Diagonal lines

In the two previous exercises we have looked at horizontal and vertical lines which pictorially add a sense of stability to the image, this because they are the lines we associate with the forces of gravity.( Freeman, M. 2007) Diagonal lines are freed from the constraints of having to be correctly aligned within the frame and thereby give the photographer greater freedom to experiment with the angle of line and the effect it has. This effect is to add tension to the image and a sense of movement, the tension is directly linked to the previously mentioned stability in horizontal and vertical lines, in that the sense of gravity is overcome.

Salzburg Cathedral

    In this first image you can see I have created a diagonal by tilting the camera, this makes for a more dynamic picture of a static object because you have the feeling that the building is falling, although you obviously know that it is not. (Freeman, M. 2007)
    There are very few naturally occurring diagonal lines, most are created by the choice of viewpoint and type of lens used. Probably the most common type of diagonal line is that caused by the effects of perspective.

Hellbrunn Palace

   The above image was taken of a very long drive with a wide angle lens to accentuate the sense of depth that  the strong diagonals give.

St Peters Cemetery, Salzburg

    The above image is further example of perspective diagonals, which sense of depth is enhanced by the receding arches. I have also purposely not corrected the verticals as I feel that this felling of canting over adds a slight uneasy feeling to the picture and increases the tension, although you might not agree, I know that some people feel that all buildings should be straight.
    I have also included a lone figure in the distance to give a sense of scale and finishing point to your view up through  the picture. This lone figure has been used by photographers for many years but has become synonymous with the work of Andre Kertesz ( 1894-1985 ) who was a Hungarian emigre working New York for much of the last century. After a promising start to his career in Hungary and Paris he found it difficult to settle in America and never achieved the acclaim he deserved until he was an old man, he was always the outsider, never even managing to learn the language.
    So we could see his lone figures stalking the streets of Paris and New York as surrogates for  Kertesz alone in the big city ( Dyer,G. 2005 )
   Therefore maybe we can see ourselves as the woman in the above image having just walked through these archways, what is she here for, is she a tourist like me or has she come to visit a grave.

Bus Stop

  The above picture has very diagonals produced by using a fisheye lens and then correcting the distortion in Lightroom. Once again this is showing the effects of perspective diagonals which as I said earlier are the most common diagonal lines.
   Diagonals can also be used to add a sense of speed to an image, this can be of a stationary object ie, of a car for use in an advert, to make it appear faster and more dynamic or to accentuate the speed of a moving object, as in the image below of my daughter karting.( Prakel,D 2006 )

Karting

  Diagonals are a very useful tool to add tension and movement to an image, but also to give a sense of depth and three dimensionality.

   Ref: Freeman,M.2007,The Photographers Eye,ILEX,Lewes.
          Dyer,G.2005,The Ongoing Moment,Abacus,London.
          Prakel,D.2006,Composition,Ava,Lausanne.