"Through the Looking Tunnel" photography composition - dutch tilt, inspired by Glenn Davey
AIP1 Session 12
After analysing my works in the Art Integrity Program so far, I realised that a lot of them are centre-based, and symmetrical. It made things quite dull and flat, so my mentor set me out to study about photography composition, and choose one photographer to base my works on.
So I read up a few articles about composition in photography, and here are some points that interested me:
AVOID THE MIDDLE
Most beginners, like myself, would be tempted to put every single subject in the middle of the frame, because we feel that it would put direct emphasis to the subject. However, it makes for pretty boring (and predictable) results. There is no oomph when everything is symmetrical.
One way to counteract this is to use the Rule of Thirds, where you split an image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and put the subject on one of the imaginary lines or intersections. This is pretty complicated though, and I'd probably end up thinking too much before a shot and not go for it.
The simple solution is just to avoid putting your focus points in the middle. Get a feel of how other things can balance the subject out, such as a contrasting colour or light. This is called visual balance. Some examples include:
LEADING LINES
This is to control the direction in which the audience's eyes will move through the picture. Converging lines gives a strong sense of perspective and three-dimensional depth, giving a clear path towards the point of focus. Curving lines guide you through a journey around the frame.
Some great examples are:
USE DIAGONALS
Horizontal lines lend a calm, static feel to the image, while vertical lines suggest permanence and stability. To shake things up a bit, use diagonal lines. It adds drama, movement, and uncertainty, and can be achieved by nothing more by shifting positions or focal lens.
A way to create artificial diagonals is by using the dutch tilt, a method that involves slightly tilting the camera to add a sense of irrationality, a method which I will be using in this session. But first, a few examples of diagonals:
Intrigued by the dutch tilt method, I scoured the net for photographers that specifically use this technique. I came upon a street photographer named Glenn Davey on Instagram (@glenn.davey) and sent him a message, asking to use his photographs in my project, as well as tips on street photography and using the dutch tilt. He was very kind as to welcome my questions, and sent me the full size photographs (back then, Instagram only allowed square pictures).
GLENN DAVEY
The dutch tilt, ironically, originated in Germany---it was called the deustche tilt (deutsche being German for "German") but people mistook "deustche" for "dutch". The method is about taking pictures from oblique angles by slightly or liberally tilting the camera.
Dutch tilts are often used to create a sense of uneasiness, as viewers' sense of balance is destroyed. It is often used to portray insanity, but can also show irony and mockery.
In the last picture, tilting the camera makes the man look taller, and thus more dominant, also achieved by taking the picture from a slightly lower angle.
In the picture with the rushing businessman, the tilt gives it movement and speed---the man is moving from the lower side to the higher side, creating a heavy asymmetrical balance. He is at a diagonal position, adding to the unstability and speed in which he must move to travel the plane.
With the Ice Cream Woman, the tilt is used more passively. It widens the road, but the woman is a contrast as she looks upright next to the buildings and people in the background.
In The Artist, the dutch tilt is used to create mockery. The man in the picture is surrounded by squiggles and irregular shapes. He is holding what looks like a drink, perhaps alcoholic. His hair is long and messy. The tilt disbalances the viewer, perhaps lending us a peek to what the subject might be feeling at that moment.
THROUGH THE LOOKING TUNNEL
Armed with this knowledge, I set out to create my own photographs using the dutch tilt. My plan was to take pictures of people in motion, so I took to the train station, thinking there's going to be a lot of people there. I was wrong... "a lot" cannot even describe it. Half of the country, at least! But after the first few shots, I was hooked. I decided to just focus on trains and its travelers for the rest of the photo-hunting session.
The works are titled "Through the Looking Tunnel", mostly because I find it funny that both photography and trains go through tunnels. When a photo is taken, the light has to travel through a tunnel (the lens) before it can be captured by the photographer, just like a train may go through tunnels under mountains to get to its destination. Also it's a play on Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass", probably one of my favourite children's books.
Here are the final six photographs:
Stasiun Palmerah, the hall looks like it's about to collapse, the people falling over
Stasiun Jakarta Kota, the dutch tilt can also be used to fit great lengths into one image; use of diagonals
Stasiun Palmerah, the picture looks even heavier because the wall seems to be putting a ton of weigh on the man, and the light is spilling out of the windows into the floor
Stasiun Jakarta Kota, showing movement and speed, this is a technique used often in car commercials
Stasiun Manggarai, the people look like they're literally falling over to the booth, just like how one feels in a queue
in the train, exactly how one would feel when riding one of those metal worms, tilted and about to fall over
I'd say it was a great experience over all. I did get a few weird stares, especially in the train, and got kicked out by an officer in Palmerah because apparently you had to have a license to take photographs in a train station. Strangely enough, this wasn't a problem in the other stations. Nevertheless, it really opened my mind to what photography is, not just a way to document things or get Instagram followers... but also an art form itself.