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What Makes A Striking Photo
What Makes A Striking Photo
Line
Out of the 6 elements of design, line is the strongest and most
important and influential. Without line there can be no shape.
Without shape there can be no form. Without form there can be no
texture and there can be no pattern. Lines are powerful tools that
can be used smartly to lead the viewers eyes towards the point of
interest in a photograph, and alter the overall feeling and mood of
an image.
Shape
The second most fundamental element of design is shape, because
shape is the principal element of identification. The most important
thing to keep in mind when shape is the essential element in an
image is that it is best defined when the subject is frontlit or backlit.
For that shape to be successfully identifiable, it needs to be in
strong contrast with its surroundings so that it is detached from the
clutter around it.
Form
Form is basically a three-dimensional shape, and is best accentuated
by side lighting since it casts soft elegant shadows, and the
difference between light and shadows gives a better illustration of
the depth of an object and amplifies the sensual understanding of its
meaning and message.
Texture
No design element is more capable of moving your deep emotions
than texture. The challenge of seeing and capturing texture is
mostly based on one element - light. Texture can be accentuated by
the side light of early sunny mornings or early evenings, or by
overhead light when the sun is vertical and high in the sky.
With the sun high in the sky, the roughness of the walls of buildings,
or the wood textures of tree trunks, or any kind of texture along
vertical surfaces is emphasized as the overhead light casts small
shadows along those surfaces. While the impact is subtle, it adds
more depth, interest, and reality to the shots.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that texture as a background can
create an exciting and emotion-filled composition. And with the
correct use of texture, pictures can become more alive and almost
three dimensional.
Pattern
Life is full of patterns. It is all part of our cosmic existence, for
without patterns our lives would be utter chaos. Most patterns we
don't recognize or we overlook because of our busy, routine-driven,
daily lives.
Two techniques come into practice while working with patterns; you
can emphasise the pattern, or you can break it:
Emphasising a pattern can accentuate a sense of size and
expansion. The idea is to zoom in onto the pattern and fill the frame
with it. Emphasized pattern can include faces amongst a crowd, a
line of homogenous plants, bricks of a wall, etc
Color
Color is characterized by attributes such as value, hue, and
saturation. Colors, and how they're arranged, can either make or
break a shot. Different colors can send out different messages, and
they indeed have an important visual weight and impact on a photo.
Vibrant colors are energetic, interesting, and active. So are reds and
yellows. Blues and greens are comforting and soothing. The path
towards creating creative photos benefits from a high understanding
of colors and their impact on an image, as well as a high awareness
of colors surrounding you.
Red, blue, and yellow are called primary subtractive color, from
these colors the secondary subtractive colors violet, orange, and
green emerge. Mixing red and blue creates violet. Mixing blue and
yellow creates green, mixing yellow and red creates orange. Mixing
equal amounts of blue, red, and yellow produces black.
Pairs of colors that fall opposite to each other on the above color
wheel are called complementary colors. These pairs complement
and intensify one another when put together. Studying the color
wheel can give you a better understanding as to how colors affect or
Conclusion
Elements of design are the most basic visual components of any
composition. Understanding the elements of design, how they affect
and complement each other, and what messages they convey is the
way to step up with your photographic images and create stunning
work that reaches out to people's hearts and souls.
hese are the building blocks for creating your own work of art.
Putting these elements together, and knowing how/when to use
them will make your photos far more effective and purposeful.
These elements are all around us, we just need to train our eyes to
see and capture them, and our minds and souls to translate them
into conveying our own emotions and ideas. Then, and only then,
will our work become eye-catching and dramatic.
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Diana Eftaiha
My name is Diana Eftaiha. I'm a blogger and founder of The D-Photo for
Photography inspiration & articles, Camera gear, and post processing. You
can follow me also follow me on Twitter.