Leading Lines

Practice, Techniques and Research

  

Michael Bamber

Leading Lines

Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image. Anything with a definite line can be a leading line.

 

 Triangles

In portraits sometimes a symmetrical triangle is created using eyes with nose or mouth, which becomes very evident to viewers. In architecture and landscape photography implied triangles are used in creating aesthetically pleasing images.

 

Even and Odd

The Rule of Even and Odd is a way of composing a picture, where you use either even or odd numbers to make different effects. If you for example have three people in a picture, the attention goes to the one in the middle. If you have 6, the attention may be more scattered among all the people.

 

Rule of thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a way of composing a picture, where the different parts of the picture coincide with 9 imaginary squares/three imaginary lines. It makes the composition look tidy, and organized.

Rule of Space

The rule of space is another way of composing a picture. It can have big effects and can give the viewer something to think about. If you add space behind an item/a person in a picture, it might give the effect of movement. If you add space in front of an item/a person it might make it look like they are drifting away.