2020 Photo Challenge #17

April’s theme / technique: Being Creative with Lines

The six visual keys to a great photograph are:

• • Patterns
  • Texture
  • Lines
  • Light
  • Depth of field
  • Space

Lines are everywhere in our world. Just look around you. Seek them out to add visual impact to your photographs (in fact Becky ran a Square Challenge in October 2019 purely on lines – check out some of my entries for that if you want ideas) There are lines within nature which can be straight or curved, and man-made lines are everywhere in buildings and roads and even cars. Even a human arm is a line.

• • choose a subject and then look for lines in the scene that lead the viewer to it
  • find an interesting line then decide what your subject is going to be
  • start making looking for lines a part of every photographic outing and develop an eye for finding and placing lines in your composition.

Lines and perspective – Parallel lines  never meet or touch but as they disappear an impression is given that they do. This is what fools the eye and brain into believing that there is distance in the image.  It is best illustrated when using a wide angle lens. Be sure though to include the focal point which is also known as the vanishing point, which is the point where the lines disappear into nothing.

Diminishing Lines – Diminishing perspective of scale refers to the appearance of size that our eyes see. Take for example a row of telephone poles disappearing into the distance. Our brain tells us that they all should be the same height. But, because they are all gradually getting smaller the brain says they must be getting further apart. If you use this sense of perspective you will find it extremely effective in giving depth to your images. So when you are trying to achieve this, look for fences, trees, telephone poles, and similar repeated objects to include in your photo which will help create the depth.

Diagonal Lines – lead the eye from one part of an image to another and impart more energy than horizontals. It allows the viewer to scan the picture sweeping naturally through the frame.

Implied Lines – Are where there are no distinct lines but they are clearly part of the composition. Think about a line of people in a queue, a row of flowers, birds on the seashore.

This month's final assignment - Curved lines. Curved lines allow the viewer to explore an entire image, meandering from one part to another. S curves divide an image into equal parts and lead your eye through the image.

Paths 1-3 below are from the Eden Project in Cornwall.

(1) In the Mediterranean Biome you will see a curved path lead you through. This mosaic path with the central golden line represents the long tradition of olive oil as a symbol of light, life and divinity.

(2) These beautiful curved channels filled with coloured water are part of the ‘Sense of Memory Garden’ outdoors.

(3) And below another outdoor curved path which is part of the ‘Spiral Garden’

(4) This meandering trail passes through pine trees and later birch, rowan, aspen and willow on the Falls of Bruar (Scotland) route.

If you would like to join in with the 2020 photo challenge then please take a look at my 2020 Photo Challenge page. No complicated rules, just a camera required 🙂

• • Create your own post with some information about how you composed the shot.
  • Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
  • Add the tag #2020PhotoChallenge so everyone can find your entry easily in the WP Reader
  • Get your post(s) in by the end of the week, as the new theme begins next Sunday about Light.

Thanks to everyone who joined me this month with your wonderful lines. As always, please click on the links in the comment section to visit some very talented photographers.