Exercise 18. Vertical Lines.

Vertical lines in an image can portray dominance, power and growth.  Excellent examples are architectural structures and trees.  They are also able to convey a variety of moods in a photograph.  Vertical lines can be used very effectively by changing from horizontal to vertical framing.  This will lengthen the vertical subject further which will emphasise its height.  

Fig 1.  1/250 sec    f/4.0    ISO 100   Tripod  used

Water feature in Dubai Mall, featuring male diving sculptures..

30 metres in diameter and 24 metres in height. 

I chose to use a shutter speed that would freeze the movement of the water, to emphasise the frozen motionless sculptures.  

Each diver is evenly spaced apart, and the formation of them diving creates stunning vertical lines.  

The vertical format works well with this image and adds to the impact.  The recycled water also creates vertical lines in this image, which seem to be beyond human reach.  It gives a sense of grandeur.
There are two competing textures here also, the natural texture created by the water and the man -made solid, smooth, shiny surface of the sculptured divers.
Great impact here in this image created by the vertical lines of sculptures which have created repeated patterns.

Fig 2.    1/200sec    f/6.3     62mm    ISO 160   Tripod used


Changing the composition for this photograph I elected to use horizontal format, as I wanted to show the sweep of the curve from one edge of the image flowing through to the left hand side.  The vertical lines in this image are accentuated by shooting in horizontal format, if this had been shot in portrait, it would have lost its sense of repetition and drawn the eye up and down rather than from right to left.
I feel the image and composition is quite effective as the vertical lines are quite strong.
The curve creates a tapering off of the wall and I have kept in mind the rule of thirds. 
Horizontal lines and repeated pattern create an impact in this image. 

Fig 3    f/5.6    1/250 sec    55 mm  

This coniferous woodland was taken on the roadside coming down from Table top mountain in Cape Town.

I have used photoshop elements to convert to a black and white image.  I took this image as a portrait as I wanted to capture the height of the slender trunks and accentuate the vertical form.  I like the density of the trees and the highlights and shadows thrown on the ground from the sun, which was coming through the canopy above.

There is a sense of depth in this image, the trees in the background appear shorter in height and smaller. The further away the trees are in this woodland the closer together they appear to be.  

The erect lines also create a sense of loftiness and extend upwards towards the sky.

  

Fig 4.    1/250 sec     f/5.6     55mm    ISO 250      


Strong but static image of vertical lines, which lead the eye towards horizontal lines of steps and cross beam which light is suspended from. 
The base and top of the marble pillars connect and are close enough together forming two diagonal lines.
The formation of the vertical pillars, horizontal lines in ceiling and horizontal lines from steps create an illusion of depth, (linear perspective)
Great impact in this image created by lines going in different directions.

My thoughts on this exercise

The placement of several vertical lines can create an illusion of depth.

Portrait format is far more successful than landscape, this lengthens the vertical subject further which emphasises its height. 

With strong vertical lines in a photograph, placing a line directly in the middle of a  shot will effectively cut the image in half, and leave an image looking segmented.  Remember Rule of thirds......

Remember that vertical lines that are repeated in patterns in an image can be used to great effect, particularly if they contrast with other shapes and lines going in other directions.