Sunday, March 27, 2022

 LEADING LINES


What in the world are "leading lines?" First, I place them in quotation marks because they aren't really lines, like lines that we draw on a piece of paper. But, what are they? Leading lines are part of the composition of an image. Artists introduce them into their two-dimensional paintings to lead the viewers' eye to either the center of interest or to an important part of the painting. We, photographers, learned that from them.

So, if they're not really lines, what are they? First, I look for them as I stare out at a scene, way before I hit my shutter release button; before I even set up my camera. I study the scene and decide which parts of the grand scene I will include within the four corners of my viewfinder. I look for as many of the seven composition principles I apply to my photography. One of those seven is "leading lines." I introduce any of several elements into my images as leading lines: fences, roads, hiking paths, creeks, rivers, sidewalks, or any element (object) that can serve to lead the viewers' eye to the center of interest (the main subject I'm photographing) or to an important part of the image. 

Now, let me connect the dots for you. The following images all contain lines. Some are more obvious than others, but all serve the same purpose. 


Leading lines can be a small piece of the overall composition, but they play their part in enhancing, adding to, the overall composition. This image of a barn with the mountains and ski slopes as a backdrop is a good example. If you look closely, the fence poles on the lower left-hand side of the image lead to the barn. Again, they can be subtle but they serve their purpose.  



I saw two lines in this scene before I set up my camera. I saw the fence that leads the eye toward the old barn. The other leading line, the dirt road, actually follows the bikers along their ride. 



In this nice autumn scene, I saw the hiking trail and quickly decided I was going to introduce it to lead the viewers' eye quickly into the aspen forest. It's hard for the eyes not to follow the trail into the scene.



The most obvious leading line in this scene were the yellow caution lines on each side of the light rail tracks. They lead to a mysterious part of the scene, which begs questions, especially about the dainty lone figure, alone in a concrete jungle. 




The leading line in this scene is subtle, but I saw it as I studied the composition. In case you're still wondering, I introduced the railing on the stone steps that lead toward the house. 




In this Taos, New Mexico scene, I used the stone wall next to the horno as a leading line. As you can see by now, leading lines can be obvious, somewhat obvious, or very subtle. 




There were two elements in this scene I introduced as leading lines. One of them is the fence in the distance that leads toward the old mill. The other one is the walkway by the pond that leads back toward the area of the mill. Again, subtle, but there. 
 



For this scene, what to introduce as a leading line was obvious--the hiking trail, which leads the eye toward the hiker. 





So, next time you find yourself on a photoshoot, consciously look for leading lines. They can add interest, draw the viewer in, add mystique and wonderment, and definitely enhance your compositions. Have fun with it! 

Contact me if you would like a one-on-one ZOOM lesson on this key and important topic.



  

 

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