How Leading Lines In Photography Work

Leading lines in photography can be a powerful compositional tool. This simple technique helps a photographer bring the viewer\’s eye to a focal point, and gives a picture an overall structure in terms of layout.

Basically, any time there is a strong line in a photograph, the spectator\’s eye will naturally follow along it. This can be anything from a manmade object like a telephone pole or a road, to a natural object such as a tree or even a dark shadow. You can also pose people so that their posture creates this kind of focal point.

This controls the way an eye sees the picture, which you can use to create a calming, symmetrical, and harmonious experience for the viewer by providing a single strong line. You can also use multiple lines to create a tense or dramatic composition, by having the focus drawn in several directions with lines that intersect each other or compete for attention. When you learn the range of how to use this technique, you will be able to more effectively present different kinds of emotional content, so it is well worth trying to master this as a tool.

Sometimes this will naturally happen in a picture, almost as a happy accident, such as if you were to shoot a road heading into a setting sun on the horizon line. You may also choose a shot with this technique in mind, such as when you pose a person\’s portrait so that shadows or the branches of a nearby tree grab the viewer\’s attention, and meaningfully draw the focus to the face of the person who you are trying to capture.

This idea is useful not only when taking the pictures, but when editing them later. When at the stage of deciding whether or not to crop a photo, many photographers will look to see whether that kind of framing can bring a line to a viewer\’s attention and create a more powerful image, even if that was not intended at the time the photo was shot. Another way to bring this visual aspect out in an existing picture is by changing the contrast or the white balance to make some elements grab more attention.

You can use them to give a picture a feeling of motion, by creating a visual narrative that leads the eye on a dynamic journey. Some photographers use them as guideposts that actually draw the viewer\’s attention across the photo to the edge of the image, and suggests a focal point beyond the picture\’s frame.

Many courses that teach photography include specific projects that are meant to boost students\’ ability to master this tool. If you are not enrolled in a formal course of training in the photographic medium, and are either taking photos as a hobby or are a self-taught artist in this format, you might want to try focusing on this technique for a photography session, or for a series of sessions, in order to master it.

It\’s no surprise that so many books and training courses about photography include sections about how to use leading lines. This simple technique can boost the emotional content and compositional force of your photos, and guide the experience your viewers have when viewing your work, whether you are a hobbyist or a professional photographer.

Parker Michaels is a new media consultant and freelance photographer. For more information on leading lines in photography, visit www.photo-junkie.com.