EP Definitions

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 lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image.  o     Vertical:  Vertical lines have the ability to convey a variety of different moods in a photograph ranging from power and strength. vertical lines can be used very effectively by swapping the way you hold your camera into a vertical framing. This lengthens the vertical subject further which can emphasize it’s height. o     Horizontal :  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. o     Diagonal : A sense order is created with verticals and horizontal lines implying stability and strength. Diagonals are unbalanced and appear to be unstable but what they communicate is very dynamic yet precarious. They always appear to be falling over or not quite secure. This is what lends itself to a dramatic image. o     ·      Curved may add beauty and grace to an image. They are also used as a popular design technique for leading the eye into the frame. In contrast to straight or patterned lines, meandering curved lines allow the eye to explore an image in a smooth, free-flowing manner. 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: a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions ·      Symmetrical: Symmetry in photography is creating an image which can be divided in two (either horizontally or vertically) equal parts where both the parts of the image look same or at least similar. Either of the parts can be a mirror image of the other one. Symmetry has been used in other visual mediums since long back. Symmetry brings the sense of unanimity and harmony. Symmetry can be either vertical, in which the left and right halves will be symmetrical or horizontal, in which the top and bottom halves will be symmetrical. Asymmetrical : Any image that is not "EVEN" or is off-center

Unity: is how well different parts of an artwork build on each other

Variety: Quality or condition of being various or varied; diversity. All the same but different.

Movement / Rhythm: is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork, often to a focal area. It can be directed along lines, edges, shapes and color. Movement is closely tied to rhythm.

Emphasis: is a principle of art which occurs any time an element of a piece is given dominance by the artist. In other words, the artist makes part of the work stand out, in order to draw the viewer's eye there first.

Proportion / Scale: comparative relation between things ormagnitudes as  to size, quantity, number, etc.;ratio.

Repetition / Pattern: element that occurs over and over again in a composition. Can repeat the element in a consistent pattern. Can repeat the element in a variation of the pattern.

Making Choices

Point of View: Bird’s eye : a view from a high angle as if seen by a bird in flight an overall or cursory look at something Worm’s eye:  perspective seen from below or from a low orinferior position

Rule of Thirds:  In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.

Framing: presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. Framing can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer's focus on the framed object(s).

Simplicity: the state, quality, or an instance of being simple. Freedom from complexity, intricacy, or divisioninto parts