

It would also be interesting to discuss other, non-standard mats and frames.

I've been toying with the idea of composing pictures for 45-degree mounting, and various geometric shapes.

Here's an example, albeit a bad one:

[attachment=240:attachment]

Please ignore the poor quality of the PS job, I'm only trying to illustrate a possibly desired effect here.

While we're well acquainted with heart-shaped wedding mats, oval portrait mats etc., it might sometimes be interesting to work with something completely different. Or not?
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It's a difficult issue. I've also been toying with the idea of non-square formats, but not just for the sake of something different. I sometimes feel I have good practical reasons for doing this.

Consider the following series of 3 images. The first is the straight shot as converted from RAW. The lens was the Sigma 15-30 at 15mm on the 5D. That's really quite wide and it's not surprising that verticals are caving in towards the centre. Now sometimes this effect creates a degree of dynamism and energy, but in the case of this scene of a temple in Kathmandu, dynamism is perhaps not appropriate.

So I used 'free transform' in conjunction with 'distort' in an attempt to bring things back into perspective. One side seemed to need pulling out more than the other, so the image ended up being a bit asymmetrical. After cropping to the conventional rectangular format (the second image) I lost quite a bit of the original picture. Is there a solution to this?

The third image offers a solution, but I'm not sure if it works. What do you think?

I've presented the 3rd image in rectangular format with black filling the border space. The black area can be cropped to taste. I'm really asking if this wedge shaped trapezium serves any purpose.

(1)  [attachment=245:attachment]  (2)  [attachment=246:attachment]  (3)  [attachment=247:attachment]
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jani

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« Reply #61 on: February 19, 2006, 03:23:35 pm »

Thanks, Ray, that was a pretty good illustration of another problem that can be solved by untraditional formats.

Although I don't think it was entirely successful in your case -- maybe you should try something different than black -- such choices can possibly advance the art of presentation.

I'll try to dig up another example from my heap of images.  There's one I've been struggling with since February last year!

(Well, not continuously, of course ...)
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Jan

jule

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Alain Briot's latest essay
« Reply #62 on: February 19, 2006, 04:40:21 pm »

Ray, The black wedge shaped trapeziums don't seem to be even, is that how you intended them to be? The black at the top is different widths, which makes the whole image more unbalanced, in my eyes. The black makes me feel like I'm coming out of one of those tunnel entrances into an amphitheater. I don't think it quite works personally.

I think if one is to use anything other than a square or rectangular or oval matt, one must be prepared to accept that the viewer may percieve it as some sort of 'experimental' matting, and the novelty factor of the shape of the matt may actually detract from the image itself. I would love to see some other offerings to see how I respond to different borders and matt shapes.

Perhaps the rectangular/square format has stood the test of time because it actually works...perhaps we have all been constrained in tradition....hmmm
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Ray

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« Reply #63 on: February 19, 2006, 07:58:30 pm »

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The black wedge shaped trapeziums don't seem to be even, is that how you intended them to be? The black at the top is different widths, which makes the whole image more unbalanced, in my eyes.

Jule,
The borders of the image are all different lengths because I pulled out one side at the top more than the other in an attempt to get verticals vertical. As a result, there's no way I can get equal sized black wedges whilst conforming to an 'over all' rectangular frame. The wedges are the same width at the bottom but different widths at the top. I admit I've complicated things a bit by doing this, so now I'm not sure if you don't like my image because,

(1) It's not symmetrical.

(2) I've chosen a black matte which might be too stark.

(3) I've chosen a wedge shaped matte to complement the wedge shaped image when in fact an equal width matte on all four sides might look better, or even no matte at all; just the shape of the image mounted on foam core, or perhaps even an oval shaped matte.

Or maybe you just don't like that image period.  

There are lots of ways one can experiment with the basic concept of getting away from the 'square' paradigm. We seem to live in a very square world; square shelves, cupboards and computer tables in square rooms with square windows in square houses. We write letters and print photos on square pieces of paper, read square books and stare at square monitors and/or TV sets.

All these items are square for good practical reasons. Igloos and wigwams are not square, also for good practical reasons. Our cherished motor cars are also not square for good practical reasons relating to aerodynamics.

My trapezoidal image above (trapezium is not the right word; my mistake) is merely a suggestion of possibilities.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2006, 08:00:16 pm by Ray »
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jule

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« Reply #64 on: February 19, 2006, 08:53:17 pm »

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Jule,
The borders of the image are all different lengths because I pulled out one side at the top more than the other in an attempt to get verticals vertical. As a result, there's no way I can get equal sized black wedges whilst conforming to an 'over all' rectangular frame. The wedges are the same width at the bottom but different widths at the top.
Ahhhh..now I understand what you did.

Quote
I admit I've complicated things a bit by doing this, so now I'm not sure if you don't like my image because,
(1) It's not symmetrical.
(2) I've chosen a black matte which might be too stark.
Yes, perhaps both.

Quote
There are lots of ways one can experiment with the basic concept of getting away from the 'square' paradigm. We seem to live in a very square world; square shelves, cupboards and computer tables in square rooms with square windows in square houses. We write letters and print photos on square pieces of paper, read square books and stare at square monitors and/or TV sets.

All these items are square for good practical reasons. Igloos and wigwams are not square, also for good practical reasons. Our cherished motor cars are also not square for good practical reasons relating to aerodynamics.

My trapezoidal image above (trapezium is not the right word; my mistake) is merely a suggestion of possibilities.
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When I made my initial statement about squares and rectangles, funnily enough I thought about angular things and round things and tee-pees and igloos...I too wishing it was a little cooler here in Bris.  
I'm going to have a look at some of my images and see if there are alternative ways of bordering/matting/framing them. Perhaps even getting away from the stright line thing altogether, although I personally can't see free form computer operated matt cutters taking the world by storm...but hey...who knows.!  ...gives a whole new meaning to thinking outside of the box!
« Last Edit: February 19, 2006, 08:54:12 pm by jule »
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