Ready to Shave

No doubt these are supposed to be warriors on guard and ready to fight. Except for the guy on the end however, they all look like they are armed with giant razors. Don't they?



1/50 f/4 ISO 800 24.0-105.0 mm @ 35 mm Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Ontario Place,Toronto,Ontario

There are two fundamental concepts you should be aware of: "The elements of design" and "The principles of design". Sure you can take great pictures and not know anything about them, but you might not know why they are great and how to consistent in creating a great image. We could talk about this image in the context of each of the sub topics within those, but I am going to pick one from each. Follow the 'read more...'

The element of the day is 'line'. There are many lines within the image, but there are two dominant ones; the diagonal lines formed by the blocks at their feet which lead the viewer diagonally through the image. Those are contrasted with the vertical nature of the soldiers and their weapons.

Finally the principle is 'repetition'. There are three main elements which are repeated, the blocks at their feet, the soldiers in a row, and their weapons. The first guy with the sword is of special interest. He fits into the repetitive pattern because he is holding a weapon, but also breaks it because it is not the same as the rest. This creates an interest. Why is he different? Although the picture does not answer the question it does make us look at it longer. And that is what we want people to do with our images.