Exercise - Positioning the horizon

 In this exercise I have taken a series of photos to investigate the effect of changing the position of the horizon. The scene across the field of rape seed flowers with the striking yellow contrasting against the blue-grey of the sky seems to demonstrate this nicely.

This first photo gives maximum prominence to the sky and the eye is drawn down to the small strip of yellow and the few small details of the barn and tree. My feelings on taking this were it gave me a feeling of expectation, like something was going to happen in the sky. It also made me think of a flat landscape like the American plains. I would probably 'burn-in' the sky at the top to add to a more dramatic feeling as there is little of interest at the moment.

In this photo the horizon is positioned approximately 1/3 from the bottom. This I feel is nicely balanced in it's ratio with 2/3 sky to land. Also the barn sitting on the horizon at the 1/3 from the right really works. The composition of this picture works well and fits with the principle of harmonious balance and fit in with the 'Fibonacci divisions' (Freeman, 2007, The photographer's eye). I feel that this composition is a very 'safe' option and produces a pleasing comfortable result but doesn't inspire any tension or dramatic feelings just a 'watercolour cosy-ness'

This pic was supposed to be with the horizon at exactly the midpoint which I though I had taken through the view finder but I think that I naturally compensated away from this. So I am disappointed that this doesn't demonstrate the static and possibly boring composition and the horizon is actually quite nicely set at just above the halfway line. The foreground of ruts in the mud actually brings in a new dimension of interest and makes you feel really 'in' the landscape.

The horizon in this shot is now set at 1/3 from the top of the frame. This feels nicely balanced and now the eye is drawn to the deeply rutted earth in the foreground with some diagonal tension applied by the direction of the ruts. The Rape flower yellow now just adds in a dramatic band of colour almost becoming the horizon with the trees and barn adding some nice detail to break up the horizon line. I like the results and think this is my favourite of the compositions.

In this last shot the horizon line is nearly at the top of the frame. The eye is drawn instantly to the band of yellow and the top of the frame. Also there is some good detail in the ruts my overriding feeling is that I would want to re frame the shot so to me it doesn't work and is my least favourite of the series.

Ref;  Freeman, M. (2007) The Photographer's Eye A single point UK ILEX