David Durbak Academia Erudition: February 2017

Leading Lines / Patterns and Repetition

This week, the assignment has two parts - Part I is Leading Lines and Part II is Patterns and Repetition. Shoot a half of a roll of film on each part of the assignment.

Part I - Leading Lines are important elements in a piece of art that create paths for the viewers' eyes to follow in order to discover various areas of the art work. In photography, we look for leading lines in our compositions in order to do the exact same thing; either lead our viewers' eyes to a particular subject or to lead our viewers' eyes further into the photograph.

Leading lines can be solid, such as railroad tracks or sidewalks or railings or a fence or the shoreline on a beach, or they can be a series of items in a row that create an implied line, such as a line of people, or a line of trees or shrubs, or a line of cars, or a line of chairs in a row.

Leading lines are usually at a diagonal, an angle, as angles and diagonals create tension in art work. Leading lines that are horizontal are placid and restful.

This week, study the examples shown below (how many leading lines can you find in the photo titled 'L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy' by Henri Cartier Bresson?) and then shoot one half of a roll of film and create a series of images that have leading lines. Once again, look for photos where your subjects are in bright daylight and have interesting shadows.

(See Part II on Patterns and Repetition below these photo)

(above) Snake River, by Ansel Adams

(above) Bernice Abbott

(above) Berenice Abbott

(above) "Jupiter Island," from the series The Atlantic, © David Durbak

(above) Telephone poles, Wharton, TX," from the series Heartland, © David Durbak

(above) by Edward Weston

(above) by Eugene Atget

(above) "Amish Boys" by George Tice

(above) by George Tice

(above) "Hyeres, France," by Henri Cartier Bresson

(above) L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy, by Henri Cartier Bresson

(above) by Julius Shulman

(above) "Side Street," from China, © David Durbak

(above) Case Study House #22, by Julius Shulman

(above) "Children over a Fibonacci Spiral Staircase," by Henri Cartier Bresson

Part II - Patterns and Repetition

For this part of the assignment, look for multiple subjects that are in a row or subjects that have a repetitive pattern. You can also create patterns, such as the examples of the Coca Cola bottles and the forks.

1.) Continue to use the Sunny 16 Rule, which means that there must be bright sunlight in your photos.

2.) Focus carefully; sometimes you might wish to focus on the first item in a row, sometimes in the middle of the pattern, sometimes at the end of the pattern.

3.) Try to step in a little closer to only include the subjects that create the repetitive pattern. Don't be afraid to experiment with cropping in camera.

4.) Study the examples below for ideas and do an Internet search for other examples using the keywords: b&w photography repetition

5.) Shoot the second half of your roll of film and create a series of images that have patterns and repetition.

6.) Have fun!