Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

composition & perspective 119

Tilting the camera
Dynamic, diagonal lines in an image don’t have to
be created with the pose or other elements in the
scene. the easiest way to create them is simply to
tilt the camera. tilting to the left gives a different
effect to tilting to the right—try it for yourself.

Abstract effects

in this image the extreme distortion

caused by using a wide-angle lens

combined with a close-up view

renders the body almost

unrecognizable—at first glance the

viewer is confused; what am i looking

at here? the graphic abstraction is

enhanced by the play of light and

shadow on the model’s back.

Interrupted symmetry
An almost perfectly symmetrical composition is broken up by the position
of the model to one side. the viewer’s eye stops at the model, then proceeds
down the corridor to the door at the end. notice the banding effect in the glow
of the wall light: this effect is caused by overexposure with early digital cameras.