Did you know that your eye is naturally attracted to the area of highest contrast in an image (or your environment in general)? So if you’re looking at an image of a vast ocean with a little boat floating along, you can bet your bottom dollar your eye will go straight for that boat first.
When taking photographs, you can increase the impact of your images by keeping this tidbit in mind: make your subject standout by minimizing background clutter. Double the impact by having your subject (if it’s a person) wear clothing that contrasts with the background if possible.
Notice in this example how Robin and Travis really pop from the brick wall background–you can’t get much more contrast than black and white on orange. The same contrast is mimicked by the white window…also helping to create balance in the photo (stark contrast on both sides of the image).
In the next example, the level of contrast is not quite as obvious; however it’s still in action. Alia and Justin are wearing contrasting colors and the bright light on their face helps them standout from their background. Notice how the eye is also attracted to the Golden Gate Bridge in the background because of the contrast of burnt orange on blue…it’s probably not the first thing you noticed (the bridge) but your eye probably traveled there pretty quickly.
In general, as you’re viewing images on the web, in your home or even at a museum, pay attention to where your eye “travels” and how that influences how you feel about the image.
Happy shooting from Vantage!
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