After I posted my comment I thought a little bit about this (sometimes I do this ;-)) and I came to the conclusion that as a photographer I like squareness. Geometry. Rectangles. Triangles (not so much). Windows, doors, geometrical patterns of rectangular shadows. Even more if there is a anarchistic quirk in the frame, a weed, a hydrant, a graffiti for example. There are many good examples of this in your blog and sometimes I say “Wow” – most of the times I only think “Wow” since: really, how often can someone say “Wow” without getting noisy? However, as the every day Martina I don’t like it that much – see the “No Weeds Triangle” photo for example – nightmarish. Even the bushes don’t help. Geometry in nature is … unnatural 😉
I think it’s partly just that we frame the world in rectangular—or square—pictures and geometric forms resonate with, or clash against, the picture edge. Maybe rectangles echo and repeat the edge while circles and curves contrast with it.
This would definitely explain why I find it much more easy to photograph let’s say a door or a window and be content than to find the right framing for a tree’s roots or bushes etc.. 😉 But there are many photographers around who can do this brilliantly, so …
In the end it’s of course personal taste. But very often especially German frontyards or traffic islands look more like graves … very clean, very rectangular. Squareness at its best. See the No Weeds Triangle. This is so typical.
Markus’ photo of the corn reminded me of the vineyards around here where I live – totally contrasting to Southern French vineyards. Perfect lines, perfect heights, each and every grape-vine looks like the other. Unnatural squareness in nature.
Martina, Carl: For me, too, that implicit artificiality up to sterility is something that fascinates me in many geometric shapes I find. What Martina said about German front yards is definitely true, and the advent of cheap Chinese-made concrete statues in the DIY markets has even aggravated that situation.
Yes, over here we certainly tend to regulate everything very strict and then the originally natural growth of plants can become a true mirror of this approach.
But I have to experiment with your thoughts, Carl, and see how circles and ovals fit into the framing process.
With circles you can always compose a Japanese flag … ovals might be a little bit harder .. I’ll look for an oval tonight, it’s always nice to have an inspirational kick from such discussions … but I don’t think I’ll find one … ovals are .. ugly 😉
Yes, squareness seems to be everywhere.
That’s why I need something different from time to time, Martina!
After I posted my comment I thought a little bit about this (sometimes I do this ;-)) and I came to the conclusion that as a photographer I like squareness. Geometry. Rectangles. Triangles (not so much). Windows, doors, geometrical patterns of rectangular shadows. Even more if there is a anarchistic quirk in the frame, a weed, a hydrant, a graffiti for example.
There are many good examples of this in your blog and sometimes I say “Wow” – most of the times I only think “Wow” since: really, how often can someone say “Wow” without getting noisy?
However, as the every day Martina I don’t like it that much – see the “No Weeds Triangle” photo for example – nightmarish. Even the bushes don’t help. Geometry in nature is … unnatural 😉
I think it’s partly just that we frame the world in rectangular—or square—pictures and geometric forms resonate with, or clash against, the picture edge. Maybe rectangles echo and repeat the edge while circles and curves contrast with it.
This would definitely explain why I find it much more easy to photograph let’s say a door or a window and be content than to find the right framing for a tree’s roots or bushes etc.. 😉
But there are many photographers around who can do this brilliantly, so …
In the end it’s of course personal taste. But very often especially German frontyards or traffic islands look more like graves … very clean, very rectangular. Squareness at its best. See the No Weeds Triangle. This is so typical.
Markus’ photo of the corn reminded me of the vineyards around here where I live – totally contrasting to Southern French vineyards. Perfect lines, perfect heights, each and every grape-vine looks like the other. Unnatural squareness in nature.
Martina, Carl: For me, too, that implicit artificiality up to sterility is something that fascinates me in many geometric shapes I find. What Martina said about German front yards is definitely true, and the advent of cheap Chinese-made concrete statues in the DIY markets has even aggravated that situation.
Yes, over here we certainly tend to regulate everything very strict and then the originally natural growth of plants can become a true mirror of this approach.
But I have to experiment with your thoughts, Carl, and see how circles and ovals fit into the framing process.
With circles you can always compose a Japanese flag … ovals might be a little bit harder .. I’ll look for an oval tonight, it’s always nice to have an inspirational kick from such discussions … but I don’t think I’ll find one … ovals are .. ugly 😉