Elements and Principles of Design in Photography.pdf
- 1. Using the Elements and Principles of Design in Photography
- 2. Think About Composition! • Composition refers to the arrangement and relationship to the different parts that make up the whole image • Elements of Art: composition’s individual parts • Principles of Design: composition’s organizing ideas
- 3. Line • The most fundamental of the art elements • A moving point in space • A real line can be— trees in a forest or implied— somebody looking at something
- 4. Shape and Form • A shape is created when a line meets itself—2- dimensional or flat • A form is similar to shape, but it has volume and is 3- dimensional. It gives the illusion of occupying space. • Shapes and forms can be either geometric (square, circle, triangle) or organic (leaf, shell, tree).
- 5. Color • Hue: The name of a color • Saturation: The intensity or purity of a color • Value: The lightness or darkness of a color • In photography value is created by the amount of light and the range of tones, or light and dark areas, in a scene
- 6. Value • The quality of light and dark, both in terms of color and shades of gray in a composition • Light and dark values give you visual clues about the shapes and forms of objects
- 7. Space • Space is the two-dimensional arrangement of objects in a photograph • Space also refers to the three-dimensional illusion of depth in the image
- 8. Texture • Appealing to the sense of touch • In photography, a sense of texture can help to make a photograph look more realistic or to enhance a 3- dimensional feel
- 9. Balance • The appearance of equal visual weight within a composition • Symmetrical—Mirror-image composition, similar on either side • Asymmetrical—still looks balanced by objects are not centered in the frame (Rule of Thirds) • Radial—Circular style composition, all objects radiate from a central point
- 10. Proportion • The relationship between the sizes of objects or components in an image • Helps to indicate an object’s size, distance, and location
- 11. Repetition • Repetition of elements helps to create a sense of rhythm or movement in a photograph
- 12. Contrast • Creates a focal point by using differences in the elements
- 13. Variety • Variety is all the different elements in the photograph • Variety helps to add interest to the work and keeps the viewer’s eyes moving around the piece
- 14. Movement and Rhythm • In a photograph, movement is real or implied motion (think action photography) • Movement can also refer to how a viewer’s eye travels through a picture • Rhythm can be created by the organized repetition of art elements or objects
- 15. Emphasis • Emphasis refers to the focal point of the work • One of the most important decisions!
- 16. Unity • Unity occurs when all of the individual parts of the photograph come together and support each other to make one unified image • Your goal when creating work!