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What Is Compositional Balance?

Balance is a compositional tool which often works in tandem with the centre of interest.
When we talk about balance, we often think of two objects the same size. For instance, two people the same size and shape, sitting on either side of the frame, would be considered balanced. Balanced and probably a bit boring!
A ton of metal will balance a ton of feathers, but in terms of size and area, the ton of feathers will be much larger. 
In the same way, a small compositional element within a frame can balance a much larger element elsewhere. A small tree can balance a large mountain, a single red leaf in a tree can balance one hundred surrounding green leaves.
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About Peter Eastway APP-L, G.M. Photog., Hon. FAIPP, FNZIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, FAIPP Peter Eastway is an Australian photographer known internationally for his landscape photography and creative use of post-production. A practicing professional, he shoots editorially (mainly for Better Photography magazine) and works selectively in advertising and portraiture. Peter has been involved in photographic magazine publishing for over 30 years, establishing his own title, Australia's Better Photography Magazine, in 1995. As a result, Peter and his websites are a wealth of information on how to capture, edit and print, offering tutorials, videos and inspiration for amateur and professional photographers. Peter’s work has been published and exhibited internationally over the past 40 years. He was the author of the Lonely Planet’s Guide to Landscape Photography. His photography has featured on the cover of the Lonely Planet’s guide to Australia, in articles in the Qantas in-flight magazine, and in an international Apple television commercial. And he has worked with Phase One researching and promoting its high-end medium format cameras and Capture One raw processing software. He was one of the featured photographer in the first Tales By Light television series aired on the National Geographic Channel in Australia and produced in partnership with Canon Australia. It can currently be viewed on Netflix. Peter Eastway is a Grand Master of Photography, a Fellow and an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, and a Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography. He won the 1996 and 1998 AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year Award. He is a WPPI Master of Photography. He is an ambassador for a number of international photography brands, including Canson, Eizo, Epson, Momento Pro, Nisi, Phase One, SanDisk, The Edge Photo Imaging, Wacom and Zenfolio. Peter speaks nationally and internationally on topics including landscape photography, Photoshop techniques, publishing and the business of professional photography. Peter is in his fifties, rides a short surfboard, believes two skis are better than one, and in case you're buying him lunch, he is vegetarian.
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