What Are The Seven Elements of Photography? Holding a digital camera in your hands does not make you a good photographer! Yes, this is true because photography is a technical art that has some fundamental principles that need to be understood to capture a striking image. Even expert photographers follow these principles to give a great visual impact to their photographs.
These fundamental principles are based on some key elements that serve as building blocks or foundations of these principles. Although many elements are essential in photography, in this blog post we will go through the basic seven elements only.
➤ Line
Everything begins and ends from one point to another point that is called a line. If seen with the eye of a photographer, there are many lines around us. Among all the basic elements of photography, the line is the most fundamental of these.
In photography a line is not always straight, it can be curved or a combo of both. They can be horizontal, vertical or somewhere in between. There are also psychological lines in photography; a pointed finger is one of the examples.
Lines guide the photographer in taking powerful impact images. They help in joining the objects in a scene and sometimes act as a boundary, through the viewer’s eye. It needs technical understanding and knowledge for the usage of these elements in photography.
➤ Shape
Shape is a physical body formed by enclosing some lines. It is comprised of two-dimensional structures having a length and width in the form of squares, rectangles, circles and triangles.
In photography, shapes are powerful elements for creating striking images and each shape has a certain meaning and effect. A good photographer knows the art of placing these shapes and giving meaning to the photo.
➤ Texture
Texture refers to the surface appearance and quality of any object when touched physically and visually through the mind’s eye. A surface could be either rough or smooth. Moreover, it explains whether the surface is dry, wet, shiny, matte, hard or soft.
It helps highlight unique patterns and magnifies the surface characteristics of any object. This element is emphasized more in macro photography. Photographers tactfully play with the camera to amplify the textures of various objects and obscure the others by giving meaning to a photo.
➤ Form
Unlike shapes, form emphasizes on three dimensions of a geometrical body. In a two-dimensional, flat photograph, 3D effects make them look like real objects that could be held in the hands.
Shadows play a significant role in giving a three-dimensional effect to an object. It adds the height of an object having a length and width.
➤ Color
According to Merriam-Webster color is a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness. We live in a world full of colors around us. Different colors symbolize different meanings, emotions and feelings.
Color is an important element of photography. Through photographic techniques, colors are used to communicate with the viewers.
➤ Pattern
Pattern is the regularity and repetition in an image that gives a meaningful impact. It highlights a unique perspective and boosts beauty in those things that are overlooked mostly. Patterns are both natural and man-made like ripples in the water and tiles on the floor make patterns in a certain manner.
These patterns when captured wisely, highlight the unique and incredible side of an object. Breaking the patterns also catches the attention of the viewer.
➤ Space
Space is an area in a photo, either empty or filled with any object. These are of two types, negative space and positive space. Spaces help in creating a balance in an image.
Positive space is an area that is filled with the object while negative space refers to empty areas in a photo. Artistic and intelligent use of the spaces by the photographers depict their expertise. The wise and careful manipulation of spaces brings out masterpieces!
All the above-mentioned elements are very significant for photography. They are different but complement each other in understanding and practicing this skill. Working on them enhances quality and brings out creativity in images.
