How would you interpret the use of angles in this image?

1. 81

   kallini2010posted 11 years ago

   How would you interpret the use of angles in this image?
   
   It's not a trick question.  There is no right or wrong answer.  Not all of us are experts in photography, nor should we be to perceive and make interpretations.  Of course, there is a  reason photographers use angles and there is a specific meaning, but the idea is that the viewer would understand without explanations, hence the power of an image.  Any response is welcome.
   
   

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2. 59

   epigrammanposted 11 years ago

   ...well from this 'angle' the lady in the profile photo looks simply stunning .
   lake erie time 7:43pm
   
   ..oh you mean the picture below ..... well that was me today walking along the lakeshore road with the cold windchill coming off the lake - minus the white dress, the yellow shoes and the shopping bag.
   My interpretation of this photograph?
   It looks like a cover for a Pink Floyd album.
   Or a shot taken by a member of the Paparazzi Ants trying to maintain the balance of the camera and take a picture at the same time.
   Love the distortion of the compostion though.  No matter what way you move the frame of this picture - something else looks off kilter and not in alignment with everything else.  Boggles my eyes of perception.

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      RNMSNposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      you always know just what to say I agree too

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3. 80

   snakeslaneposted 11 years ago

   Quite simply, I think the creator of this image wished to convey a sense of the 'world' being off kilter. Builds tension, and is slightly disturbing.

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4. 64

   Ralph Deedsposted 11 years ago

   The slanted angle of the horizon and buildings contrasts with the vertical angle of the woman creates an eye-catching effect. Normally I try to keep the horizon straight and the people and buildings at 90 degrees, but angling the horizon can work if not overdone.

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5. 59

   Neil Sperlingposted 11 years ago

   Very clever... and well done too. I would say all the photographer was trying to do is bring attention to his work... creating within the viewer a desire to REALLY look at when is happening there.
   
   It is romantic to think he was showing the world as off kilter... or showing his lady friend got it right in a mixed up world.. I would doubt the photographer had those ideas when he took the shot... he may have developed the idea after viewing.... but his main objective in my eyes was to get attention and do something unique... he was 118% successful at doing that -- so Bravo

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      kallini2010posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Loved your detail - 118, not 125 or 115...!  I would assume that the photographer knew what he was doing.  Angles are such basics.  But I love the answers so far - those come from TRUE writers!

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6. 64

   leroy64posted 11 years ago

   Given the orientation of the woman to the edge of the image, I would say that the photographer is playing with the perception of gravity.  The woman appears to be standing straight and the world around her is not obeying gravity, visually. Normally we associate the bottom of a picture with down.  The picture takes on a more abstract and geometric quality that would have been hidden if the photo was normal.

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7. 83

   K9keystrokesposted 11 years ago

   The positive use of parallax error brings a healthy dose of imagination to the image. It is really intriguing how the perspective created by the architecture draws the eyes down the line of the buildings to intersect with the light post and then the structures in the background. The lovely model at center becomes less the key subject for me, leaving the elements surrounding her of real visual importance. I really enjoy this type of artwork, making the mind find the art within the presentation truly brings an elevated appreciation for the viewer. Wonderful light and shadow work here; making an all but perfect exposure. This image details just how critical it is for a photographer to "see" the light, while still managing to create top-notch subject matter. Wildly enjoyable!
   Thank you for sharing this work.
   Cheers!

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8. 68

   Nellieannaposted 11 years ago

   Since the lady is vertical in the actual frame of the photo and her feet, ankles & legs are slightly 'turned' to accommodate the apparent angle of the 'ground' on which she appears to be standing, my impression is that the location is set up to  create the illusion of its being at an unnatural angle, much as photos of people walking up walls are set up by having the 'walls' actually horizontal and people are just strolling along across them as they would the floor.  Simply showing the photo as if the walls are vertical seems that the people are walking up them. 
   
   Her shadow's angle and size is an interesting anomaly, possibly the most clever - or the most careless - element in the presentation.
   
   There are so many motivations for photo-tampering these days, it would be a wild guess to try to anticipate what this one is, other than an attempt to create a puzzling illusion, which it obviously accomplishes!  haha.

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   1. 81

      kallini2010posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Nellieanna, the best thing about art is that you don't have to know what artist wanted to say.  What you see is what you get.  You have the complete freedom of interpretation.  I like how people view this image, it's enticing!

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   2. 68

      Nellieannaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Of course; - the artist and each viewer is individually involved in the creation of art.  I like all the  various interpretations, too!  As you say - they're the value and fun of it.

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      Tusitala Tomposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Now, if the background had been a space shot with an astronaut it would barely have raised a comment.  Good topic for our Hubpages question 'answerers.'

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9. 87

   Doc Snowposted 11 years ago

   Well, it seems the subject is upright, while her environment is slanted far off the vertical.  There's a 'wrongness,' but it is in the environment, not the individual.  She is estranged from the environment in which she finds herself, but it is not her 'fault'--her perspective is the true one.  (Or at least the photographer's!)

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10. 61

    DON DUKE,1VOICEposted 11 years ago

    The one who took this picture know how to work the camera. Cool.

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11. 86

    SidKempposted 11 years ago

    I actually find the shot rather gimmicky, and so, not very interesting. Whether is was simply done ty having the woman lean, then turning the camera at an angle, or using Photoshop, it just feels like a trick. The only reason the woman looks "upright" is because the camera is turned.
    
    I sense the idea is trying to convey - upright woman, twisted world - but it doesn't work for me.
    
    If you took this picture, or whoever did, please do not be offended. I can be way too picky for my own good, sometimes.

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    1. 81

       kallini2010posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I did not take this image.  The idea behind the question was to ask how a specific image is perceived rather than a general question what is the meaning of using angles in photography.  That is all.

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    2. 86

       SidKempposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I'm glad. The diversity of responses is very interesting, and I'm glad not to cause offense.

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12. 60

    Civil War Bobposted 11 years ago

    Been there...been drinkin' that...time to sleep it off...

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13. 0

    paxwillposted 11 years ago

    If she is leaning like that without any assistance,  she must have supernaturally strong core and leg muscles.

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14. 58

    Critical Thinker1posted 11 years ago

    I see the photographer playing with line, a key element in any work of art. As others have pointed out we are used to perceiving images oriented vertically or horizontally, but many of the images we think of as having a horizon are actually using diagonal lines to draw our attention of a point on the surface (canvas, paper, etc.). For example, a painting of boat on the sea may use the mast pointing towards the upper right corner and the peak of a mountain pointed to the upper left. The eye is naturally drawn to the point where the two lines intersect - life on land and life on the sea, stable and turbulent.
    
    In the case of this photograph the diagonal lines intersect at the woman's center (waist/hip) and the edge of the sidewalk and the street lamp. This image could be read as a as comment on how people (or women, or this woman) are at odds with the city street or that she is resisting being tied down or that she is anchored to the city street. kallini2010 I agree that the beauty of art is that there are unlimited ways to interpret it, there are no wrong answers. Thanks for starting this discussion, it is always interesting to hear how different people perceive the same image.

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15. 60

    windygreenposted 11 years ago

    This image says to me  :
    
    The World is Crooked !!!!!

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