Formal Elements

Formal Elements in photography are the elements used in taking photos. These elements include line, shape, pattern, texture, value, and focus.

Line:

The lines in photography use lines to create visual interest and convey information in images. Lines can be used to guide the audience’s attention, create depth, and even create a sense of movement.

Photo by Irargerich

 

Shape:

The shape defines a flat, enclosed spatial area. Shapes are composed of colors and lines, but all shapes are limited to two-dimensional dimensions.

Photo by Jacqueline Walters

 

Pattern:

The elements in the scene reappear in a predictable manner. Patterns can be seen everywhere and are commonly found in shapes, colors, or textures.

Photo by Pixabay

 

Texture:

The visual quality of an object’s surface is displayed through changes in shape, hue, and color depth. Textures bring vitality and vitality to images that originally looked dull and dull.

Photo by CorazondeDios

 

Value:

The value defines the brightness of a given color or tone. When visualizing a value as a ratio or gradient from dark to light, it can be better understood. The more color tone changes in an image, the lower the contrast.

Photo by Andreas Feininger

 

Focus:

The focus is the area used by the lens to highlight objects, people, or situations. It is the process of adjusting the lens to find the maximum resolution, clarity, and contrast of the selected theme.

Photo by Leonardo Papera

 

An image can present many elements at a time, these elements are not the limitations of the photo, it is just a way to make photographs of different kind. A photo can include many elements to show its specialness and value. Having more elements in a photograph could make it seems more interesting and more beautiful.

 

 

Pictorialismto Straight Photography

The pictorialism movement in photography shows the aesthetics of photography and a set of principles of photography as art. It is usually the main object in the picture in focus and everything else blurry. The straight photography movement in photography means the image has not undergone any changes. These photographers believe that the artistic quality of portraits is due to the theme, composition, favorable location, and lighting used. This kind of photo implies more details and makes the main object stand out. Photography began to be understood and appreciated as an art form, accompanied by innovative techniques and production techniques used by photographers.

The pictorialism movement in photography:

The straight photography movement in photography:

 

 

Edward Weston’s photographs mostly consist of one main subject that fills most of the space of the photo. The photos are all black and white, and the background is usually darker than the main subjects. This makes a contrast between the object and the background which emphasizes the main object. The straight photography movement had a big influence on Edward Weston because his artworks are all kinds of straight photography movements. He had been taking photos of both real and abstract objects discovered. Aaron Siskind is also a photographer who uses straight photography movement, his photos record the real world ‘seen’ by the camera in an abstract way. However, Uta Barth is not a photographer who uses this technique. Her photos were taken to investigate and observe behavior. In multiple of her works, she explores the transience of light and its ability to overwhelm and completely destroy human vision. Andreas Gursky’s work also does not show the elements of straight photography. His work shows large-format architectural and landscape color photos, often using high angles of view.

 

Abstraction

Abstract in photography can be defined as capturing images in which the subject is not the most interesting element

I think this statement about abstract in photography means images created using photographic materials and equipment that are not related to the realistic world. This kind of photograph allows photographers to bring the audience into a world beyond normal daily experiences. It is usually created by the photographer’s imagination, and they use patterns, motion, and light to create images that normally are not recognizable.

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