Photos With Balance And Stability
Balance and stability on the Austrian Parliament facade in Vienna, Austria.
Photos that suggest balance and stability are important notions in architectural photography. I’ve found that’s particularly the case when government, sovereign or religious buildings are depicted.
Creating photos with balance and stability is achieved through symmetry, subject placement, framing and the juxtaposition of both similar and opposing elements within the photo. Great composition is key to achieving a cohesive and harmonious result.
Let’s explore how to create balance and symmetry by examining architectural photos from Vienna, Bruges and St. Petersburg.
Table of Contents:
Achieving Balance Through Symmetry
Wandering around Vienna late in the day I found myself in the grounds of the Austrian Parliament.
This grand building is no doubt a remnant from the Hapsburg era when the Austro-Hungarian empire was a dominant force in continental Europe.
I was careful to compose the above image in such a way to highlight the symmetry within the building’s design. I was able to do this by emphasizing a series of pairs within the composition.
Notice how the statues, columns and stone blocks balance each other. This balance adds to the long term stability suggested by the stone itself.
It’s the stability originally offered through the might of Austro-Hungarian rule, now visible as vestiges of history evident in this important historic structure.
Photographing Days Of Glory, Long Past
While post processing the image I opted for a slightly grungy, desaturated rendering of the scene as a way of depicting the faded glory of days gone by.
Yet the intense blue from the sky, that’s reflected in the windows, provides a nice contrast with the subtle warmth of days end that’s reflected off the stone.
For a sense of history Vienna is a great place to visit. What's more the delightful city of Salzburg is only a few hours away.
If you make it to Austria it’s well worth visiting both cities. Vienna is glorious with grand sites like Schönbrunn Palace.
Salzburg is romantic and the old town can be easily explored on foot. I particularly enjoyed my time in Salzburg.
Photographing the Executioner’s Cottage in Salzburg was fun and tagging along on a Sound Of Music Tour was an absolute hoot.
Balance showcased in golden statues decorating the Bruges Town Hall facade.
Balance And Composition In Photography
Composition, which is the arrangement of individual visual elements or points of interest within the photographic frame, is key to producing a cohesive and harmonious photo.
I photographed this detail on the facade of the Bruges Town Hall in the fading twilight. The golden statues really stood out and I further emphasized them through a carefully balanced composition.
Twilight is the time of day when most folks are either heading home or getting ready to go out to dinner.
But twilight can be a great time for photos, whether or not it's preceded by a great sunset.
The transition from day to night is a quiet period when time seems to slow. It’s a great time to explore notions of peace and tranquility in your photos.
Bruges is probably my favourite mid size city and I spent several wonderful days exploring the old medieval town.
Even though it was late summer the weather was changeable. Still, I was surprised just how warm it was.
Warm days gave way to heavy evening showers but, with the changes in weather, new opportunities for photos arose.
While most tourists stayed indoors during the rain I wandered the cobbled stone streets and soaked in the history of Bruges in peaceful bliss.
I also had a ball making night photos on rainy evenings and remember seeking shelter in a local bar where I enjoyed a drink and a chat with some local gals.
Booze and photography, not always the safest balance. However, when undertaken in moderation, a most joyous experience can result.
Statues signifying balance, stability and learning above the Neva River, St. Petersburg.
Balance and Stability Along the Neva River
The above photo was made while undertaking a cruise along some of St. Petersburg’s canals. The cruise was great fun and provided an interesting perspective of the city’s architecture.
You’ll find unique photos can be made from water level and, if you get the opportunity, a city cruise along St. Petersburg’s canals is well worth taking.
You’ll notice that balance and stability are also key to the design of this image. On one hand it’s just a photo of a group of statues.
However, by designing the image around elements of composition the photo moves beyond the objects depicted.
That’s interesting and one of the ways to elevate a photo from snapshot towards art.
Of course you don’t have to compose your photo in such a way that elements on the left and right of the frame balance perfectly with each other.
That’s the reason why placement of the horizon exactly in the middle of the frame isn’t always recommended.
It can work, particularly when you want to explore notions of balance, harmony and tranquility.
However, adding some visual tension through a slight in balance between top and bottom, or left and right, can produce a more dynamic result.
That’s what I did when making this photo of statues while cruising along the Neva River in St. Petersburg.
All I had to do to ensure the photo wasn’t completely symmetrical was to make sure that the space on the left and right of the frame wasn’t equal.
So, while male and female statues balance each other, the difference in the amounts of space on the left and right sides of the frame brings a slight sense of dynamic to the image.
Like Venice and Bruges, St. Petersburg is a city of canals and, just like Bruges, it’s sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North.
I loved my time in St. Petersburg, photographing the rich culture of that glorious city.
Highlights from my travels to St. Petersburg included visits to the following tourist attractions:
Hermitage Museum
A boat trip along the Neva River
Photographing Russian Navy Day during a night photography adventure
Conclusion: How To Make Well Balanced Photos
Have no doubt, composition is a great way by which we can all improve our photography.
If you want to make images that explore notions of balance and stability composition is how to do so.
Concentrate your attention on similar elements within the scene and position them, within the frame, in a way that achieves a sense of balance that’s appropriate to the composition or mood you want to explore.
The best way to begin to master balance in your photography is to practice by making a few simple still life images at home.
Try photographing two pieces of fruit against a simple and uncluttered background.
Vary the position of the two pieces of fruit in the frame, paying attention to the space between them and between the fruit and the edges of the frame.
It’s an interesting exercise and you’ll be surprised how simple changes in subject placement, framing and composition can produce quite different results.
