Introduction to Formal Elements
Formal Elements in photography, similar to those in other forms of visual art, are aspects or components of all photographs that make the photograph interesting or appealing to the audience’s eye. These elements are common and ordinary and show up in almost everything you look at. In abstract photography, these elements are highlighted in order to show the beauty in the ordinary. It is rare to see an image with one of the formal elements, as they are closely interconnected.
The Six Formal Elements
The six elements we have discussed so far in class are line, shape, pattern, texture, tone/value, and focus.
LINE
Randall Roberts “Hillside of Fire and Ice”
Line, or the use of line, can show movement or energy within a photograph, creating a sense of direction that draws the attention of the viewer. Lines within a photograph can be thick, thin, curvy, or straight, and can either be plain lines or from objects. This is perhaps one of the most obvious elements.
SHAPE
André Kertész, 1960, “Landing Pigeon”
The formal element of shape is seen through the use of organic (curvy) and geometric (straight-edged) objects. Shapes can be highlighted through lighting, texture, etc., but generally appear in every image you see. A black square? Geometric shape. A close-up of a flower? The petals are organic shapes. Geometric and organic shapes can be created through other formal elements as well and do not have to appear as a shaped object.
PATTERN
Andreas Gursky, 1999, “99 Cent”
Patterns or repetitions are repeated objects, shapes, lines, or colours that create a pattern or rhythm within a photo. Oftentimes, the use of repetition within a photo can highlight outliers or abnormal colours or figures within the image. Through the use of patterns, you can see the echoes or reflections within the repeated objects.
TEXTURE
Aaron Siskind, 1949
The use of texture is essentially communicating the feeling of an object through the photo. This element reminds me of Straight Photography, as it captures a feeling and experience in a photograph. If you were to reach through the photograph – how would it feel? If you could touch the surface – how would it feel? How would the objects in the photograph feel? This element can be created by highlighting the physical texture of the subject, or through modification in the processing of the photograph.
VALUE
Hiroshi Sugimoto
The formal element of value, similar to in painting, is the range of tones from dark to light or vice versa. It communicates the darkest and lightest values. I find that this element is best seen in black and white photographs, as it removes any “noise” provided by the contrast of other colours, allowing the viewer to completely see the range of tones provided in the photograph.
FOCUS
Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Finally, the element of focus highlights the sharpest or clearest areas within a photograph. This can be done by using the f-stop function to highlight one specific object or region in a photograph. Alternatively, focus can highlight the unclear objects in a photograph. I actually prefer completely unfocused images because they get rid of the little details and instead draw attention to the shape of a figure, creating an interesting story.
- Give an example that emphasizes each element (you can use your own image or an image from somebody else – but it must be cited!)
Can an image show just one element at a time?
I think that an image cannot show just one element at a time. I think because all six formal elements we have discussed in class are interconnected. For example, the U2 album cover “No Line in the Horizon” was taken by Hiroshi Sugimoto. This image is plainly a horizon with a line down the centre, separating the body of water from the sky. At first, I noticed the values within the image, the darker water and lighter sky, and then I noticed the horizontal line down the centre which separates in the image into two rectangles. Moreover, the texture of the water allows the viewer to know that it is water and not land, grass, concrete, etc. So in this one image, we have value, line, shape, and texture, totalling four elements.
Another example we can use is Bernhard Lang’s “An Italian Beach.” In this image, we can see a beach with rows of orange and yellow umbrellas and sunchairs, as well as two paths. This image includes all six elements. Line is seen through the vertical paths, as well as the invisible line between the orange and yellow beach areas. Shape is seen through the round umbrellas, the general shapes of the yellow and orange sections, and the sunbathing chairs themselves. Pattern can be seen through the repeating orange and yellow chairs, highlighting the uniformness of the beach. Texture is seen through the sand, which is different at each umbrella, showing how different people act at the beach. Value can be seen through the difference between the bright orange and yellow colours, as well as how they contrast with the white on the umbrellas and sunchairs, as well as the beige of the sand. Finally, focus is not as obvious in this image, however, we can see that there is an equal focus throughout the image, showing the equal importance and unity of the image as a whole.