is the shape of a pyramid, or of two buttresses

leaning in towards each other. Therefore,

arranging three objects so that two form a base
and the third an apex above creates a stable form,
and this association is carried into the image. It is
the classic three-figure shot, and in photography
that allows the subjects to be manipulated, it is
a standard and usually successful technique to
reposition things in this way. The two diagonals
in such a triangle help it to escape the heaviness
of a square or rectangular arrangement.
The reverse configuration, with the base at the
top of the picture and the apex at the bottom, is
an equally useful shape to introduce into a design.
It has different association: less stable, more
).6%24%$42)!.',%
aggressive, and containing more movement. The )NITSELFTHEARRANGEMENTOFTHE
apex points more obviously, probably because it TWOSEATEDFIGURESONLYMILDLY
appears to face the camera and viewer, and there SUGGESTSATRIANGULARSHAPE
is the kind of tension that you would expect from BUTASTANDINGSHOTLOOKING
DOWNWITHAMMLENS
a shape that symbolizes extremely precarious
STRENGTHENSTHESTRUCTURES
balance. A special use for inverted triangles in BYCONVERGENCE
design occurs in still life and other group pictures 4(2%% 3(/4
where objects are of different sizes yet need to be 4HREE FIGURESHOTSUSUALLYCONTAINTHEPOTENTIALFOR
unified in one shot—placing the smallest nearest ATRIANGULARSTRUCTURE(EREITHASBEENDELIBERATELY
the camera, at the apex of the triangle, and the STRENGTHENEDBYTHEVIEWPOINTWHICHNOTONLY
SHOWSATRIANGULARRELATIONSHIPINTHEHEADSBUTA
rest of the objects behind. A wide-angle lens, used
TRIANGLEINTHEOUTLINEOFTHREEFIGURES
from a raised position looking slightly down,
will emphasize the proportions of an inverted
triangle, just as a wide-angle lens pointing up
will create upward-converging verticals.
Under what circumstances is it useful to try
to impose a triangular structure? It is important
to see implied triangles as one of a few devices for
bringing order to an image, or of arranging the
things being photographed. The occasions when
such organization is needed are usually those
when there is a need for clarity. This is common
in still-life photography and in various forms of
reportage when the most important thing is to ).6%24%$42)!.',%&/2&/#53
make a clear representation of something, often !TRIANGLEWITHITSAPEXATTHEFRONTOFTHEPICTURE
in a visually untidy setting. As this is a common MAKESAUSEFULCONFIGURATIONNOTONLYFORGROUPSOF
OBJECTSASINASTILL LIFEBUTALSOTOFOCUSATTENTION
condition in professional photography, the idea
MORESTRONGLYONTHEAPEXWHENTHECONVERGING
of structuring an image in a simple graphic
SIDESDRAWTHEEYETOWARDTHISFOREGROUNDPOINT
arrangement is principally professional. )NTHISINSTANCETHEDEVICEWASCHOSENBECAUSETHE
SUBJECTTHERICEWASVISUALLYBLAND

86 4( %0(/4/'2!0( %2´3%9% 87