Visual elements

line/tone/Shape/Colour/Form/Mass Line - a path made by a moving point. A line can show power or a direction, there are constructive lines and curvilinear lines, wavy lines & geometric lines. Lines can lead the eye to a point or perspective in an image.

This line above is a curvilinear line that bends and has shape.
Directional lines - Horizontal lines are lines that could be used for the horizon across the sky that meet the land.

* Vertical Lines 

By using lines you can add depth or texture to an image. When using line you could also add tone by optical blending and cross hatching this is where you can shade in something and then go over it in another direction making the image appear darker and shaded in. By doing this you are making something that may not have shape to start with eventually have shape in it by shading or cross hatching it.

Lines create shapes.

* Line can make shapes - construction lines are man made lines often found in architecture as shown in this image below.

Photographer Unknown - Date Unknown

The lines show the perspective in the image from the bottom to the top even on the arc and the trangular shapes formed inside the tower.

 

Picture by Bill Brandt Date Unknow

In this picture by Bill Brandt, the lines show the perspective in the picture and the horizon line behind the lighthouse. The stronge use of the lines makes your eyes follow the walkway out to the lighthouse.

Here is an example on one of my images where the sky meets the water creating a horizon line near the top of the image. Simalar to Bill's Picture above but coming from the right of the picture and out to the water.

Vertical lines can also be seen on the above image where the walk way leads out to the water into the distance. Vertical lines can be upward lines reaching up to something or to a point on the top of a building. Vertical lines can give strength to an image pulling the eye to point of a sky scraper, or a tall building

.

 

There are implied lines where the lines draw the eye to the subject or where the subject is looking or the line is leading.  Here is a picture of my son and he's looking down with the implied line from his eye down to what he is looking at? 

The Australian Ballet - Photographer Georges Antoni - Date unknown


In this image Antoni who is famous for fashion photographer and celebrities has captured the Australian Ballet on point with perfect line in their pose with the use of the line on the foreground and in their arms and legs. The angle that the picture has been taken on also creates a vertical line in their formation & a triangular shape in their legs.