Learn Composition by Example / Discuss

word artist    says:

Unlike other aspects of composition, subtlety cannot be summed up in one simple and memorable sentence. Where leading lines provide direction and depth, or negative space balances the subject with an empty expanse, subtlety is more… well, subtle. There are many tones of subtlety. It can imply the definition of the subject, or even the masked presence thereof within an image; it can relate to the way other compositional principles and techniques are handled. Or anywhere in between. And, because it is a convoluted concept in itself, most things that count as subtle would qualify for my normal twist at the end…

Subtlety creates a sense of the dynamic, as it entices the viewer to be active in investigating the image: uncovering its secrets.

Subtlety of form (soft focus)
It is easy to dismiss an image that is out of focus as simply being poorly shot. But sometimes, this can be intentional. There may be one detail that is the technical in-focus subject, but the scene is dominated by less-focused elements that give it context. And in fact, it is those outliers that are the real subject, surrounding the focal point.

While the focus in this image is on the cluster of stamens - and when viewed large, there is sufficient detail there to hold interest - this is in reality an image of an entire flower. And therein, the whole is subtle, as it is predominantly out of focus, its edges indistinct, the texture of its form present in hints: lines of differing luminosity extending from the focused heart.

This image uses barely a third of the available dynamic range, with 80% of the image being within half of that. There is very little scope within the palette to convey detail, and then much of the image is gradient, rather than hard edges between tones at opposing ends of the used spectrum. At first glance, it might appear to be a rather flat grey scene, but there is a great amount of detail to be found within, by those who take the time to investigate.

While this image may not appear to many people to be subtle in the first analysis, it is. It uses only three tones: grey-white, browns, and orange; the latter being an outlier in the brown family. It is the way the use of these tones are grouped and balanced that provides the image with its strong definition: the orange surrounded by whites, in turn surrounded by the range of softer browns. While there is very limited use of colour, the create stark relief and emphasise the subject.

As an abstraction - a harsh contrast of blue and white, an intriguing form - this works extremely well. The offset placement gives it dynamic balance. But the deeper beauty comes in attempting (successfully or not) to discern what it actually is; in studying the implications of the window reflected in its form that tell us it is inverted, and from there trying to imaging the completeness of its shape - what purpose this object might serve: is it just an ornament, or something more?

One cannot avoid but being captivated by the spread of banded texture in the sunlit sky here. And in itself, it would make for a beautiful image. But it is the direction those streaks lead us that holds the true gem: two silhouetted trees in the corner, anchoring the image: the true stars.

A lost tomb, harshly lit to pick out the two forms lain atop the slab. It is an image that is intensely powerful. And then there is the second subject: the mesh of cobweb that stands between the dead and the light. It adds a further dynamic to the scene, to the point almost, of itself being the defining characteristic: it is the subject which gives meaning - timelessness - to the rest of the scene. A few strands of gossamer…

Within a scene of otherwise soft-focused abstraction, we find here the musical softness of dewdrops hanging on leaves. While the whole is soft, the details of the subjects - the pearls of wetness - stand out in sharp detail… but they populate the scene only sparsely: a subtle presence.

It does not take a lot of deductive reasoning to see that this is a flower: a rose. Yet this is achieved through the use of only the faintest lines in any detail, edges between tones; a very light palette. We know what it is despite the limited information presented.

In itself, this is a reasonably well composed image o some kind of lines, with dew drops on them. But with the addition of the title - "its a love song" (sic) - the image becomes so much more. The word "song" implies music. And from music, we have a stringed instrument. As such, this image can be interpreted in two ways: either as the staves of a score with the due being notes, or as the strings themselves, with those in the distance being blurred not so much by depth of field as by the motion of vibration. Can you hear the note that drifts softly from the image?

At first glance, this image does not appear to be subtle. There are countless repetitions on a theme, with the lighting reflected of all those bubbles large and small. Therein, though, is the subtlety: we actually have a three-dimensional view of the lamp, for in one scene we see it from countless angels, albeit all similar. This is enough, however, for there to be differentiation between them. There is pattern within the chaos.

While this image could be said to be a leading line as subject, for it is a road that leads only out of the scene, there are more subtle leading lines within it: in the pattern of potholes, we find direction. The various groupings and clusters of these puddles lead us ever onwards through the image, until they become no more than the dark edges of depressions, continuing in the same direction. And then we have further subtlety of on tire track trying to navigate its way through this chaotic obstacle course.

The presence of curves within this image is not immediately obvious - hence the subtlety. Rather than being S-curves, in this case, they are framing curves, that create a flow through the image, as would the cut-out of an hourglass shape. One curve is created by the line of the treetops, from the top right corner down to the middle of the left side of the image; the other matches it with the right half of the shoreline extending down to the bottom left corner through the reflection of the treetops. The shape left between these two curves of negative space is itself somewhat S-curve shaped…

There is no dominant diagonal line in this image, and yet the composition is clearly diagonal in nature: from the anchoring arm in the bottom left, we are drawn up through her body and face, guided into the top corner by the slant of her eyes and the echo of the recorder's line.

This image achieves subtlety predominantly through the abstraction of subject, which is itself achieved by (a lack of) focus. There are some elements that are obvious: that it involves either glass or a highly reflective surface, and also from this we can imply roundness of shape, but little more. It is the mystery that makes it so compelling.

While the aquatic diptych has been done many times, the use here of a curved wave and a lack of primary subject subtly turns it into an abstract, with the interest being on the division of the scenes.

I covered the ideas of a subtlety of subject and subtlety of focus. But there is another axis to which this form of subtlety can be applied: time. The use of a long exposure to convey the uncertainty of time brings out our innate lack of understanding of the subject. It is a subtle message.

This is a fabulously composed and executed image - strong lighting and a clearly emotive scene. The subject - Souveche - is powerful in her distractive form. The diagonal and cut-out triangular composition is well managed. But… she is not the subject; she is but a distraction. Once you see the gun, it hold your attention; Souveche's form becomes ever more deadly.

The image of two birds - in silhouette - atop poles is not entirely uncommon. But this rendering of it adds a subtle detail that changes the meaning: we are used to the bids being mirrors one of the other, facing across the scene in communication. But here, the idea is inverted. One bird is entirely flipped, still providing the same body angle, but facing downwards and away. It completely flips the scene…

One might not immediately think of this image as subtle, but it is. It has two subjects that fight for dominance, using very different approaches: the one in focus, the other through distinction of colour. That creates a fascinating interplay, with attention moving ever between the two elements. It is thus a subtly dynamic image.