The GetDPI Photography Forum
Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!
San Juan 2008-05
- Thread starter Bob
- Start date
Cindy Flood
Super Moderator
The Golden Mean: Draw a line from one corner of the composition to the opposite corner (diagonal). Now draw lines from the remaining two corners. Each of these lines are to be perpendicular to the original diagonal line. The intersections are the Golden Mean. Place your subject of one of these intersections. It is very close to the rule of thirds.
Robert Campbell
Well-known member
Golden mean or golden section; take a line, divide it into two parts, a and b, where b is the longer part.
The golden section is the ratio of the shorter to the longer being equal to the longer to the total length - a:b = b
a+b)
or, roughly, 5:8 [and thus 8:13] or about 1:1.618
The golden section is the ratio of the shorter to the longer being equal to the longer to the total length - a:b = b
a+b)or, roughly, 5:8 [and thus 8:13] or about 1:1.618
The rule of thirds is derived from the 1:1.618~ exact golden section, simply being rounded off to 1:1.6667. In art parlance, the "golden means" refer to the points where any two golden section dividing lines intersect, and there will be four of them in every rectangular image.
Cheers,
Cheers,
etrigan63
Active member
The intersection of two diagonal lines (corner to corner, since the intersection must be perpendicular) in any four sided parallelogram is its center.
Still don't see how a mathematical derivation of a nautilus shell has any bearing on this.
BTW, I am not being argumentative. I just don't see the correlation. Just like I couldn't see the cat.
Robert Campbell
Well-known member
A golden section rectangle can be divided alone one of the section lines into a square and a 'reciprocal' rectangle. This 'reciprocal' rectangle can be further divided into smaller squares and 'reciprocal' rectangles, all gradually getting smaller.
If you start with the smallest square inside the original and draw a radius in each square you end up with a 'whirling square rectangle'
Lightroom offers overlays with thirds, golden sections and this whirling pattern - hence the reference to the Nautilus shell
Take a look at Geometry of Design by Kimberly Elam. This has excellent diagrams to show what I am trying to describe. It also explains the relationship between golden sections and the Fibonacci sequence.
Robert Campbell
Well-known member
Hmm, in the 'rule of thirds' the larger:total proportions would be 2:3 or 1:1.5
FWIW, The DIN A series of papers has an aspect ratio of square root of 2, or about 1.414
Last edited:
TRSmith
Subscriber Member
It sounds a little crazy and a bit sterile to try to apply a math formula to a composition. But if you do follow up and read a bit, you'll discover that the relationships between objects as described by the golden mean have been recognized as the "most pleasing" by humankind for centuries. It's one of those things that border on the mystical--a mathematical formula that holds true for something that occurs in nature (the Nautilus shell) and objects created by man (i.e., ancient architecture). Robert's book recommendation is a good one. Worth the price for anyone engaged in any form of design or composition.
Robert Campbell
Well-known member
I got it on your recommendation
it's an excellent introduction.
Cindy Flood
Super Moderator
Carlos,
This is approx. what I am trying to tell you. I did not say intersection of two diagonal lines. This is just an easy way to visualize the concept.
D
DougDolde
Guest
Maybe you guys can get Bill Maxwell to make a focusing screen with these lines scribed on it.
:ROTFL:
:ROTFL:
Carlos,
Do not feel alone. I KNEW what Jack was referring to and still did not see the cat's face, probably because I was being too strict in my application of where his hint was directing us
Tim's comments about how historically these sorts of "balances" within images is true, but it fails to take into account the size of those objects and how they appear within the surroundings. Jack used the hint as a locator, not as a compositional element (I sure hope).
Doug's comment (somewhat tongue in cheek) about having lines scribed in viewfinder screens is not far off.....as long as one does not decide to crop things later, as then the comp will most likely be off.
In the end, some of these mathematical rules about placement of things with in a frame for viewing are very nice, and make even more sense for things that draw you into or take you out of an image, but they are only guides. The composition is still at the hands of the photographer and how he/she decides to crop and display the image. Following the "rules" is good, but breaking them is also good :thumbs:
LJ
etrigan63
Active member
I know I've seen this used in a corporate logo somewhere...
Robert Campbell
Well-known member
Some logo: when I click on the attachment 4678, all I get is a black rectangle...
glenerrolrd
Workshop Member
Thanks for sharing this its quite interesting especially the fact that you can use lightroom to evaluate you composition . :thumbup:The golden number, the rule of thirds, that's old school!
In this new millinium, we're talking "Diagonal"! :bugeyes:
Go here and discover the new trend in composition/design.