The Denial © Knut Skjærven
If you are given the princess, take possession of the kingdom as well. It is already yours.
Street Photographer’s Toolbox might seem like a somewhat academic, rule ridden project. It is not, but it is definitely a need to know what a car looks like if you want to drive it. If you don’t have that information you will not even find the car. How could you?
Knowledge stimulates creativity. It don’t hinder it.
When speaking of, for instance gestalt factors, you don’t only get the princess you get half the kingdom as well. And you get it for free.
When we talk about proximity, similarity, closure and all the other factors the kingdoms that comes with them are non-proximity, non-similarity, non-closure and so forth. Those non-factors are at least as important as the gestalt factors themselves.
Gestalt factors are about mentally grouping things, but, as suggested, non-grouping is even as important.
Take a look at the photograph in this post. I could have chosen to make this romantic scene with a young couple being admired by a random by-passer. All would have been good.
Adding a lone lady in the left window, and even blocking her from the romantic couple by a solid wall, makes this a more disturbing photograph. A new chapter is added to the story.
The tactic of non-grouping, however, also have a strengthening effect. It stresses the effect of belonging as expressed by young couple.
In this shot you have both: grouping and non-grouping. That is a grand recipe for making itching images.
None grouping, or going against any factor, gestalt factors or not, does not only give you the princess but you get half the kingdom as well. And you get if for free. So use it.
You will be surprises what more comes with this kind of thinking. I will leave that to another post. Soon to come.
© Knut Skjærven. All rights reserved. Text and photo.
Copenhagen April 23, 2013.
Street Photographer's Toolbox 