Diagonal method: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:55, 6 October 2016

Revision as of 20:18, 13 June 2017

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Diagonals, the middle [[perpendiculars]], the [[Centre (geometry)|center]] and the corners of a square are said to comprise the force lines in a square, and are regarded by some as more powerful than other parts in a square.<ref>Arnheim, R. (1954). Art and visual perception: A psychology of the creative eye. Los Angeles: University of California Press.</ref>

According to the DM, details that are of interest (to the artist and the v

According to the DM, details that are of interest (to the artist and the viewer) are placed on one or more diagonals of 45 [[Degree (angle)|degrees]] from the four corners of the image. Contrary to other [[rules of thumb]] involving composition, such as the rule of thirds and the golden ratio, the DM is not ascribing value to the [[Line-line intersection|intersections]] of its lines. Rather, a detail of interest can be located on any point of the four bisections, to which the viewer’s attention will be drawn.<ref>Westhoff, E. (2009). De diagonaal-methode. (The Diagonal Method.) Zoom.nl Digitale Fotografie & Video, 2009(10), 82-87.</ref> However, the DM is very strict about placing details exactly ''on'' the bisection, allowing for a maximum deviation of one millimeter on an A4-sized picture.{{cn|date=September 2014}} Another difference with other rules of thumb is that the DM is not being used for improving a composition.{{clarify|date=September 2014}}

According to the DM, details that are of interest (to the artist and the vieweriewer) are placed on one or more diagonals of 45 [[Degree (angle)|degrees]] from the four corners of the image. Contrary to other [[rules of thumb]] involving composition, such as the rule of thirds and the golden ratio, the DM is not ascribing value to the [[Line-line intersection|intersections]] of its lines. Rather, a detail of interest can be located on any point of the four bisections, to which the viewer’s attention will be drawn.<ref>Westhoff, E. (2009). De diagonaal-methode. (The Diagonal Method.) Zoom.nl Digitale Fotografie & Video, 2009(10), 82-87.</ref> However, the DM is very strict about placing details exactly ''on'' the bisection, allowing for a maximum deviation of one millimeter on an A4-sized picture.{{cn|date=September 2014}} Another difference with other rules of thumb is that the DM is not being used for improving a composition.{{clarify|date=September 2014}}

== Application ==

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The DM can only be applied on images where certain details are supposed to be emphasized or exaggerated, such as a [[portrait]] in which a specific body part deserves extra attention by the viewer, or a photograph for advertising a product. Photographs of landscapes and architecture usually rely on the composition as a whole, or have lines other than the bisections to determine the composition, such as the horizon.<ref>Elzenga, J. W. (2009). Digitale fotografie natuur: Tips en technieken voor het fotograferen van landschap en dieren. (Digital photography in nature: Tips and techniques for photographing landscapes and animals.) Amsterdam: Pearson Education. P. 49.</ref> Only if the picture includes details such as persons, (standalone) trees, or buildings is the DM applicable.{{cn|date=October 2014}}

== Gallery ==

<gallery widths="150" heights="150">

File:Diagonal method.jpg|Diagonal method, a sample image in DM

File:Diagonal method Right.jpg|Diagonal method, The diagonals from the bottom left and top left are crossing the top of ear and the diagonal from the left top is crossing the eye

File:Diagonal method Left.jpg|Diagonal method, The diagonal from the bottom right is crossing the the oral commissure

File:Diagonal method Center.jpg|Diagonal method, The diagonal from the bottom left is crossing the the oral commissure

</gallery>

== References ==