 | FIRST
LIGHT |
| FIRST
LIGHT |
Design Elements Course Description
Great photos are based on order, and the main elements that emphasize this in a composition are the topics discussed in this course. Every image, by makers design or not, incorporate one or more of these design elements. When a photographer gets to the point where these become automatic is when the eye has developed into going beyond looking to seeing a photo all around.
Subjects to be covered by lesson
1.
Line
Line is probably the most basic but strongest and most important of
the design elements in photography. Line is everywhere and will be looked at in
a variety of ways in this lesson including lead-in line, line as the main subject
and repetition of line. Line may but subtle, but it may also be the graphic strength
of a shot but most of all it can take the viewer wherever the maker wants when
creating the image.
2.
Shape / Pattern
Without line, there can be no shape or pattern. Shape is
the basic design of the primary subject and there are numerous ways a shape can
be brought out in a photograph. Pattern, in an of itself, is the repetition of
a shape. Looking for unique shapes that draw the viewers eye to them is an art
and getting the shape to stand out from the background and emphasize it in the
image is what we will look at and stress in this lesson.
3.
Color
Color can be a very powerful tool in creating a shot that captures
people's interest. The color can be a mix of lots of strong colors, a single color
or the colors in the image can be soft or muted, thus creating mood. Color can
either dominate the image or it can just blend into the overall scene. To be a
strong element, color doesn't even have to take up most of the frame. A small
patch of color in a monochromatic scene will automatically draw the viewer's eye
to it. Combination of colors is another way to really draw the eye to the scene.
4.
Subject Numbers / Framing
One of the so-called rules of photography is
that it's best to have an odd number of subjects in the frame unless the even
numbers are close together. The main thing in either case is the placement of
the subject(s). Where the photographer comes into play is where and how to place
the subject within the shot.
Of the different ways to incorporate design elements in creating a photograph, framing is the one where you have to look for a second subject to create the final product. In line you can use another subject to help bring the eye into the frame such as a fence, but with framing there is no way to avoid using a secondary subject, which could eventually be used as the main point of interest when the picture is finally composed. A variety of tips on what to look for in both subject numbers and framing will be discussed in this section.
5.
Shadows / Isolating the Subject / Silhouette
Shadows could be considered
a part of working with light, but the concept can also be grouped in with design
elements as well. Shadows can play a subtle part of an image or they can be the
major part of your work and that's your goal - portraying the shapes created by
the shadows or to adding depth to an othewise two-dimensional art form. Another
way to use shadows is to have shadows create a dark background to bring out something
in the foreground that has nice light on it.
Photographers
are always trying to get their pictures to stand out from the crowd. To do this,
various techniques are tried to make the shot better than the one before and better
than other photographers. One way to do this is to make it jump out from the background.
Techniques for this include having your subject in the light while the background
is dark, silhouetting or using shallow depth of field to have your subject in
focus and the background blurred. These are some of the techniques covered for
isolating and silhouettes. Exposure and depth of field will be the main points
discussed for these.
6. Reflections
/ Creating Mood
Reflections are all around us. In water, in windows, and
in dew drops early in the morning. Getting a good reflection shot is not as straight
forward as it might appear, especially with reflections in water. Is the reflection
the main emphasis of the image or a supporting part? Looking for reflections is
not something every photographer is used to. This is where a developed eye helps
and by using the other items discussed in the class it should be to the point
where you see things rather than looking at what's out there. Focusing and exposure
will be a big part of this section.
Just as a person can have varying types of mood, so too can a photograph. It can be a feeling of intense action, solitude, or serenity. For many photographers it's a feeling where the viewer would want to walk into the scene and sit down. What is mood and what elements are needed to create this? Different elements can be used to create this sense of place and these are what we will look at as you take all of the elements and put them together where the viewer can look at an image and know they like it, even if they aren't sure why.