Formal elements of photography refer to the following seven fundamental visual components—line, shape, form, pattern, color, texture, and space—that are an essential part of photographers creating an image. These elements work as guidance for how photos can be composed and how viewers perceive them.

The six key elements are:

  1. Line: Lines are marks that guide the viewer’s eye through the image, connect elements, or create boundaries within the image. Lines can be straight, curved, vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. Picfair, “Understanding the 7 formal elements of photography,” 8th September 2020.
    https://focus.picfair.com/articles/7-formal-elements-photography, Accessed 3rd September 2025.
  2. Shape & Form: Photos demonstrating geometric shapes or three-dimensional form in composition and lighting. Aidan Hendrickse, “The Formal Elements,” 2025.
    http://aidanhendrickse.weebly.com/the-formal-elements.html, accessed 3rd September 2025.
  3. Pattern: Patterns include repetition of elements like lines, shapes, or colors to create rhythm, unity, or visual appeal in its composition. The School of Photography, “Pattern in Photography,” 11th June 2025.
    https://www.theschoolofphotography.com/tutorials/pattern-in-photography, Accessed 3rd September 2025.
  4. Color: Photos using saturated colors that set the mood and create emphasis of the picture. Bailly Lectures, “Formal Elements of Photography,” 17th November 2023.
    https://baillylectures.com/fiu/art-miami/formal-elements-of-photography/, accessed 3rd September 2025.
  5. Texture: The surface quality or feel of an object in a photo, like rough, smooth, or soft, which adds realism or emotion to the picture. National Gallery of Victoria, “Formal Elements,” 2018.
    https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/picture-perfect-pictorialism-and-its-processes/, Accessed 3rd September 2025.
  6. Space: Photos using positive and negative space to create balance and depth of the photo. Photography Life, “The Elements of Photography,” 15th February 2021.
    https://photographylife.com/elements-of-photography, Accessed 3rd September 2025