principles of design

PHOTOGRAPHY AS ART

Photography is more than combining cameras, lenses, and film; it is about using those tools in combination with the elements and principles of design to create visual art.  Understanding how to use the elements and principles will turn your “snap shots” into photographic works of art.  Define the following terms.

Elements of Design

Line: ·      Leading Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image. o     ·      Vertical being in a position or direction perpendicular to the plane of the horizon o     ·      Horizontal a horizontal line in an image that conveys a message of ‘stability’ or even ‘rest’. o     ·      Diagonal suggest a feeling of movement or direction o     ·      Curved  Curved lines do vary in meaning, however. Soft, shallow curves suggest comfort, Deep, acute curves, on the other hand, suggest confusion,  o

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm use this website to figure out what each type of line represents.

Principles of Design

Balance: Symmetrical The parts of an image or object organized so that one side duplicates, or mirrors, the other. Also known as formal balance ·        Asymmetrical also called informal balance, is more complex and difficult to envisage. It involves placement of objects in a way that will allow objects of varying visual weight to balance one another around a fulcrum point. ·

Unity: unity occurs when all of the elements of a piece combine to make a balanced, harmonious, complete whole.

Variety: variety is to combine different elements (differences in shape, color, line, textuture...) into one composition

Movement / Rhythm:  caused by using elements under the rules of the principles in picture to give the feeling of motion and to guide the viewer's eyes throughout the artwork.

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

Proportion / Scale: the size of an object (a whole) in relationship to another object (another whole).

Repetition / Pattern: An element that occurs over and over again in a composition.

Making Choices

Point of View: bird’s eye an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird ·        worm’s eye a view as seen from below or from a humble position. ·

Rule of Thirds: 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:  the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects.

Simplicity: the quality or condition of being plain or natural