Sequence viewing > Aesthetics Index - Resource - © Lloyd Godman

Gestalt Theories - Continuity - The visual strategy behind CONTINUITY is LINE

Remember that the largest areas of greatest contrast have the most impact in an image.  

Continuity is an indication of a progression or pattern - Visual elements are grouped to from continuous straight or curved lines. When the eye follows a line it wants to carry on following it. The eye will also want to follow the line outside the frame and perhaps complete a shape or figure. In photography like Cinema - Continuity can also relate to a sequence of images.

 

The simplest form of continuity is a single straight line

The line can be on a diagonal and though perspective diminish

the line might also curve

 

 

In this image we have very strong contrasting lines that lea the eye in from the top right hand corner. The white line of the sky is a key factor in the design of the image

 

mouse over and see how we read this when the image is laterally reversed -

In this image the line of the the trunk plays off the similar fine line of the air plane vapor trail.

 

Here the line of the trees lead the eye upward- it is the dominant visual strategy of the image design.

 

In this image there is a different use of line the lines lead us into a center. Again it is the main visual strategy of the image design.

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At the bottom centre of the image are two visual elements - the series of rails creates a line that curves off to the left - while at the right of this is a series of points that the eye connects through continuity to form another line.

The eye wants to follow both lines in different directions where they divide. At the top of the image is another solid line that leads off to the left.

All of these are examples of continuity.

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In this image of Piha Beach in Auckland, the line of the reflection of the rock ( black against light) flows into the shape of the group of bubbles ( light against dark). So two completely different elements of the subject combine visually to make a longer line. This is continuity

In the di - Vision series I take two frames of the same subject - one with a lower viewpoint - the other with a higher view point - and deliberately play with lines and continuity to suggest visually connections between the two frames. In this image you can see that once the eye begins to follow a line, it wants to continue it on and connect it with another line in the fame above.

Continuity also relates to image sequence where we relate the visual aspects of one images to the next - I have used this extensivly in the Entropy series.

Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman

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