There’s always a point to everything, in photographs that I choose to present to the world. It may sometimes seem random, but to me, there’s always a point to where I choose to put stress into a frame.

In this specific photograph, it is the iron rod sticking up from the third wood post. Without that, this would be a rather flat, probably quite boring photograph. Someone else might find it interesting for the repeated pattern, but that alone is not enough - for me.

What this extra little rod does - for me, I might add, is create extra weight on the right side. Not enough for the entire frame to tip over to the right, but enough off center to create a sort of imbalance, at the same time creating weight, and functioning as a stopper, pulling the weight backwards, toward the centre.

In one sense, one could say that the eye moves through the photograph to that rod, then bounces back again - to immediately go back, bounce back, and that set on repeat, over and over again…

Most photographers talk about composition, but to me - that has very little to do with anything. I am much more interested in how a photograph affects how we look at it. The choices we make, that provides certain effects to a viewer. It takes awareness and attention to do this, and deals more with understanding how to distribute weight, rather than where to put an object to create balance.

There are so many amazing things that can happen in a photograph, once someone starts being aware, paying attention to what they actually see, and get creative with how to present it in a photograph.

Ever think of what catches your eye, and why, when you make an effort to be aware of what you’re actually seeing?

Best visual and perceptive regards,
Malinka Persson