Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots

4. Lines, Shapes, and Patterns

Lines, Shapes, and Patterns Make Up the Visual Path that Leads Your Eye Through the Frame to the Point of Interest

Composition is the art of arranging the elements within your frame into a pleasing image. It’s up to you to determine what your subject is and to arrange the elements within the frame accordingly. Lines and shapes are important elements in composition. Lines draw your viewer into (or out of) the frame. They give direction. An S-curve (a curve that is shaped like an S) gently meanders through the frame, leading the viewer deeper into the frame, whereas a straight line is more direct. Curved lines ...