SQUARE FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Before conducting my first shoot in an aspect ratio of 1:1, I wanted to look into the compositional techniques used in square format photography. A main source of my research was a video on YouTube going through different techniques.
When viewing a landscape image, the eyes will generally move from right to left and with portrait, up and down. With a square format, the eyes follow the image in a circle due to it being a perfectly balanced shape. This is a benefit of the square format as it means that the image is more engaging, rather than the viewer just scanning the image in horizontal/vertical lines, meaning that the eyes explore the content of the image for longer.
The way that the eyes move around the image means that positioning the subject in the centre creates balance to the image. This allows more freedom with this shape as when shooting in a rectangular format, positioning the subject in the centre generally goes against compositional rules but with the square format, this can work well in the image.
Due to the strong geometric shape of the square frame, the shapes within in image are also emphasised. This means that simple compositions are best for the subject shape to stand out as if the background was too busy, it would reduce the effectiveness than if it was against a plain backdrop. The shape of subjects is furthered by working in black and white as this allows for the contrast to add to the definition of elements within the image.
Where the horizon placed is important and can be positioned differently, depending on what part of the frame is wanted to be emphasised. Splitting the image into by placing the horizon halfway, works very well with a square frame and furthers the balance in the image. If the horizon is in the top third of the image, the the landscape is emphasised and any subjects appear larger and stand out more against the sky. Alternately, positioning the horizon lower down will make the sky and clouds the focus of the image, and the landscape and subjects on it smaller and more insignificant.
Leading lines help to guide the viewer through the frame and have a significant impact on what direction the eyes travel across the image. One type of leading lines are bottom to top, or side to side lines across an image. These lines compliment the simplicity of the square format and creates a very still and peaceful image. Another type of line is the diagonal line which have an opposite effect to vertical or horizontal lines by creating more movement across the image. This leads to a more dramatic tone to the image as it breaks the circular movement that the eye naturally wants to do across a square image.
Negative space refers to the empty space that surrounds a subject in a photograph. The inclusion of negative space creates a sense of scale and distance around the subject, allowing it to breathe. This is particularly effective in landscape photography as it shows how big a subject is compared to the surroundings, allowing the vastness to be emphasised. A square format is a good way of using negative space rather than a rectangular format, as with this the empty space can be too much so that the subject is lost and the frame is mostly uninteresting detail. However, the square provides a balance between this by allowing the subject space to breathe without including too much empty detail to distract away from the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUdY9LFvVE0&t=359s
