Taking the Shot COMPOSITION

As soon as we apply the golden ratio to the top of it, we begin to make associations with the photo elements and the “nautilus shell” pattern. When we cross check this with the photo above (without the golden ratio overlay), we begin to realize how our eyes naturally follow the lines and are directed to the various key points of the ratio.

First, we see that our eyes naturally trace the outer line of the spiral and focus primarily on the photographic elements below it. That is, we tend to largely ignore the corners and far margins of the photo. Next, you’ll notice that the primary focus of the photo is actually rather near where the spiral centers (i.e., the bottom left of the photo). Now, of course we could choose to flip the spiral such that it converges on the opposite side of the photo, the bottom right. This simply goes to show that the golden ratio is indeed flexible, just as the rule of thirds can be. In other words, there is nothing specifically perfect about the bottom left of the photo vs. the bottom right. It all just depends on what you’re photographing and what you find to be the most visually appealing.

The basic idea with the golden ratio is that when each square, convergence point, and line ultimately can be associated with a prominent feature of the photo, a sense of geometry creates a more visually appealing image. At the end of the day, you should take your own creative license and find associations between features in your photo and features in the golden ratio.

In order to demonstrate that this ratio also works well with wildlife shots, take a look at the below example. Here we have a powerful photo of a chimpanzee in Uganda. It’s subtle yet compelling at the same time.