I loved to press the shutter, to freeze time, to turn little slices of life into rectangle rife with metaphor
Deborah Copaken, American author and photojournalist
Shapes and lines are important elements in photographic composition, but how often do we stop to consider them? I think I am more aware of lines than I am of shapes, to be honest. I look for leading lines and for dynamic diagonals in particular, but Iโm less likely to look for specific shapes.
However this week Egidio asks us to do just that for the Lens Artists challenge, specifically for rectangles and even more specially for two rectangles. The most obvious example of these, I reckon, is the separation of land and sky when photographing a flat landscape. At its simplest we can reduce these almost to basic geometrical shapes.
That in itself can be interesting, but we can also then add something to one of the rectangles to create a focal point in the image, using the rectangle almost as a frame within the frame of the image. Looking through my archives I discovered that I do this quite a lot, without really being conscious of the geometry involved. A tree against a sunset sky, an animal, a person. In every case the โframeโ created by the rectangle helps to draw attention to the object.
Most of my examples below do just that, to a greater or lesser extent. While it’s perfectly possible to use this compositional tool for portrait format images, all of these are landscape format because I was focusing mainly on the horizon as the dividing line between my two rectangles. And all are from my archives so you may well have seen them before, but hopefully a few at least will be new to you. Or maybe you will see them through new eyes, as I did, thanks to Egidioโs challenge!
My feature photo was taken in Reykjavik, late one evening in May when the days were long and the nights short.
Sunset at Baobab Beach, Madagascar
Heron in flight, Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
In the Salar de Atacama, Chile
Pelican in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Wall and tree, Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde
In the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Road in Zambia, on our way to Botswana
Elephant in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Armadillo near Lago Pehoe, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Bored youngster at Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico
T-shirts for sale in Sal, Cape Verde
Rugs for sale in Marrakesh (rectangles within a rectangle)
Tree and sand dune, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Our guide’s car in the Empty Quarter, Oman
Fishing boat, Mirbat, Oman
Deception Pass Bridge, Washington State
60 Comments
Sofia Alves
Wow, Sarah, your post is awesome. I love the first one, so calm and beautiful.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sofia ๐
wetanddustyroads
Beautiful – every photo! There is literally a special feature in each of your photos … I especially love your Botswana photos.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much ๐ Botswana is definitely one of the most wonderful countries for photography that we’ve visited!
Annie Berger
You did a great job finding the rectangles in the shots, Sarah! I always enjoy your retrospective shots of world images! My fave this time were the rugs.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie, glad you enjoyed this whistle-stop tour ๐
photobyjohnbo
Your examples are on-point, Sarah! My favorite is the portrait of the bored child in church. I remember those days myself. It could have been me. >grin<
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you John ๐ I think many of us can empathise with that little lad!
equinoxio21
Excellent selection. I suspect -by memory- landscapes and human construction have plenty of rectangles…
Well the camera itself is a rectangle. I wonder why? Could it be that paintings were rectangles mostly? So when photography started they picked up a rectangle? Hmmm.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you – a good point about the shape of the camera ๐ Certainly when photography started it was heavily influenced by painting so that’s one possibility – the other being that it was simply easier to make it that way! Although a lot of early film photography was in fact square I believe?
equinoxio21
True. Square was one shape. Actually my first camera was a Brownie. Square film.
Sarah Wilkie
Mine too ๐ But it took rectangular photos, I have posted some here: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/my-photography-journey-more-than-fifty-years-of-images/
equinoxio21
You did? How nice. Hopping over.
grandmisadventures
great collection! The armadillos of Chile look so different from the armadillos here. Amazing that you were able to get such an up close picture of it ๐
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg ๐ The armadillo was rooting around a picnic site in the park so probably very accustomed to people. I think he would be one of the hairy armadillo species found in South America.
Leanne Cole
These are just wonderful and they so perfectly fit the brief. You have done a great job Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Leanne ๐
norasphotos4u
These are all beautiful!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nora ๐
Jyothi
Beautiful captures! Loved them all!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback ๐
Leya
Absolutely gorgeous, Sarah. Your natural rectangles are beautiful and I loved the little boy. The wall and tree and the dunes of Oman are my favourites.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ann-Christine ๐ That wall and tree shot is definitely the overall winner here!
