Evaluation of Still Life Photos

Composition is the term used for the arrangements of the elements in or the subject matter of a painting. When done successfully, it draws in the viewer and pulls their eye across the whole painting so that everything is taken in and finally settles on the main subject of the painting.

The Elements of Composition in art are used to arrange or organise the components in a way that is pleasing to the artist and, hopefully, the viewer. It helps give structure to the layout and the way the subject is presented.

The 8 elements of composition are:

Unity-Do all the parts of the composition feel as though they belong together, or does something feel stuck on, awkwardly out of place?

Balance-Having a symmetrical arrangement adds a sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical arrangement creates a sense of unease, imbalance.

Movement-There are many ways to give a sense of movement in a painting, such as the arrangement of objects, the position of figures, the flow of a river.

Rhythm-In much the same way music does, a piece of art can have a rhythm or underlying beat that leads and paces the eye as you look at it. Look for the large underlying shapes and repeated colour.

Focus-The viewer's eye ultimately wants to rest on the most important thing in the painting, otherwise the eye feels lost, wandering around in space.

Contrast-Strong differences between light and dark, or minimal.

Pattern-An underlying structure, the basic lines and shapes in the composition.

Proportion-How things fit together, big and small, nearby and distant.

I think that my composition of my still life photos is successful for some elements of composition. I think most of my photos have balance as they are quite symmetrical. I think I have been successful with focus and contrast because the objects stand out in the photos, I tried to use dark backgrounds as the objects are quite light to make them the focus of the picture. I think the photos of still life were much more successful outside, to me it felt as though the fitted better with the backgrounds outdoors than the one I made indoors. I feel as though I was unsuccessful with movement however the objective was still life so I think I was still successful because in still life you are not supposed to feel movement.