The Power Of Lines in Composition
Is composition important in your photography? Here’s how to use line to improve the composition in your photos.
I made this photo close to one of the hotels I stayed at on top of Mt. Huangshan (i.e., Yellow Mountain) in China.
The image was made with a Canon full frame camera and Canon 24-105 mm f/4 L-series lens at 28 mm.
It was very early in the morning and the light was overcast when I created the photo.
At ISO I00 I needed a shutter speed of 1/15 second and an aperture of f/22 to ensure I achieved the desired tonality in the snow.
Due to the likelihood of lens diffraction I wouldn’t normally work at such a physically narrow aperture (f/22).
However, as I wanted to achieve a depth of field large enough to ensure everything was sharp from the very near foreground to the background, I had no choice.
Line and Shape in Photography
Notice how the composition around which this image is constructed is based around line and shape.
There’s the near vertical lines of the tree trucks and the diagonal lines, which form a series of repeating diamond shapes, in the fence.
Vertical lines in Photography
Vertical lines accentuate the perception of height and convey a sense of stability and rigidity.
Suggesting grandeur and power is there any wonder that pinstripe suits incorporate vertical lines?
We could also regard a tie as a vertical line, suggesting power, professionalism and prestige.
How to use Horizontal Lines in Photography
Horizontal lines suggest calmness and restfulness.
When placed in the middle of the photographic frame a horizontal line acts like a horizon separating above from below, air from earth.
A photo of a reflection, with the horizon placed in the middle of the image, can also introduce notions of balance, harmony and duality into the photograph.
Ultimate stability is conveyed when a vertical line is attached to a horizontal line.
Think about building frames used in the construction industry. They make use of vertical and horizontal beams, joined together for maximum rigidity.
Likewise, graphic designers combine vertical and horizontal lines to suggest stability, safety and security through the logos they create for banks and insurance companies.
Diagonal Lines In Photography
Diagonal lines are graceful and suggest movement and, sometimes, growth. Is it any wonder they’re used in financial graphs?
My Favorite Lines
My favorite lines are sinuous in nature. We seem them in waves, musical instruments like violins and cellos, and in the female form.
When Black and White Works Best
There was very little color in the scene so a black and white rendering seemed appropriate to emphasize the following:
Pattern of strong, dynamic lines in the trees and fence.
Repetition of the diamond shapes in the fence.
To my mind these elements of composition were important so I worked hard to ensure they dominated the scene, even if it’s at a subliminal level.
How To Improve Composition in Your Photos
While the photo features tree trunks and a fence the composition is really based on the previously mentioned elements of composition.
Composition is important to me and, because I pay attention to it, I’m quite good at incorporating composition into my photos.
So long as you learn the fundamentals of composition and actively seek to incorporate a few elements of composition into the photos you create your photography will improve.
I found my ability to compose photos began to improve dramatically after taking a different approach to how I constructed my photos, in camera.
In the case of the photo at the top of this post it’s obvious that the image consists of tree trunks and a fence, photographed in the snow.
But, from my point of view, that’s largely coincidental to what the photo is really about.
It’s a study in composition, in particular line, shape and repetition.
There was no need for me to think about tree trunks or the fence while I made the photo. That would distract me from creating a compelling composition.
What I did was to focus my attention, in a very deliberate manner, on the elements of composition within the frame.
Why? Because that’s what this photo is all about.
If you take this approach to your own photography you’ll find that the composition in your photos will improve dramatically. As a result you’ll make better photos, more often.
Who says photography has to be hard? Not me!
Given that the image of the tree trunks and fence at the top of this post is, primarily, a study in composition I think its stark and minimalistic nature is appropriate.
I also like the slightly abstract result that I’ve achieved by only including within the frame the minimal amount of elements needed to make the image.
Of course it’s the kind of image that might well polarize viewers. Some folks simply won’t like it.
But I make photos, primarily, for myself. What’s more after so many years creating photos it’s fun to explore images that are a little more abstract and, on occasions, conceptual every now and again.
Here’s a post I wrote about Becoming a More Creative Photographer. I really think you’ll find it interesting.
I’ve long been interested in images where strong composition has, arguably, become the actual subject matter of the photo.
I believe there are three ways by which we can approach our photography, which I like to describe as follows:
Realism
Suggestion
Abstraction
Abstraction Photography - The Guide is a post I wrote detailing these three quite different approaches to making truly great photos.
Please feel free to check it out. It took a lot of work to create and I believe you’ll find it really helpful in your own creative journey.
Minimalism: The Heart Of Great Composition
Would you like to dramatically improve the composition in your own photos?
Simply take your time photographing and concentrate your attention on the two or three most important elements of composition within the image.
Pay attention to the following:
How you frame and compose your image.
What you place adjacent to your subject in the frame.
How harmonious and contrasting points of interest impact each other within the frame.
A minimalistic approach can be critical to creating images that display strong composition. With that in mind try not to crowd your image with too much information.
The old adage, less is more, is certainly worth remembering for anyone wanting to improve the composition in their own photos.
