with a simple triangle

Using Triangles in Composition & Posing

This trick is no secret.  In fact it’s not even a trick.  This simple compositional principle is deep rooted in our subconsciousness’ desire for simplicity and completeness.  If something is too simple it’s not complete, if it’s too complex it’s not simple… the triangle has the envied position of being the simplest of all the polygons, after all it has the minimum number of lines required to ‘close’ the shape and promote it from a simple line to a polygon.  Simple and complete, all rolled into a single entity.

The triangle has hypnotized artists for thousands of years. But you already know all that crap.

In fact, if you have read just a tiny bit about art or paid a little attention as you look at paintings by the masters (you do go to museums right?) then you know what I’m talking about.

So why read it again?  Because I’m more entertaining than your stupid art class, that’s why.

It’s hard to believe that Leonardo Davinci painted the Mona Lisa over five HUNDRED years ago.  What better example of the brilliant use of a single, prominent triangle to create a stunning and simple composition.  But wait you say, “That’s not a triangle, all the corners are cropped out.”  Well, guess what, an implied triangle is just as strong as an actual triangle… and if that doesn’t satisfy your naysaying read the evidence which suggests (and I believe) Leonardo’s masterpiece was originally larger, and probably included the entire shape.

So there.

What does this have to do with photography?

As the photographer you have ultimate control of what you show between the four edges of your frame, that is your kingdom to create whatever it is you want.  Do you need manipulate your whole photo-taking existence around worshiping the triangle and putting one into  every image?  Absolutely not, but if you spot the opportunity to invite the serendipitous triangle into your images when the opportunity presents itself then I think it will give your work that extra, subtle blend of simplicity and completeness.

Some Examples by Jake Garn

I’m not really sure why these triangles exist, I didn’t really plan them.  I think they are just part of a sub-conscious preference towards arranging subjects into triangles, or maybe it’s a sub-conscious attraction I have towards selecting these types of ‘happy accidents’ in the editing process.  Whatever it is you’ve probably noticed that a lot of my images tend to feature prominent triangles, here are just a handful.  All shot within the last 10 months.

I’d love to read your comments and thoughts about why YOU think triangles improve composition, or if you disagree completely.  Comment away!

Equipment Links

I used different equipment to achieve each of these images but here is a list of some of the items I used most. Links will take you directly to the B&H Photo Video product page for the individual item (the more you buy from them using my links the more encouraged they are to send me product to review for this blog, keep that in mind!)

• Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
• Lens: Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM
• Tripod: Manfrotto 190XPROB
• Tripod Grip: Manfrotto Ballhead (322RC2)
• Memory Card: SanDisk Extreme 16GB
• Strobes: Elinchrom 600RX Monolights and Elinchrom 300RX Monolight
• Light Modifier: Large Photoflex Softbox with grid
• Light Modifier: Medium Photoflex Softbox with grid
• Light Modifier: Rotalux Midi Octa by Elinchrome (53″)
• Software: Adobe Lightroom & Adobe Photoshop CS5

Located about 1.5 miles from my front door it’s an abandoned school of some sort, since it’s probably trespassing I won’t mention any more about the location so don’t ask, but lets just say we found a way into this completely boarded up building and discovered that what appeared to be a small brick structure is absolutely giant! Two floors of long hallways and dozens and dozens of rooms in various levels of muck and grime. Some are pitch dark and some are lit by broken sky lights. Some rooms smell like ‘yard sale’ and some smell like ‘hillbilly farmer’s market’. Some rooms are beautiful with vintage wallpaper and some are absolutely creepy, like the one with a whole bunch of baby dresses strewn about with the words, “Satan was here” scrawled across the wall in thick yellow paint.

What better place to bring a couple of models, a talented wardrobe designer and a half dozen gorgeous hand-made dresses! A big giant thank you goes out to everyone for having the absolute worst cell phone rings in the history of creepy cell phone rings. As you are wandering long, pitch black hallways with two weak flashlights there is no better sound to hear than a slow melodic whistling eight rooms over when your party of six is all a short arms length away… that split second it takes to realize it’s a phone in someone’s bag is not a pleasant split second to say the least.

I’d say the creepiest experience occurred shortly after the shoot in the purple dress and pearls, we had found our next room (the white insane asylum type room) and I went back to collect all the lights to re-set them up. (PHOTO TIP! I used a Lumedyne 1,000WS strobe with battery pack for this entire shoot) I walked back, by myself, and collected the light stand, battery, camera, and then I noticed an almost new bright yellow backpack sitting next to my camera. I was positive that it wasn’t there when I set up everything so I figured it belonged to one of the girls so I picked that up too and made my way back down the long hallway. When I arrived back to the group I set everything down and held out the bag expecting its’ owner to thankfully take it from me, instead I got a bunch of odd looks. The bag belonged to no one. In a house of ruinous decay somehow the one pristine object found it’s way next to my camera…

Models: Kenzie and Cassie, Wardrobe by: McKell Maddox