Elements and Principles of Design

The leading lines photography definition is a simple composition line concept. The viewer's eyes are naturally drawn along vertical lines, parallel lines, diagonal lines, and horizontal lines.

Leading Lines

Vertical lines have the ability to convey a variety of different moods in a photograph ranging from power and strength to growth.

Vertical Lines

Horizons are the most common horizontal line to be found in photographs and they often act as a dividing point in a photograph – in effect an anchor that the rest of the image is formed around.

Diagonal lines are extremely effective at doing this. When you intersect a diagonal line, or point it in the direction of a particular object, the tension created draws the eye towards this point.

Curved lines are soft and flowing, and aesthetically pleasing, and therefore interesting to the eye and to photographers. They are also more dynamic than straight lines and tend to produce interesting graduated shadows.in an image.

In formally balanced photos, both sides of the frame have equal weight and may even mirror each other. Subjects are intentionally centered to look perfectly symmetrical when split horizontally or vertically in half.

Informal balance occurs when dissimilar elements balance each other out on each side of the frame.

Unity is taking the parts of a piece of art and unifying them in to something better as a whole. 

Variety is about varying elements and objects in your image, to avoid making them boring. Variety can also be varying your angles, exposure, composition, etc., to get a few different looks to the same image.

Visual rhythm or tempo is two-dimensional, geometric perception of repeated beat. It is created by repeating positive shapes separated by negative spaces.

Emphasis is defined as an area or object within the artwork that draws attention and becomes a focal point.

Proportion in photography is usually comparing size of objects, or the amount of one thing to the whole.

When you repeat a certain size or shape or color you add strength to the overall image. If you repeat something many times it becomes a pattern and takes on a life of its own.

The Bird's Eye photos are angled at 40 degrees rather than being straight down. In filmmaking and video production, a bird's-eye shot refers to a shot looking directly down on the subject. The perspective is very foreshortened, making the subject appear short and squat.

A worm's-eye view is a view of an object from below, as though the observer were a worm; the opposite of a bird's-eye view. ... A worm's eye view commonly uses three-point perspective, with one vanishing point on top, one on the left, and one on the right.

The rule of thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section.

Framing refers to using elements of a scene to create a frame within your frame.

Several methods can achieve simplicity in a photograph. The most obvious (and easiest) is to place the subject against a neutral background such as a backdrop or the sky. ... A photograph showing simplicity should have a clear reason the subject was chosen.