• Explain what the phrase Formal Elements means in photography.

Formal elements in photography are the 6 vital elements of photography. Line, shape, pattern, texture, tone, focus.

• Describe each of the 6 elements discussed so far (line, shape, pattern, texture, tone, focus)

Lines are essential in a good photograph. Lines can be used to do many things in a single photograph. For example, leading liens could be used to guide the viewer through a photograph or to the subject. Angular lines converge into a central vanishing point. It will add a sense of perspective to the image and helps the viewer imagine their-self in the photo.

Shapes and forms, when used effectively, could be the center of attention in an image. Shapes and forms make up the world around us, it is also what makes some photos more striking than others. Shapes and forms could be anywhere, a rectangular door, tiles in a bathroom, a circular window, or the sun.

Shapes and forms that are repeated in a specific and repeated arrangement are called patterns. There are many examples of patterns around us. Windows on buildings, bricks that make up walls, tiles on the roofs of traditional Asian buildings, or the wooden fences of gardens.

Texture in photography is very important, it can help the people that have experienced things in photography really imagine themselves in it. For example, when people who have been to the beach a lot of times look at photographs of the beach and the sea, they could imagine themselves there.

Tone refers to the brightness of a photograph. From solid black to pure white, it appears everywhere in our daily life. Shadows have a dark tone, while highlights have a bright tone.

Focus is the sharpest area of the photograph, it is also the subject of the photograph. Focus is the most important aspect of photography, it decides the whether the photo is a “good” or “bad” photo, and it is the highlight of every photograph.

• Give an example that emphasizes each element –

Line:

Shape:

Pattern:

Texture:

Tone:

Focus:

• Can an image show just one element at a time? Justify your answer.

I don’t think that an image can only show one element at a time, since many of the elements are intertwined. For example, when there is pattern, there will most likely be lines and shapes that make up the pattern.