The Elements of Design
The elements of design are a tool for you to look at the world in a way you might not do normally. They will allow you to start developing your eye for lines, shapes, textures, form and patterns. For photographers who have some difficulty finding inspiration or “can never find anything good to photograph,” the elements of design are a great tool.
The elements of design are visible in all forms of art and, once you learn to recognize them, will help you to be a better photographer. There are great opportunities for images all around us just waiting to be seen and captured.
No matter where your primary interest in photography lies, whether it be travel, landscape, people, macro, photojournalism or anything else, understanding the elements of design will help you to see photos you might have otherwise walked past.
All photographers use the elements of design in their photographs. You may already be using some of the elements without knowing it. If you learn how to recognize line, shape, form, texture and pattern then you can bring a fresh look to whatever type of photography you are interested in.
Lines
The first and most basic element of design is line. It is the basis of all the different elements as it is the simplest and it is the building block for all of the other elements. Without lines we can’t have shape, form, texture or patterns. There are lines all around us and they can be straight, curved or jagged.
A line can catch the viewer’s attention and draw them through the frame like this line of the Great Wall of China in this image.
Lines in photographs force the viewer to follow the line with their eyes though the image. So it is important to understand how lines can be used to direct the attention of the viewer of your images. Sometimes we unintentionally use lines to direct the viewer’s eye away from our subject or to a different part of the image. Understanding how to use lines to your advantage is an extremely important tool for your photography toolkit.
Curved Lines
Different types of lines elicit different emotions in the viewer of your images. Curved lines are often the lines we see in nature. They might be the rolling hills in the distance or the slowly curving meandering river. Of course we also see curved lines made by people.
Curved lines slow down the viewer’s trip through the photograph. As a consequence of this slower trip, images with curved lines tend to elicit feelings of calm and tranquility. Like going down the curves of a river on an inner tube on sunny day, we take our time and slowly travel through an image.
Straight Lines
Straight lines elicit strong feelings in the viewer. The three different types of straight lines are horizontal, vertical and diagonal. No matter the type of straight line, they are used to point you in a direction. They are very absolute and can be forceful. Unlike the slow meandering curved line, straight lines make the viewer’s eye quickly travel through the frame.
Horizontal Lines
Horizontal lines are often seen in landscape photography where we have bands of horizontal lines going across the image. These lines can be anything from the horizon to a row of trees or a fence. The lines visually divide the image into sections. Horizontal lines, like framing your image horizontally, tend to elicit relaxed feelings in the viewer. This is not to say that if you have horizontal lines across your image, that your should always compose it on the landscape or horizontal format.
Be flexible with the orientation of your camera, but be aware that you can intensify the feelings of calmness if you use the horizontal orientation with horizontal lines in your image.
Vertical Lines
Much like when we frame an image in the vertical orientation, vertical lines suggest strength and power. Think about a tall tree or tower; they elicit feelings of durability and sturdiness. Images that incorporate vertical lines will do much of the same. The lines take the viewer’s eyes quickly up through the frame. Like a speedy elevator going to the top floor, the trip is a quick one.
Again, you don’t have to use the portrait or vertical orientation of your camera when capturing images of vertical lines, but if you do, this will emphasize the feelings of strength and power.
Lead-in Lines
Photographers will often use a strong vertical line as a ‘lead-in line.’ The line starts at the bottom of the image and leads the viewer’s eye further into the image to the subject at the end of the line. Although lead-in lines do not have to be vertical, they often are and are a direct way for the photographer to point the viewer’s eye in the intended direction.
The lines on the log draw the viewer’s attention from the lest side of the frame towards the subject on the right.
A great way to use a lead-in line is to use a wide angle lens and position yourself so a straight road or pathway leads up to your subject. Put your lens in the vertical or portrait orientation and point it towards the ground so that the subject you are leading towards is at the top of the frame.
Because of the properties of a wide angle lens, the foreground path or road can take up a large portion of the bottom part of the frame. This prominence will catch the viewer’s eye and act as a starting point into the picture. They can then follow the lead-in line up through your image to a point of interest. If there is just a road or a pathway that leads to a blank horizon, the viewer’s eye will travel quickly and have no place of focus to rest. This may elicit feelings of staying on course and hurrying.
Using a wide angle lens emphasizes the pathway which provides lead in lines that draw the viewer’s eyes up through the frame to the temple in the background.
Diagonal Lines
Diagonal lines, like when we skew the orientation of our camera to place a horizon line diagonally through the frame, will elicit feelings of tension but also excitement, vibrancy, or liveliness. A diagonal line forces the viewer’s eye quickly through the frame. Think of a tree that is in the process of falling over. We can feel the tension and anticipation as we wait for the tree to hit the ground. This anticipation, tension and excitement is present when we include diagonal lines in our images.
The diagonal lines draw the eye through the frame and the eye is drawn to the person walking up the stairs.
This image uses both diagonal and vertical lines to draw the viewer’s attention through the frame.
Jagged Lines
Finally, we can have lines that are jagged or zigzag. This back and forth movement makes the viewer’s eye follow the line in a jarring back and forth motion. Think about the sharp dangerous peaks of a mountain range on the horizon. Jagged lines often elicit feelings of danger or worry partly because of the subjects that are often associated with them.
Workshop: Recognizing & Capturing Lines
Try to capture some images with all types of lines – horizontal, vertical, diagonal, zigzag and curved. A telephoto lens is useful for isolating lines while a wide angle lens is great for capturing images with lead-in lines so I would use both focal lengths. Paths make great lead in-lines but there are lines everywhere as they are the building block for all of the elements of design.