Mari Nicholson
As usual, Sarah, a delightful portfolio. I think you’ve more than mastered the brief.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Mari, I’m glad you liked these ๐
niasunset
So beautiful photographs, especially I loved the first one and the contrast (the land line) this is amazing. Thank you, Love, nia
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nia, I really appreciate the feedback ๐
kzmcb
Youโve got some great examples. The wall and tree, and tree and sand are my favourites.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you ๐ The wall and tree shot seems to be emerging as a general favourite among this set.
Tina Schell
These are terrific as always Sarah, but that bored little boy is a true heart-stealer! Beautiful work.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Tina ๐ I was just lucky to spot that little lad at the right moment!
margaret21
Well done for the way in which you tackled this. I still feel faintly bemused by this challenge, but you seem to be on a winner. Egidio clearly thinks so. The portrait shots are especially clever.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Margaret ๐ I was quite relieved to see Egidio’s comment as I wasn’t 100% sure I’d fulfilled the brief, being likewise bemused at first!
margaret21
I’ve yet to take the plunge.
Sarah Wilkie
Go for it!
JohnRH
Superb photos and subject matter as always. ๐๐๐
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you John (again, as always!) ๐
thehungrytravellers.blog
Whatever happened to the word oblong ๐๐. Great collection but of course my eyes are drawn to the African photosโฆ.
Sarah Wilkie
Good question – I don’t think I’ve used that word for years! Glad the African shots are whetting your appetite ๐
Jane Lurie
What a fine set, Sarah. Your low placement of the horizon line in many of the shots is visually appealing. Wall and Tree, Bored Youngster, Guide’s Car and T-Shirts struck me especially in this set for their creativity and compositional strength. Terrific post. ๐
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jane ๐ Yes, placing the horizon very low is something I do like to do where appropriate – I think it catches the viewer a little by surprise and increases the impact of the shot. I’m glad you liked Bored Youngster in particular as I was pleased with that ‘decisive moment’ shot ๐
Egรญdio
Sarah, your examples are stunning. I had a hard time scrolling past the opening photo. Your use of minimalism and rectangles in that one photo left me breathless. That photo is worth being on a wall. I think it’s futile to comment on every single photo; they are all so beautiful. I will, however, wow at some of the examples, if you let me. The Atacama desert photo with those birds and reflections creating the rectangles is another wonderful example of rectangles. The Zambia road divides the landscape into two sections. The elephant with the blue water in the lower rectangle offers great contrast. You also found a remarkable way to use rectangles in portrait photography. The solid rectangle below the child’s face is excellent. Great post and beautiful photos!
Sarah Wilkie
Wow, thanks so much for this affirmative feedback ๐ I wasn’t entirely sure I was on the right track with this one – as I said, I’d never thought about splitting the frame into rectangles before although I do like to take a minimalist approach sometimes which tends to do just that. I’m so glad you feel these have worked and meet the brief!
Monkey's Tale
Another great selection Sarah, I love the Wall and Tree in Cape Verde. It’s like a piece of art. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie ๐ I found the architecture in Praia lent itself to quite geometrical photos like this one, I had several I could have included in this post!
Sue
Well presented, Sarahโฆ.I think I may struggle with this one
Heyjude
My comment appears under Teresa’s. Sorry for that. Problem using the phone!
Sarah Wilkie
I struggled a bit to get my head around it, to be honest Sue ๐ And Jude, I’ve seen your comment and replied below. That happens to me with phones in particular too!
restlessjo
Surprising how often we do this without thinking, Sarah. Wonderful examples here ๐ค๐ฉท
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jo – I think that’s true of a lot of photography ‘rules’, they become second nature after a while ๐ But I have to say I’ve not really ever thought about rectangles specifically.
Teresa
Wonderful as always Sarah!
Heyjude
I’m not sure I understand the concept of rectangles, I see the use of lines in these photos, more the idea of thirds to compose a shot. It’s a novel idea, but I’m not totally convinced.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa ๐ And Jude, I do get what you’re saying – I struggled a bit with this challenge as I too saw an overlap with other tools such as lines and the rule of thirds!
Teresa
I think the secret is, donโt over think. Because we always use it already, we just donโt recognise it, or we call it other names.
Sarah Wilkie
I think you’re absolutely right on that Teresa ๐
VJ
Gorgeous photography, Sarah
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, much appreciated ๐
VJ
You are welcome
Anne Sandler
Great examples of rectangles that frame and accent a subject!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne – I confess I struggled a little to get my head around this challenge, especially the requirement for just two rectangles!