Perspective and balance of a photograph...?

Question

What are they exactly and what do they add to the composition of a shot? I know perspective has something to do with the angle at which a shot is taken or the space between objects, but that's about it. I'm guessing balance has to do with colors or the space filled in a shot?

Answer 1

Fortunately for you, the perspective is there already, in Nature, if you you were to place a piece of glass in front of you, the glass is your picture 'frame', what you see through the glass is what you will have in the picture 'plane', Now, if you were to take a marker and trace what you see on the glass, that would be your picture (photo) and your glass is your finished picture, So, you can now take the glass and place it on the table or on your wall, and there is you picture.

The composition, that is where talent comes in, your eyes and brain work together, and as you go about, or shoot photos, your skill and knowledge will tell you...that would be a beautiful or interesting shot. so you take it, the balance is what makes it naturally attractive, if you have photo-shop, you can alter the image, or the color in order to make them more "harmonious", (artists can do this with paint, by adding or wiping) which is what will make you famous, when you can take a photo so that the masses can appreciate. All of this stuff comes with practice, and trial and error. Time is a great teacher, practice, work, patience and perseverance are better teachers, even better than books or some teachers.

Answer 2

Perspective is much more involved than most people think. Sure, angle of view plays a part, but lens selection is very important. Consider a foreground element of medium-sized boulder in front of a mountain range. Using a wide angle lens and shooting from near the rock, it would look as large, if not larger, than any of the mountains. Stand back a long ways with a telephoto and it may so tiny as to be unnoticeable. Perspective can also be affected by the lighting. For instance, photographing a tree in a think woods in clear air has a different depth perspective than that same scene on a foggy day. There is no right or wrong, although certain perspectives may be preferable depending on what you want to emphasize within the image.

As for balance, that has to do with a couple of things. First is placement of the major elements within the image. It can be left to right, top to bottom, diagonally, or all or any of the above. It's more a feeling than it is a science. Balance is one of the reasons the "rule of thirds" is so heavily taught. To help prevent lopsided compositions.

A photograph that is heavy with detail on one side, but rather flat and plain on the other may seem unsettling to some viewers.

As well, balance can be color, contrast, or overall tonality (black to white range) within the image.

That all said, there are no rules. Some seemingly "lopsided" images may work very well. It all depends on the scene and you.