Lightism-- Phi and the golden ration in your compositions

We have all heard about the rule of thirds, that tic-tac-toe- grid with the power points at the 4 intersecting dots. But the golden ratio and Fibonacci's number make for an even more pleasing composition. As a scietist and as an artist I find Phi very universally pleasing. Lisa

If God was a photographer – Advanced composition: http://lightism.co.uk/god/


The golden ratio can be seen in artwork as early as 300 b.c, and in the 16th century it was dubbed the divine proportion. It is a mathematical formula called PHI and crops up in an extraordinarily diverse range of nature, artwork and design (from the Mona Lisa to the Great Pyramids) and has fascinated some of the greatest thinkers of our time. If you want to discover more, then The Golden Ratio: The story of PHI, the World’s most Astonishing Number is a fascinating read, or if you’ve only got 3 minutes and are a visual learner, then watch this.

Essentially, scientists have proven that when you read a picture your brain is looking for the presence of the Golden ration as it defines beauty.

For our purposes and to keep it simple, we are going to look at the Golden Spiral, as it is about placement and flow; helping guide the viewer’s eye and deliver satisfaction.

The Spiral is the natural path your follows as your brain tries to make sense of what it is viewing (like listening to a joke) and by placing the focal point at the end of the spiral you are delivering the punch line.

So, by understanding this, your compositions can deliver more impact and you’ll produce more successful pictures.

 

Look for the spiral when composing:
Anyone who has a smart phone or tablet can download a camera app which has a composition grid showing the spiral. DSLR users can use this to train their eye or in the short term in addition to their cameras.

If God was a photographer – Advanced composition: http://lightism.co.uk/god/

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