Oliver San Juan
Photography
Capturing the humanity of the moment...
GESTALT PRINCIPLES OF PERCEPTION
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Gestalt theory is a school of psychology that emerged in Austria and Germany in the early 20th century.
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Gestalt is a German word meaning “form” and is interpreted as configuration or pattern.
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Simply put, everything is part of a bigger picture. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What is "Gestalt Principle of Perception and how could we apply it in photography?
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Gestalt theory is visual stimuli that assist the photographer to identify interesting subjects or elements
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Gestalt theory is a guide in achieving effective composition.
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Gestalt theory can help to develop one’s own vision and style.
Basic Principles of Gestalt
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Figure-to-Ground
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Common Fate
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Proximity
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Similarity
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Continuity
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Closure
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Symmetry
FIGURE-TO-GROUND
Figure-to-Ground is the tendency of the visual system to simplify a scene into the main object that we are looking at (the figure) and everything else that forms the background (or ground).
How do you apply good figure-to-ground?
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Color Contrast - complementary colors
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Tonal Contrast - light falloff on the subject against a darker background or vice versa
COMMON FATE
The tendency to group objects together that share a common motion or destination. It is the grouping together of objects or organisms who move as one or together.
How do you apply common fate?
Compose your shot to show subjects/elements going in the same direction.
PROXIMITY
Objects that are near or 'proximate' to each other tend to be grouped together.
How do you apply proximity?
Look for a scene with multiple subjects and shoot at an angle where grouping is clearly seen e.g. layers, grouping from left to right., etc.
SIMILARITY
Things which share visual characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, value or orientation will be seen as belonging together.
How do you apply similarity?
Look for subjects that tend to be similar in shape, color, size irrespective of proximity.
CONTINUITY
Elements that are arranged on a line or curve are perceived to be more related than elements not on the line or curve.
How do you apply continuity?
Look for elements that guide the viewer’s eye in a certain direction like leading lines. Also look for shapes and lines that tend to continue beyond their ending points.
CLOSURE
The brain tends to perceive forms and figures in their complete appearance despite the absence of one or more of their parts, either hidden or totally absent.
How do you apply closure?
sometimes complete elements in the image tend to be boring so compose with just enough information for the viewers to complete the whole element in their minds
SYMMETRY
Objects that are symmetrical with each other will be more likely to be grouped together than objects not symmetrical with each other.
How do you apply symmetry?
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Balance elements in the frame or use reflection/mirroring.
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multiple subjects on both sides of the frame
