MONOCHROME MONDAY: DESIGN BALANCE (9 Photos)

Posted on by Prior...

8-12-2019

Hello Readers,

Have some black and white photos to use up. 

Had them ready for a blog break last spring. That never worked out because I didn’t take the break and instead promoted Lady by the River book – woo hoo.  

Anyhow, I have an idea for how to use up these photos (thinking of Helen with this idea…)

I chose some photos from the batch and will connect them to thoughts on balance in design. 

Ready?

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 BALANCE IN DESIGN

BALANCE REFERS TO VISUAL WEIGHT THAT HAS EQUAL DISTRIBUTION 

Four types of balance in design: SYMMETRICAL, ASYMMETRICAL, RADIAL, & ALLOVER 

Balanced or unbalanced elements in a photo (or in any visual art) does not mean good or bad – it has to do with artist preference – on what they choose to create or photograph – and the horizontal and vertical placement within the composition.

Sometimes UNBALANCED can be really interesting. Other times not. 

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ONE: SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

 

My leftovers did not have any with true symmetry – so here is an example

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE REFERS TO USING SIMILAR SHAPES ON EITHER SIDE OF A VERTICAL LINE. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF BALANCE TO IDENTIFY. THE SAME ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CENTER AXIS. THIS PERFECT BALANCE IN SYMMETRY CAN OFTEN BE SEEN IN BUILDINGS AND CAN BE QUITE STATIC IN SOME ART.

 

TWO:  ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE REFERS TO NOT HAVING ELEMENTS THE SAME ON BOTH SIDES BUT THERE IS A perceived sense of balance BY PLACING DISSIMILAR ELEMENTS ON CERTAIN SIDES IT PROVIDES A SENSE OF BALANCE IN THE MIND. THIS ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE USE OF VALUE AND COLOR. THERE CAN BE DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SHADES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CENTER AXIS.  

 

THE NEXT SIX ARE

ALL CONNECTING TO

RADIAL BALANCE

THREE:  RADIAL BALANCE

#2 – Some of you might remember this one, I hardly ever share repeat photos but this bloom was shared in color earlier this year – Store-bought bouquet spring 2019

 RADIAL BALANCE REFERS TO HAVING ELEMENTS ARRANGED AROUND A CENTRAL POINT. ELEMENTS RADIATE OR CIRCLE OUT FROM A CENTER POINT. RADIAL PATTERNS ARE PLENTIFUL IN NATURE. AND IN SOME CULTURES – RADIAL BALANCE IN ART CONNECTS TO SPIRITUALITY AND SOMETIMES RITUALS THAT CONNECT TO UNITY AND CONNECTEDNESS. MODERN WESTERN ART HAS LESS PURE RADIAL DESIGNS. 

#3- Florida garden – in winter
#4- SOUTHEWEST VIRGINIA OCTOBER 2018 (This is a geranium – did you know that geranium essential oil is a bug deterrent and it can also help balance hormones – it does not smell the best – but it calms too)
#5 – Christmas in Kansas City (2018) – son bought this for grandma – how sweet – it was small and cost 25$  – but it was worth it 
#6: Home Blooms 2019- shared some of these blooms in the color version earlier this year 
#7: Visiting the Retirement Center 2019 (Did you know that places like Trader Joe’s donate their unsold flowers to retirement centers? – sure does add some beauty) 
#8: Holiday Bouquet #2 –

FOUR: ALL OVER BALANCE

(CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC BALANCE)

#9: Blooms from the SIDE GARDEN –  LONG-LASTING MUMS

4) ALLOVER BALANCE (ALSO CALLED CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC BALANCE) REFERS TO HAVING ELEMENTS PLACED WITH AN EQUAL PLACEMENT ALL OVER THE COMPOSITION. 

 

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I have some more of these black and white photos to use up so I will have another “design-themed” post coming later.  

And here is a closing comic relating to life balance:

 

comic credit- glasbergen.com

Have a great day and thanks for viewing…

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42 thoughts on “MONOCHROME MONDAY: DESIGN BALANCE (9 Photos)”

  1. There are some very nice monochromes here, and it was a nice idea to relate them to information about balance in design. My favorite is that Florida photo – the lilies, they’re beautiful.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much – you would not believe how run down of a place that was where I grabbed the photo –
      I looked down and remembered how easy it is easy for things to grow in Florida
      Thanks for the visit

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Nice pictures about symmetry and asymmetry . The real pictures do not have clear cut between them. The symmetry all over don’t have symmetry at the macro scale (I like that kind of symmetry though).

    Your cartoon is very funny and it is true but I have answer about driving back and forth to work. One the way to work, I think about work. One the way back from work, I think about work 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi yellow cable – my friend – thanks for your comment (because as usual you helped me improve the post- )
      I just went back and fixed it a bit to make it clearer
      This was not a post about symmetry and asymmetry –
      Especially because I did not even have a photo for symmetry
      This post talks about the four types of balance and symmetry and asymmetry are only
      two of the four – the other are radial and all over.
      My post is mostly “radial” balance because that is what I have in the photos waiting
      I almost did a post just on radial balance with those six photos – but then my teacher side thought
      – “why not mention where radial balance fits in with the four from design basics.
      —
      And your comment was funny about the comic – i usually have music or a podcast going – not munch thinking

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I have to admit. I do the same. I mostly turn music on but recently I listen to NPR more. Work thinking comes when I was going to work as part of planing for the day and when there are problems to figure out.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad you don’t think about work when home – ahhhh
      And thanks for leaving a comment – can you leave a link to
      Your blog – your gravatar is not active and I don’t have you come up in my reader
      😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. thanks C, and you are right – prt of the beauty of flowers is the color – ahhhh
      and maybe that is why to use these in a post I felt led to connect to the design basics of balance – because the mono allows us to feel visual weight and the elements in a different way

      Like

      Reply

  11. I love black and white photos. As with movies, it’s up to us to bring color to the medium in order to fill it in. I just always found black and white photos to be more interactive.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. I didn’t know about the four types of balance in photography. Nor did I know about Trader Joe’s flower donations. These are all good things to know. I love #3. The lines and shades of gray seem perfect to me.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi ally -thacks for chiming in – cheers to #3 – it was a run down kinda place in FL and also winter – and when I saw those blooms I was reminded that while I never want to live full time in FLa (did three times) I love to visit because it has so much beauty year round – well I guess many places do also – the natural beauty just changes – anyhow….
      and I think Kroger grocery stores and other big chains (in addition to Trader Joe’s) also donate the flowers too –
      and whew –
      around the holidays it is super fun – like there are times when all tables or mantles have vases – after easter – after Mother’s Day –

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. thanks Lisa – I processed a bunch of floral images to use on a blog pause – but that never worked out –
      but I had fun that day doing it – it was in march and I called it “monochrome madness” because match madness basketball was going on

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. I like the B&W photos Yvette – they are stunning. I smiled at the cartoon at the end as well. I didn’t know about the geranium’s oils and benefits and I wonder why I’ve never heard about Trader Joe’s donations of unsold flowers to retirement homes before – what a thoughtful gesture.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. That is very nice of them Yvette – a bunch of flowers will make those seniors’ days – heck, a bunch of flowers makes anyone smile. We don’t have Trader Joe’s around where I live.

        Like

  16. Pingback: FLOWERS on FRIDAY (Colorful Floral Connections to Life Situations) – priorhouse blog

    1. thanks so much Joey – it really was nice to read.
      Because in my media folder here on WP – I had like 35 black and white photos that I did not know how to share in a post – and this was an idea that seemed to work – I could just have deleted them – but well…

      Like

      Reply

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