Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

December 27th, 1933 Th[ amateur photographer p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER o P ictorial Analysis Every week one of the pictures reproduced on an art page will be analysed in detail for the benefit of readers of the paper who are seeking to improve their pictorial work. “ WINTER STORM,” by F. ]. Mortimer. VIVID and striking as is the impression conveyed by this picture, and highly dramatic as is the sense of power and force suggested by the swift rush of the waters and the uprising foam, it is also interesting in its employment of lines of movement as an integral element in the arrangement of the composition. Lines of Movement. Lines of movement are those lines either actually in being or suggested by the di¬ rection in which the subject elements are moving. They illus¬ trate the way in which an arrangement grows from line, and how, by the use of directions of similar and opposing tendencies, strength is imparted to the for¬ mation. Speaking generally, an arrangement of this character is all the better for a wise re¬ striction in the num¬ ber of lines included, and, as in other forms of composition, sim¬ plicity offers consider¬ able advantages over complicated schemes, for, while a sense of direction is com¬ petently suggested by one or two lines, a greater number tends to weaken their potency. In this in¬ stance, the main lines are those which indicate the path in which the wave is advancing. These are two in number, and are formed by the' upper and lower lines of the dark streak running almost right across the picture from left to right (1 and 2). There are shorter parallel lines in between, it is true, but they are not continuous, and therefore do not rank as leading lines but rather as lines of imitation. They do but emphasise the sweep of the vastly more important lines, 1 and 2, which, in addition, also lead up to the centre of interest in'the foam of the breaking wave at (3). Force of Opposition. But, forceful as these lines are in themselves, they need lines of an oppositional tendency to make up a composition. These are provided, in the first instance, by the line of the breakers (4), which suggests a crossways motion ; and, in the second, by the downward inclination of the upper line of the cliff (5). The direction suggested by the principal lines (1 and 2) is repeated, but not so forcefully, by the line (6) ; and, again, opposition is afforded by the lines of the rock in the distance (7), while, at the base, there is a suggestion of a recoil in the backward and upward tendency indicated by the broken lines of the tumbled water in the foreground. Incidentally, these are numerous but short, and afford a demonstration of the weakness in directional ten¬ dency imparted by shorter lines oft repeated in comparison with fewer and longer lines such as (1 and 2). Reference to the sketch discloses how these lines, taken in conjunction, seem both to lead up to and enclose the centre of interest at (3), and, even apart from any other considera¬ tion, how they form the basis of a composition of no little strength. That centre, however, also acquires the power of attraction by reason of its forceful position, and by the concentration of interest afforded by the placing of extremes of contrast in juxtaposition. It will be observed that the light of the foam is the brightest of the whole picture, and that the dark of the cliff behind is the most intense. The contrast between the two is exceedingly forceful, and both dark and light pull together in conjunction. That attraction, again, is sufficient in itself to make the centre of interest pre¬ dominant ; and, added to this is the strength arising from the plac¬ ing, the position (3), being in close proxi¬ mity to one of the points formed by an intersection of thirds horizontally and ver¬ tically. Co-ordination of Arrangement. So that it will now become evident that because of the co¬ ordination of the three elements of arrange¬ ment-line, chiaroscuro, and placing — the com¬ position directs the eye to the chief point of attraction, and, however it may tend to stray, it is brought back to that point inevitably. Because the attention is directed to, and held at, that point, the picture appeals as a whole or as a unity, and, in attaining that quality, it enables the viewer to appreciate the signifi¬ cance of its artistic effect or its mes¬ sage to be readily understood. Its mood, the portrayal of the sea in stormy weather, is therefore con¬ vincingly conveyed, and the vital force expressed in the culminating burst of foam against the steadfast rock, is no less strikingly brought out. It is a fine and noble work, ably conceived and carried out with skill and verve. “ Mentor.” 18 592