{"id":40000,"date":"2021-07-13T09:52:48","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T16:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/?p=40000"},"modified":"2021-08-19T09:33:55","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T16:33:55","slug":"the-golden-ratio-how-why-you-should-use-it-in-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/the-golden-ratio-how-why-you-should-use-it-in-design\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Using the Golden Ratio to Improve Your Photography Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your creativity is innate, but the rules of good design aren\u2019t. The golden ratio, for example, is a rule that we learn. Once you know what it is, you\u2019ll start seeing it everywhere, and using it in your photography will become as intuitive as your creativity itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Part of the reason we can spot the golden ratio everywhere is that it <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>everywhere: in art, math, and nature. From seashells to succulents, from DaVinci to Dal\u00ed, the golden rule reigns. So, what is it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Almighty Rectangle<\/span><\/h2>\n

Put away your calculator and ruler. While the golden ratio, a.k.a. \u201cthe divine ratio,\u201d might be a mathematical concept, you won\u2019t need to do any equations to understand how to use it in photography. Just know this: the golden ratio is based on a particular shape called the <\/span>golden rectangle<\/span><\/a>. When this rectangle gets cropped down to a square, the piece cut off has the same ratios as the original rectangle. What is that <\/span>special ratio<\/span><\/a>? It\u2019s a number known as \u201cphi,\u201d which can be rounded to 1.618.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we won\u2019t be running any calculations today, let\u2019s dive right into applications in art. After all, seeing is believing, and once we appreciate the incredible sense of balance this ratio brings to a composition, it will be easier to understand how to use it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leonardo DaVinci <\/span>famously drew illustrations<\/span> for the book that first presented the idea of the golden ratio, so it\u2019s no wonder he, and other artists, abided by it. Below, you can find a section of Michaelangelo\u2019s <\/span>Creation of Adam<\/span><\/i> fresco. Since we promised no measuring or math, just envision a line that runs from top to bottom, passing straight through the space between the two outstretched fingers. Note that this invisible line you\u2019ve drawn isn\u2019t central to the painting but slightly to one side. Now, consider what\u2019s on either side of that imaginary line: a square, containing Adam\u2019s body, and a rectangle, containing the God figure. The <\/span>ratio between these two sections is <\/span>the<\/span><\/i> golden ratio<\/span>, and that\u2019s not all: the same research shows that there are tens of instances of the ratio throughout the entire fresco.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image by <\/span>Michael Skale<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Pixabay<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

The golden ratio isn\u2019t all perpendicular lines and rectangles. Take the following image of two faces, mapped for the ratio in different ways. The photo on the left shows a series of diagonal lines dividing up the area of the woman\u2019s face into spaces related to one another by the ratio. The drawing on the right shows the golden spiral–incidentally, the next tool we\u2019ll be learning about–and how facial features fit into the different quadrants of the spiral, with the nose and lips at the center.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Supreme Spiral<\/span><\/h2>\n

Take a look back at the drawing of the face in the previous section. The tightest part of the spiral, bound by the smallest rectangles, contains a lot of information: nostrils, lips, the edges of smile lines. It\u2019s the most detailed part of the face. When we apply the golden ratio in photography this example proves useful, so make a mental bookmark.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>golden spiral<\/span><\/a>, in straightforward terms, is a figure that follows the rules of the ratio: every curve can be measured by a factor of that good old phi number, 1.618. So, how does this relate to composition? Golden rule purists believe that the most detailed parts of a composition, which are also often focal points, should be in the tightest part of the spiral.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine the aperture of your photo as a golden rectangle. Now, superimpose this spiral on it. If you don\u2019t have your camera handy, make a frame with your fingers, roughly in that rectangular shape, and hold it in front of your eyes. Now, take a look at your composition. Then, shift it around until the most detailed part of it is right in the vortex of the spiral. If you\u2019re doing this at home, perhaps you\u2019re seeing your kitchen table with a coffee cup on it. If that\u2019s the case, nudge the composition around until the coffee cup is located in that focal point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, consider the rest of the composition. As our eye moves out from the focal point, the areas around it should seem relatively simple. This doesn\u2019t mean that it can\u2019t contain eye-catching elements, or even important details. It just means that if you are going \u201cby the book\u201d and sticking close to the golden spiral theory, your eye should go to the focal point first and the spaces outside of it second. Observe how the spiral can be applied to a <\/span>tranquil landscape<\/span><\/a> and a busy cityscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Overlay by <\/span>Nicol\u00e1s Dami\u00e1n Visceglio<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Pixabay<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Photo by Pietro de Grande on Unsplash\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Overlay by <\/span>Nicol\u00e1s Dami\u00e1n Visceglio<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Pixabay<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

