Visual Language - Rule of Odds
Here we are again with another compositional device, in this case the Rule of Odds, that is saddled with the word “rule” in its description. I absolutely follow photographer and podcaster, Pat Kay, in thinking about compositional devices not as rules but as visual patterns. You can choose to use them or not. Their value is that when they are used, they visually engage the human brain. Any time you can do that as a photographer, you have succeeded. The Rule of Odds states that an odd number of objects in a photograph will produce a more visually pleasing composition than an even number of objects. Why in the world is that the case?
Humans are drawn to symmetry. Toward that end, we like to create pairs. When there are an even number of objects, we can pair everything off and declare victory. When there are an odd number of objects, there is an odd man out, so to speak. In the resulting asymmetry, our eye is pulled to the flaw. We will then search for the missing component. Our brain will have to work harder to take in the elements of the photo. That translates to longer viewer time, which is totally the goal.
When looking at a picture that includes objects, here is how humans count the objects: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, a lot. The Rule of Odds only works with 7 or fewer objects. It actually works best with three objects, so the rule is sometimes called the Rule of Threes. When looking at an even number of object the eye tends to fall in the empty space between pairs. When there are an odd number of objects, it tends to fall in the middle object, which is easiest to see if there are exactly three.
My eye goes right between them.
If any of you moonlight as still life or flower photographers, and you are not using the Rule of Odds, well now is the time to start practicing. Composing to get odd numbers of people in a street scene is absolutely more difficult for street photographers. I hasten to add that Henri Cartier Bresson did it, so I reckon we can, too. One strategy is to use the principle through grouping. If you have four people and they are grouped into a group of one and a group of three, you still have the advantage of odd numbers. Also, people divided between an odd number of groups confers the advantage.
This is a three + 1.
I looked through many of my photographs to see how often I inadvertently used the rule of odds. It was not very often. In fact, I would guess it was fewer than what would be predicted by the law of averages. Great. I latched on to the “go for the even” strategy.
I think the bagged up drum effectively adds a third element here.
Now for a little color theory.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are defined as colors next to each other on the color wheel. Traditionally, an analogous color scheme is made up of three colors, but it can have more colors or even less. One of those colors is generally either a primary or secondary color. Unlike complimentary color schemes, analogous color schemes are perceived to be harmonious.
I had to look through many, many photos to find one of my street photos that used an analogous color scheme. On the street, we do not particularly get to pick color. When an analogous color scheme does happen, albeit rarely, it tends to give the composition a boost.
I don’t think this is about color, but the red-orange-yellow analogous color palette does not hurt.