How to Photograph Lines
- 1). Take a walk outside to a neighborhood where there are several public buildings grouped together. Look closely at the exterior facade for cracks in the surface. Try to create a two-dimensional picture with the lines in the old masonry becoming the design elements of the picture. A completely abstract design with a myriad of lines going in all directions should be your goal in this project, although there is nothing wrong with composing your picture around a single zig-zag crack that cuts across the picture. Or you might find an interesting piece of water pipe that acts in much the same way. This could be your line. The possibilities are endless.
- 2). Step outside on a sunny day and explore the world of shadows. Shadows are fantastic compositional elements that can create strange and sometimes eerie forms that make for a striking picture. Just outside your house are countless ideas you could develop. From the trees in your backyard to the shadows of your kids or pets romping around the yard, there is a lot to work from. Wintertime is especially good for this type of visual exploration, since the snow creates a monochromatic landscape in which shadows can become major graphic elements of design.
- 3). Head to the nearest park or natural area, wander about and take pictures of the landscape. Look for special places or objects that display a surface filled with natural lines. This could be the dried mud of a lake bed or a closeup of a large burl on a oak tree. Anyone with an observant and patient eye will find lots of ideas in these beautiful places.
- 4). Stay at home and take pictures of the interior of your house or portraits of your family members. Although we all hate to admit it, as we get older, our faces and hands develop a wonderful system of wrinkles that can make a very intriguing photograph.
- 5). Take a picture of someone’s hands to emphasize the natural lines. You can even use adjustable lights to bring out the natural lines in their hands. This activity can work well by using the hands of people of all ages and colors.
- 6). Make a picture from a line that begins in the foreground and then disappears into the horizon. Telephone and power lines make excellent compositional elements for this project, but look around, for you will most likely find many other ideas that create the vanishing effect described here.
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