The golden spiral doesn\u2019t have to cover your entire image. It doesn\u2019t have to be applied horizontally or fit perfectly. You can flip the spiral vertically, use it as a guide for a certain section of your composition, or simply use it just as a source of inspiration. There\u2019s debate about how perfectly Michaelangelo applied the golden ratio in his work after all, so we can all get away with a little deviation from the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Image by <\/span>Per H\u00f6glund<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Pixabay<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

How Important is The Golden Rule?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The golden rule is as important to your composition as you want it to be. Organizing your photograph into \u201cdivinely\u201d proportioned rectangles and spirals is just one way of working. That said, many good compositions unknowingly follow this rule. Other ways of organizing, such as centering your subject or creating symmetry, point back to the golden rule, even if unintentionally. What\u2019s more, if you\u2019re photographing something like a spiral staircase or the <\/span>inside of a rose<\/span><\/a>, the golden ratio is right in your subject matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Infine<\/span><\/i>, the more you know, the easier it becomes to make—with a single snap of the shutter–a composition that DaVinci himself would have approved of.<\/span><\/p>\n

Create at the Speed of Culture<\/a><\/i> <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart isn\u2019t just the world\u2019s largest creative platform; we\u2019re also the fastest growing.\u00a0Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, I am a Voter,\u00a0Bebe Rexha,\u00a0Maroon 5, One Direction, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Cond\u00e9 Nast, and more.\u00a0<\/i>Download the app or start editing on web<\/a><\/i>\u00a0today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and\u00a0<\/i>upgrade to Gold<\/a><\/i>\u00a0for premium perks!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What makes good design stand out? While not obvious to the naked eye, visually pleasing and balanced designs are created with the golden ratio in mind. From the symmetry of ancient Greek buildings to the proportions of Mona Lisa\u2019s face to the precise size and shape of the technological device in your hand, the golden ratio \u2014 also referred to as the golden mean, the golden spiral, or the Fibonacci sequence \u2014 is the clearest evidence of how math can be used in the real world!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":40002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"What is the golden ratio and how to use it on your photos.","faq_show":false,"faq_enable_schema":false,"how_to_show":false,"how_to_show_on_single":false,"how_to_enable_schema":false,"how_to_is_upload":false,"faq_title":"","how_to_title":"","how_to_layout":"","how_to_cta_text":"","how_to_cta_url":"","how_to_image_alt":"","how_to_display_image":0,"faq_items":[],"how_to_steps":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[601,1673],"tags":[1723],"class_list":["post-40000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design-school","category-how-tos","tag-golden-ratio","entry"],"acf":{"faq_show":false,"faq_title":"Frequently asked questions","faq_enable_schema":true,"faq_items":null,"how_to_show":false,"how_to_show_on_single":false,"how_to_title":"","how_to_layout":"default","how_to_steps":null,"how_to_enable_schema":true,"how_to_is_upload":true,"how_to_cta_text":"","how_to_cta_url":"https:\/\/picsart.com\/create\/editor","how_to_display_image":null,"how_to_image_alt":"","footer_banner_name":"Start your design in Picsart","footer_banner_link_":"\/","footer_banner_button_text_":"Get Started"},"yoast_head":"\nThe Art of Using the Golden Ratio to Improve Your Photography Work - 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