Explain what the phrase Formal Elements means in photography/ Describe each of the 6 elements discussed so far (Line, Shape, pattern, texture, tone, focus)
Photography is more than an art; it’s all a skill. The formal elements are the 6 elements that make the photograph. A photograph usually includes one or multiple factors. There are 6 elements that photographers should focus on. Each aspect provides the photograph different uniqueness. The elements include line, shape, pattern, texture, tone or value, and focus. All of the elements can be combined and make a photograph. Line and Shape are literally what the name means ” line and shape.” To use the elements of lines or shapes, the picture includes any lines or shapes. It can be any shape or line, horizontal or vertical, round or squared, etc. The pattern in elements means repetition of anything. In a photograph using the pattern element, something is repetitive in a predictable way. Patterns can be found everywhere; the object can be a shape, a line, colors, even textures. Texture in photographs is the visual quality of an object. It shows how the object feels. The tone in photography usually refers to the brightness in the photograph from dark to bright; it’s the color variation in an image. Lastly, the focus is basically how focused is the main subject. It’s how blurred or clear the photograph is.
Examples that emphasize each element
Line(tone,shape)
Shape(tone,texture)
Texture (pattern,shape,line,focus)
Pattern (shape, tone)
Tone (Focus)
Focus(texture,shape)
Can an image show just one element at a time?
From my standpoint, an image can’t only show one element. Most of the photographs usually include 2 to 3 elements. It is possible that photographers emphasize hardly or make it more evident in one element, but I think it isn’t likely to include only one element in the picture. For example, looking at the repetition photo of the building, it is obvious that the element showed in the picture will be a pattern or repetition to most people. However, this is kind of wrong. It depends on how the author or the viewers interpret it. The windows or the building have a shape of a rectangle. It also has a bright tone, not a dark one. There are several elements included in this photograph. Photographs can’t have only one element.