Finding lines in photo composition

RetouchMe
6 min readMar 24, 2023

--

It is possible to have a digital camera since the thing is really available for many novice photographers. But to excel in the art of photography, a single still image capture device will not be enough. It takes experience and practice to be the best at what you do. The theory can be obtained in online lessons, where a lot of time is devoted to both light, contrasts, and facial expressions, posture, composition. Composition in photography, the harmonious arrangement of elements, determines 80% of what the image will be like in the eyes of the beholder. The human brain initially sees the mountain, and only then are the stones that make up the so-called mountain. Then you can already see the various shapes of the stones.

Lines, which are the main elements of the composition, perform different roles, and much depends on the skill of the photographer. But the leading lines can enhance the effect of the perception of what is seen, or completely destroy and complicate the compositional solution. The line alone can do this, which is why it plays such an important role in the composition. Image details and dots that are a magnet for the viewer’s eyes affect the overall perception of the image. The presence of lines that are obviously superfluous, or additional points that are not important in the composition, can have the opposite effect, and instead of exploring the image, attention is scattered and the photograph becomes uninteresting.

Finding lines in photo composition

Although lines can be found almost everywhere in nature, the task of finding them does not get any easier. For example, the forest that buoys in the spring is the vertical lines in the composition, while the horizontal lines can always be found in the part of the forest where there are a lot of fallen trees. But not by nature alone. After all, horizontal and vertical lines are also present in a modern city or metropolis. Cities are made up of diagonals and parallels, which means there are many opportunities to capture a sense of depth and infinity. And to make it easier to find the right lines, thereby emphasizing the originality and unusualness of the composition, there are a couple of tips.

The RetouchMi program can solve the editing issue. It contains a large number of functions that will help you remove unnecessary objects from a photo or add makeup to your face. You can download the app for Android or IOS.

Fix the horizon

Each photo has its own idea and plot, even if this plot is not obvious or hidden. Every detail in a photo matters, as do the horizontal lines. But horizontal lines are not just an important part of the composition, but something that is considered unchanged. It doesn’t matter if the image is a professional photo or an amateur photo, you should not neglect the basic rules of photography.

Fix the horizon

Find the vertical

Vertical lines can work wonders in a composition, as they bring a sense of calm and peace. But not only calmness comes with vertical lines and objects. It’s almost impossible to convey a sense of stability, of something being in balance, without a vertical line. But only a harmonious combination of different techniques available to both a professional photographer and an amateur can convey what was intended or improve the image. It’s not enough to see something. It takes a lot of effort to capture a moment or a still image.

Find the vertical

Where is the simple horizon?

It is not enough to freeze the horizon. We also need to find a simple horizon. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance because as an ideal horizon, you can take the seas or beaches, which is already much easier. There is perhaps no better time to practice than relaxing by the sea or living by the sea.

Although finding a simple horizon is not considered a difficult task, there are nuances to be considered. If you miss important details, you can bring tension to the photo, and it is extremely difficult to determine what is the most annoying factor. It’s just a horizon. When choosing the sea and the beach as an ideal simple horizon, it is important to remember one important rule — the horizon must be perfectly straight. To avoid curvature of the horizontal line, it is advised to take a tripod with you. This is exactly the case when without a tripod it will be much more difficult to achieve what was intended.

The horizontal frame is there to create a sense of width, as all objects appear much wider. Whereas the vertical is needed to perform a slightly different task. We are talking about pulling objects up. But only a skillful combination of different techniques is the pinnacle of mastery in photography.

Where is the simple horizon?

Show the curves

There is nothing easier than to emphasize the effect of naturalness in photography than S-shaped structures. But what emphasizes the naturalness in the frame can have the opposite effect and emphasize the effect of artificiality. It all depends on what kind of curve appears in the photo, so you should be careful with such objects. You can never go too far with natural curves — the curve of a river or the lines of a human body. Small curves are considered lines of beauty. To bring the photo to life, you can catch a couple of small bends.

Play with framing

Unnecessary objects and objects may appear on the image. And you can use an app to remove objects from photos — or an unusual artistic technique, the choice is up to the photographer. It’s not easy to convey a sense of rhythm, but it can be done with repeating objects. These objects may be identical or similar to each other. Of course, the use of such elements can serve a single purpose or become an ornament to a photograph.

Explore properties and shapes

Straight lines cannot be associated with any vivid emotions and tension. This is their natural manifestation, so often such classic lines are needed to emphasize the static nature of objects in a photograph or phenomenon. But everything does not end on straight lines but only begins.

Volumetric forms are no less popular, but too curvaceous forms may indicate an unnatural effect. Much depends on the curves. Small bends are considered the most stable. Those lines that deviate from the horizontal and vertical lines are considered the most unstable in composition in a photograph. One square is enough to return peace and tranquility to the composition.

Explore properties and shapes

Don’t Forget the Diagonals

With the help of diagonals, it is much easier to depict the dynamics in the frame. But the lines going from one edge of the frame to the other have a different display in different cultures and people’s mentalities. Therefore, you should not limit the use of diagonals, but you should not use them without thought.

Remember active lines

The gaze of a person who continuously looks at a photograph or any other image never stops at any point. It continues its movement along the so-called active lines. Thus, it is possible not only to catch contracts but also unusual bends. When choosing autofocus modes, active points are highlighted and the master can select the appropriate points for the implementation of his plan.

When it comes to portraits, lips, nose, and eyes are the first to catch the eye. If two people are looking at each other, then the active line will be invisible, and it stretches from the eye of one person to the eyes of the other. Of course, the movement is carried out along active lines, but do not forget about the colors and silhouettes.

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

--

--

RetouchMe
RetouchMe

Written by RetouchMe

A unique mobile application that permits fast and quality photo editing by professional designers in a few minutes.

No responses yet

Write a response