Of course, you can photograph lines and get some great abstract results, but line photography is about how you use lines in compositions to make your photographs memorable.
There are two types of lines in photography composition: actual lines and implied lines. Nature and artificial structures are filled with lines of all kinds. As a matter of fact, it’s almost impossible to capture any image without lines. Therefore, you must pay attention to your scene’s lines.
If you are composing an image, seek out lines. If you put this extra level of thought into your pictures, you will take better pictures.
Why Lines Are Important
As a design element, lines contribute to the composition of an image. Using them, you can draw the viewer’s eye along the length of a photo to its focal point. Depending on the type of line and how it is used, they can also affect the mood of a photo.
You can take your photography composition to the next level by focusing on the impact of lines and using them to enhance the viewer’s experience.
7 Types of Lines in Photography
There are 7 types of lines in photography composition:
Horizontal lines are the most common type of line you’ll encounter in most genres of photography, including landscape photography.
Vertical lines go straight up and down. You’ll often find vertical lines in architectural photography, thanks to tall skyscrapers and standard buildings, both of which stretch directly upward.
Diagonal lines stretch diagonally across the composition. Diagonal lines are very popular in landscape photography, from rivers to fallen trees to waves spilling across a beach and more.
Converging lines stretch through the frame until they converge on a single point. Converging lines provide depth and movement because you have two or more lines pulling the viewer toward the point of convergence.
Curved lines tend to be more peaceful and harmonious because they’re slow and steady, and leisurely. Rivers often curve as they move off into the distance. Lakes curve when viewed from above. Curves also provide a lot of movement, because they take the viewer around the scene, getting them familiar with the entire composition.
Leading lines are a special type of line that landscape photographers love – they are generally diagonal or vertical lines that lead the eye into the frame, from the foreground to the middle ground to the background.
Implied lines are lines that aren’t really present, but are implied by the shape of various objects. For example, every constellation includes some implied lines; they’re not actually there, but you think about them nonetheless.
Vertical Lines
In photos, vertical lines symbolize strength, growth, and confidence. With the same effect as our body language, standing straight makes us appear more confident, in control, and strong. The subject in an image appears to “need” support if they are leaning against a vertical line.
In photography, vertical lines of varying widths convey different emotions. Strong vertical lines contribute stability to the composition by creating a sense of strength. While thin vertical lines are more delicate and elegant.
Rather than scanning from top to bottom, viewers scan from left to right, and our eyes follow lines on pictures. This is why vertical lines are used in photography to direct the viewer’s eye upwards.
It is a very effective way to convey the message of growth and determination in a photo by taking the viewer on an upward journey.
As most buildings and man-made structures are vertical and straight, it is very important to ensure that these structures are straight when they are included in a photograph. If you decide to tilt the camera, make it very obvious otherwise the viewer will feel as though they are sliding off the picture.
Horizontal Lines
In photography, horizontal lines represent stability. The simple fact that something lying flat cannot fall over makes it feel more stable to us when it is horizontal. Furthermore, it is restful when it is horizontal.
In contrast to vertical lines, horizontal lines do not change a photograph’s mood. In spite of the fact that thin horizontal lines look and feel more fragile than thick ones, they are still restful and offer stability.
A horizontal line in a photo will be followed from left to right by our eyes. Therefore, placing the subject in the path of the line leads the viewer to the subject.
Upon viewing a vertical subject, the viewer’s eye travels along its height. As a result, it provides a more engaging viewing experience since the viewer is taking a journey through the photograph.
The horizon in a photograph should be straight if it is included. When your horizon is skewed, your scene will appear to be about to slide away.
Note: It’s okay for your horizon to be askew when you’re on a slope.
Diagonal Lines
A diagonal line in a photo adds tension and energy, as opposed to a horizontal or vertical line which is strong, restful, and reassuring. The diagonal line has the property of slipping off something. Our attention is caught by the tension in the photo, which makes it more engaging.
By creating tension in the image, you can emphasize its message and enhance the viewer’s experience. The addition of tension doesn’t make a photo negative; it can be the anticipation of a good or bad thing to come. The rest of the photo will inform the viewer of that tension.
Especially when they’re converging, diagonal lines give a photo depth.
Leading Lines
Earlier in this post, it was established that viewers read a photo from left to right and how they follow horizontal lines in an image. Also how we follow vertical lines in an image upwards and sometimes downwards. Lines like these are often used as leading lines in photography – leading the viewer through a picture and leading them to the focal point.
As you bring the viewer into the picture, it becomes more three-dimensional because of the depth added by that.
When the subject is placed along a leading line, the viewer is instantly drawn to the subject, and the focal point is clearly visible.
The subject can be placed at different points along the leading line for different effects:
- By placing the line part way through the line, the viewer is directed to the subject of the picture and then onward into the image itself.
- If the leading lines take the viewer directly to a subject and end there, the viewer will linger over it.
- If the subject is dominant at the beginning of the line, the viewer will follow the leading line in the direction we expect the subject to travel.
It’s not necessary to have just one line leading into a picture. One or more lines can guide the viewer’s eye to the subject. Leading lines may come from the same direction or from different directions. By directing the viewer to the subject, you have made the viewer’s experience of the photograph more enjoyable.
Implied Lines
Often when we photograph, we are using subtle techniques to lead and inform the viewer. This is why lines in photography don’t have to be real lines, like a road or stream. An implied line can be just as effective.
A row of similar objects can form an implied line, such as:
- A group of people in line
- A row of trees
- Lampposts at regular intervals at the side of a road
- Skyscrapers along a street
- Repetition of similar shaped objects or colors
Curious by nature, our gaze naturally follows the gaze of someone who catches our attention. This piques our curiosity and we want to see what they’re seeing. After focusing on the subject in the photo, viewers will follow the subject’s gaze.
Despite the fact that implied lines aren’t actually lines, they are still powerful in photography compositions.
Converging lines were mentioned earlier when discussing diagonal lines. Due to the fact that two or more diagonal lines moving from the foreground into the background of an image move closer together, they converge.
The majority of the time, diagonal lines tend to converge into the distance. Consider these examples:
- Sides of a long straight highway
- Line of parallel trees
- Looking upward between two or more tall buildings
The best way to utilize converging lines is to place your subject at the point of convergence.
Curved Lines
Unlike straight lines that turn a viewer’s eye horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, curved lines draw the eye around the image. A meandering river can be a good example of how curved lines draw the eye. Having curved lines makes the journey slower, which makes the image seem more relaxed and less hurried.
The S curve is one of the most powerful and popular curves. As the name implies S curves follow the shape of an S. S curves are used a lot when posing women for photographs. Besides being flattering to the female form, it guides the eye around the photo at a steady pace.
Conclusion
There is a lot more to using lines in photography than simply seeking out lines to draw the viewer’s attention. There are times when you need to simply recognize the lines within a scene and their impact on the composition of your photography.
If you don’t pay attention to where lines are leading, or not leading, the viewer, lines in photography composition can just as easily distract the viewer.
Become familiar with lines so that they become a natural part of the composition of your photographs.
There are many components to composition, including lines. You now understand what lines are, and how to use them in combination with different elements in photography composition. This will produce cohesive images with a defined atmosphere and/or a strong message.