THE ELEMENTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
visual perception and its translation into two dimensions
Line, colour and light all contribute to the feeling of calm.
Lago General Carerra, Chile.
IIn the art of photography there is no sound, no smell, no touch. It is therefore left to the sense of sight to convey the scene or subject that was experienced by the photographer - one’s own particular portrayal of the elements of line, colour, form, light, space. These intrinsic qualities and their interplay with each other help determine our visual perception of the world, particularly in an aesthetic sense, and can dramatically influence how an image is interpreted. They can imply a sense of movement or a dreamlike softness for example, and they can reflect something about the photographer’s “take” on the scene or be more documentary in nature, but they all have specific results when incorporated into an image. I will try to make a few observations about each of these visual elements that might help to clarify their impact.
Colour and line combine...
Castro, Chiloe Island, Chile
Line is the simplest but in some ways the most quintessential of the five. Line on its own is purely abstract and two dimensional which can be used to great effect, but it can also convicingly imply depth or perspective when combined with light or space - the separation of the layers in aerial perspective or the converging lines of a road for example. Lines don't have to be straight: the classic S curve is a line that moves the eye through a scene, creating a more dynamic image and curved lines can create a sense of expansion or contraction depending upon the direction of the curve. Lines, whether curved or straight, can work to delineate certain aspects or divide the image into sections, as well as the converse of connecting elements within the whole. And line can often only exist as an implied element by the imaginary or visual connection of pictorial elements within a scene - a straight line is the shortest distance between two points and a curve is the function of many points so the mind literally joins the dots and creates the subconscious perception of a line.
The emphasis goes to the texture and line when colour is removed
Ventisquero Negro, Argentina
Colour may seem obvious to most people, but there are more subconcious effects that colour can have than just the bright hues we think of as colour. The way different colours are juxtaposed, can create a form of depth perception, or even an increasing of perceived contrast . This is also an altering of normal perception by changing those juxtaposed colour values and has been used to good visual effect by many photographers past and present. In colour photography, this "colour depth" is often displayed as opposing warm and cool colours that create a different mental interpretation of feeling between the two and thus a distance or space that implies a sense of depth to the mind. Pure colour can be visually arresting and the inclusion of bright elements, especially of primary colours, will instantly draw the viewers eye and make the image potentially more pleasing. The lack of colour in black and white photography (or monochromatic colour images) leads to more of an emphasis on the other elements of visual perception so shades of grey becomes the corollary of hues. Likewise the juxtaposition of shades and the use of colour filters or the mixing of colour channels creates the sense of depth that the viewer experiences.
Form is highlighted with angled lighting.
Glacier Grey, Chile
As an element, form is hard to separate from light. It’s true that without light we wouldn’t have photography or for that matter sight, but the light I’m talking about is a quality rather than a quantity and form is particularly entwined with it. The colour or line of a subject can be similar to the background and without specific lighting conditions it will fade into obscurity. This is particularly true of highly textured or intricately shaped subject matter that will not reveal its true nature in flat lighting. Side lighting is often used to highlight the contours and a more three dimensional impression is created. But form is also shape and where there is light there is also dark, or in this case shadows, which can define the position as well as the form of an object. And of course, in the case of a silhouette for example, light creates a type of line by eliminating form and emphasizing shape.
Line, space, form, light and colour can all play their part.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Space, as I refer to it, is the relationship within space of two or more picture elements and thus is a sort of glue binding colour, form and line together that all bask in the glow of the light. (Sorry to wax poetical but this is visual poetry!) The Japanese term ma is also applicable here as it implies an interval in time as well as space, a pregnant pause that can direct the eye away from or towards certain elements depending upon how it is utilized. It is the perceptual space between each picture element that encourages our mind to wander or to linger and introduces the time aspect within a two dimensional representation - the viewer cannot be separated from that which is viewed, nor can the photographer be separated from the image captured. As has been noted before, the camera looks both ways, and ma can also be the perceptual space between the photographer and the person looking at the photograph.
Colour, light, aerial perspective (line) and silhouette (shape without form).
Casanova, Corsica, France
All these elements and concepts are dealt with in different ways by different people. I am only partly aware of many of them whilst composing a photograph and rely heavily on what I call “visual intuition” to arrange or recognize elements within a scene, only subsequently being able to analyze the content. It can take some conscious effort to take everything into consideration before firing the shutter and of course we don’t always have the luxury of time on our side, but for much of outdoor photography, aids such as a tripod can encourage us to take time in setting up and considering all the alternatives. More practice at doing so can lead to a more subconscious grasp of these qualities which can in turn help when we don’t have the luxury of time.