Photography Tip: Leading Lines and Curves

Ladies and Gentlemen, the answer to the $64,000 question is:

This is a leading line.

It has nothing to do with photography but, if it got you to look a little closer at my

Photography Tip today, it worked. It’s a little trick you can use in your photographic technique, too.

When composing a shot:

Look around and find some lines to draw attention to your subject. They don’t even have to be straight lines. Anything in the scene that can be captured and lead the viewer’s eye from the corner of the frame towards the subject is fair game. Sometimes it’s a curved or crooked line, like a branch, shoreline, curve in the road or, paint on a basketball court. 

Some examples of straight lines used in pointing towards a subject are handrails, railroad tracks, the roof of a house, edge of a sidewalk, even the crease in someone’s shirtsleeve. The diagonal line of the sail on a boat, a tent or the white lines painted in a parking lot can be used to point from a corner of your photo to the subject. The lines don’t even have to reach all the way to the corner just use them to help the subject say, “Hey, I’m over here. Look at me”!

  Use lines and curves to your advantage.

Every scene doesn’t require leading lines. But, when you shoot something as huge as a castle, compose the scene so any lines , or curves lead into a corner of your frame. It will give your scene some balance.

 

In your travel photos, use this simple rule of composition. You’ll start noticing a depth to your pictures which makes you feel you could walk right into the scene. Give Leading Lines a try next time you’re out snapping photos. You may come home with the $64,000 photo.