Composing your images well is a fundamental idea behind capturing beautiful shots. There are many ways to use photography composition to add interest to your images.
Balance in photography is one of these important examples of effective composition. Learn what it is and how to use it in the article below.
How to Use Balance in Photography
“What is balance in photography?” is a good question to ask. It determines whether the photo is pleasing and harmonious or uncomfortable and unresolved.
If you take balance in its literal sense, the analogy of weighing scales comes to mind. Here I’ll show you how to use balance in composition for better photos.
If you divide this photo in half with a fulcrum in the middle, you can place objects in different parts of the scene. These make balanced photography or unbalanced photography.
By balancing elements in your image, you can create symmetrical balance. Or you can create something different.
When a photo is symmetrical, it’s easy to identify the balance. But obvious photography balance can prove somewhat boring. This is why asymmetrical balances can add interest.
Example 1
I like the photo below, but if I was relying only on its balance, it would have been boring. It is not a true representation of balanced photography as a definition.
Along with placement, size and visual weight are balancing elements. It depends on their positioning. They have the opportunity to create balanced images.
For example, let’s say you have a small and a large object. These are impossible to balance in photography. They are not equal distances from the center of the photo.
The main subject has an informal balance in the image. It can be used in the rule of thirds, where the secondary subject equals the weight in the image.
Try placing the smaller object on the far edge of the frame and the larger object a little off-center. The balance becomes a lot better resolved. As it would be with actual weights on a scale.
Example 2
Let’s look at the visual weights of the two primary subjects in this example. It’s from our reader Timothy Sax. It is not a typical balanced composition.
Check the off-center subject. The smaller shadow in the negative space at the edge of the photo counterbalances it.
He’s also used converging and horizontal lines, which provide a solid base for the photo. This, in turn, provides stability and balance.
It’s good to have balance in photography. But if you want to make your images a little more interesting, disrupt the balance. Unbalanced compositions help to attract the viewer’s attention.
You can also use the unusual placement of a single object, dynamic tension, and single leading lines. These all help create unbalanced photography.
They produce a feeling of unresolved tension.
Example 3
Here it is in another one of our balanced photography examples.
Balance is, of course, much more complicated than weighing out a couple of objects in a photo. It’s uncommon to actually see two objects sitting on a solid base. This usually only happens in architecture, symmetry, and reflections.
The weighing scale analogy is good for explaining the basics. But for the majority of photographers, photography balance is much more complicated. And there are a lot less rules.
Example 4
I would consider the image below unbalanced. The main visual weight of the subject is to the right of the frame. The vertical lines imply a solid base, and the horizontal lines create a zig-zag of natural tension.
This acts as a weight for the left side of the photo. But it’s not enough to make it feel like a true balanced photography definition.
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Creating balanced and unbalanced images are both compositional techniques. The difference here is that balanced images are often those with equal visual weight. A mirror image, if you will.
The eyes of the viewer determine whether it is balanced or unbalanced. It’s up to the photographer to decide how they want the viewer to perceive the photograph.
Deciding between balanced and unbalanced is like deciding between tension and harmony. Each degree of choice has its different uses.
We’ve already looked at balanced photos. Let’s have a look at unbalanced photos and their uses. They still provide a good composition for important subjects.
Sometimes you’ll want to add dynamic tension to your photos. You’ll find that the tension itself acts as a technique for unbalancing elements.
In the photo below, it’s hard to find the center of gravity. This is because the image goes outwards from the photo in so many contrasting directions. The small detail in the top-left-hand corner is even more distracting.
You may also want to unbalance a photo to direct the viewer’s eye and attention to a certain part of it.
You should do this with caution.
Make sure not to choose a position for your subject that’s too unusual. The unbalanced technique you’re using will become very obvious. That’s much less effective.
Example 1
You’ll notice that the balance is leaning toward the left-hand side of the photo. This leads your eyes to wonder what’s in the rest of the photo. Your attention moves towards the pier and the people on the beach.
This lack of balance makes the photo more interesting and makes the viewers look at it longer.
Example 2
Now, take the same effect and exaggerate it with the use of a shallow depth of field and fewer possible subjects. You’ll get results like my photo below. It’s hard to tell whether the BBQ or the tire swing is the subject.
This unbalanced technique can change the subject. It goes from the obvious to what may seem insignificant. This sparks the viewer’s curiosity. It makes them want to look at something that they think they’re not “supposed” to be looking at.
Example 3
Now consider your subject’s position in the frame by looking at height. It may bring up ideas of the two subjects having equal weight or not.
In the photo below, the fireworks seem to balance out the weight of the stage. The stage is a lot wider. But the size of the fireworks and their vertical position create a downforce. This appears on the left side of the image.
Different composition techniques have different effects. The better you understand them, the better your balance will be. The idea of conceptual balance idea is one of the main techniques for adding interest.
Conclusion—How to Use Balance in Photography
As professional photographers, we spend a great deal of our time creating awesome images. We use alternative composition techniques that the viewer is unlikely to pick up on.
You may find it frustrating at times that they’re not seeing all your hard work. But that’s not what’s important. If you know it’s a great photo, that’s all that matters.
The more aware you are of the effects of balance on your photos, the better your photography will be. It pays to think about how you want to portray your image before picking up your camera.
The degree of balance is at the heart of every photo, and you can’t ignore it. Remember that any technique, when used to excess, is going to lose its worth.
