Using Lines and Shapes in Photography

Photography isn’t just about including the desired subjects inside the frame. It is a process similar to painting in which you try to convey a message or strike an emotion. Recognizing lines, shapes, and the patterns they form inside a photo, and using these things to make an impact on the composition you are creating is essential so as to improve your photography.

Understanding the effect lines can have on a photo will allow you to turn an ordinary composition into something extraordinary. They can grab the attention of the eye into a certain direction, they can add depth to the photo, and they can form interesting patterns.

Lines can be found all around us. Horizons are the most common of all horizontal lines that if placed on the top third will emphasize the landscape, while when place on the bottom third, more emphasis will be on the sky. While adding lines to you composition, you should not forget about the Rule of Thirds, and try keep the horizontal lines perpendicular to the edges of your photo. Remember that this type of lines is usually more convenient to horizontal photos .

Vertical lines are even more obvious to us. Think of buildings, upright trees and light posts, they usually reflect growth and strength and when used correctly, they can provide interesting patterns especially when the photograph contains other elements. To avoid misusing the vertical lines, make sure that they are perpendicular to the top and bottom edges of the photo. These lines look best in portrait orientation.

Another type of lines is the diagonal lines. Just look ahead of you along road or railway lines and you will sense a feeling of depth while your eyes will be set to their point of convergence of the diagonal lines. They can give a sense of speed and movement. It is usually better to have the diagonal lines away from the photo’s diagonals so as to make it more interesting.

The perspective usually control how the lines exist inside the photo. By utilizing a different angle, a pair of parallel lines can easily become converging lines and lead the eyes into the photograph. This can produce a totally different composition with more depth and more points of interest at the meeting point of the diagonal lines.

Unlike lines, shapes are used to transmit the meaning of a photograph to the observer. Shapes are the 2D outlines of the objects, and they play a major role in making these objects recognizable.In order to let shapes have a strong impact in your photograph, try to make your object as different as possible from its surroundings in terms of colors or details . A good example for this is silhouette photography where the subjects are dark while the environment is colorful.

Every object has its own distinct shape from specific angles, but some objects may look similar from different points of view. To avoid this, choose an angle that will portray your object in a unique way.

Lines and shapes are abundant around us; we just have to remember how to utilize them efficiently.

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