Asymmetrical Balance

​Balance refers to the distribution of elements in a composition.  There are several ways to think about balance, symmetrical and radial for example, but in this lesson, we are going to examine asymmetrical balance and use some images from the High Museum of Art’s collection.  Because this is for a specific lesson I teach in class we are going to use scenery as our subject matter.

Asymmetrical balance is that where the elements are distributed unevenly to achieve a specific effect.  The more common method is to control how positive and negative space are spread throughout the picture plane.  Like in this John Menapace photograph.

​In this Edward Weston photograph the image is dominated by the sky, which is mostly negative space.  The effect I get from this photo is to feel much smaller in the context of the image.

​Lucinda Bunnen does the opposite in her photo, it’s nearly all positive space, even the little gap of negative space is occupied by a figure.  This small gap is used to create emphasis, but that’s another lesson.  How does this make you feel?  How does the dominating positive space contribute to that feeling?

​Asymmetrical balance can also be manipulated by dark and light areas.  In this Harry Callahan photograph, the dark black of the building and El line occupy a lot more space than the white of the sky.  While not very comfortable, it definitely makes for an engaging image.

​The image we have looked at so far are a little unsettling, but asymmetrical balance can also be comforting and at the same time make the image exciting to look at.  In this photograph by Eugene Atget the rhythm (yet another lesson) of the dark and light areas, and the positive and negative space create a lively scene from a simple street corner.

​William Henry Jackson does a similar thing in his photograph.