The diagonal method (DM) is a

rule of thumb In English, the phrase ''rule of thumb'' refers to an approximate method for doing something, based on practical experience rather than theory. This usage of the phrase can be traced back to the 17th century and has been associated with various t ...

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

and

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

. Dutch photographer and lecturer Edwin Westhoff discovered the method when, after having long taught the

rule of thirds The rule of thirds is a "rule of thumb" for composing visual arts, visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photography, photographs. The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equa ...

in photography courses, he conducted visual experiments to investigate why this rule of thirds only loosely prescribes that points of interest should be placed more or less near the intersection of lines, rather than being rigid and demanding placement to be precisely on these intersections. Having studied many photographs, paintings and etchings, he discovered that details of interest were often placed precisely on the

diagonals In geometry, a diagonal is a line segment joining two vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, when those vertices are not on the same edge. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word ''diagonal'' derives from the ancient Greek δ� ...

of a

square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

, instead of any "strong points" that the rule of thirds or the photographic adaptation of the

golden ratio In mathematics, two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. Expressed algebraically, for quantities a and b with a > b > 0, where the Greek letter phi ( ...

suggests. A photograph is usually a rectangular shape with a ratio of 4:3 or 3:2, from which the diagonals of the photograph are placed at the

bisection In geometry, bisection is the division of something into two equal or congruent parts, usually by a line, which is then called a ''bisector''. The most often considered types of bisectors are the ''segment bisector'' (a line that passes through ...

of each corner. Manually placing certain elements of interest on these lines results in a more pleasing photograph.

Theory

200px, Example using Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. The yellow diagonal line intersects two main points of interest: the girl's left eye and the pearl earring. Diagonals, the middle perpendiculars, the Centre (geometry), center and the corners of a square are said to comprise the force lines in a square, and are regarded by some as more powerful than other parts in a square. According to the DM, details that are of interest (to the artist and the viewer) are placed on one or more diagonals of 45 degrees from the four corners of the image. Contrary to other

rules of thumb In English, the phrase ''rule of thumb'' refers to an approximate method for doing something, based on practical experience rather than theory. This usage of the phrase can be traced back to the 17th century and has been associated with various t ...

involving composition, such as the rule of thirds and the golden ratio, the DM is not ascribing value to the intersections of its lines. Rather, a detail of interest can be located on any point of the four bisections, to which the viewer’s attention will be drawn. However, the DM is very strict about placing details exactly ''on'' the bisection, allowing for a maximum deviation of one millimeter on an A4-sized picture. Another difference with other rules of thumb is that the DM is not being used for improving a composition.

Application

The diagonal method was derived from an analysis of how artists intuitively locate details within a composition, and can be used for such analyses. Westhoff discovered that by drawing lines with an angle of 45 degrees from the corners of an image, one can find out which details the artist (deliberately or unconsciously) intended to emphasize. Artists and photographers intuitively place areas of interest within a composition. The DM can assist in determining which details the artist wishes to emphasize. Research by Westhoff has resulted in the finding that important details on paintings and on etchings of

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

, such as eyes, hands or utilities, were placed exactly on the diagonals. It is very difficult to consciously place points of attention precisely on the diagonals during the making of photos or artworks, yet it is possible to do this in post-production using guidelines. For instance, the DM can be applied to move the subject of a picture further into a corner. The DM can only be applied on images where certain details are supposed to be emphasized or exaggerated, such as a

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

in which a specific body part deserves extra attention by the viewer, or a photograph for advertising a product. Photographs of landscapes and architecture usually rely on the composition as a whole, or have lines other than the bisections to determine the composition, such as the horizon.Elzenga, J. W. (2009). Digitale fotografie natuur: Tips en technieken voor het fotograferen van landschap en dieren. (Digital photography in nature: Tips and techniques for photographing landscapes and animals.) Amsterdam: Pearson Education. P. 49. Only if the picture includes details such as persons, (standalone) trees, or buildings is the DM applicable.

References

External links

www.diagonalmethod.info
{{photography subject Photographic techniques Rules of thumb

Theory

Application

See also

References

External links