3 - Gestalt Principles in Images

The theory of Gestalt image psychology presents four primary principles. I will present two of the principles with an image that represents that principal. All of these images are not mine, and credit is given to their original artists in the caption below them.

Common Fate

Photo by Adam Winsor

The common fate principal states that an image is pleasing if we see the subjects of the image all ending proceeding in a common direction and ending at a common point. Here, we can see all of the rails around the outside of the ladder proceed around the photographer and end at a common point in the center of the image.

Continuation

Photo by jerome THOT59

Here we can see the boarders of the rooftops create a 'continuous line' from one side of the photograph to the other. This provides a concentration for the eye - we naturally follow the progression of the line created by the boarders from up close to far away. 

One important take-away from this is that images that represent some form of the Gestalt principles are everywhere. These examples were chosen because they highlight two of the principles very heavily, however most images have one of the four principles in them in some way. This is because the world is naturally composed in a way that the Gestalt principles attempt to capture.