CREATING VISUAL INTEREST (©These are the five principles of Alister Benn: Expressive Photography)

Contrast: the difference in tones, colors, textures, shapes, or subjects between the lightest and darkest parts of an image. It's a fundamental aspect of photography that helps distinguish objects in an image and create clarity.

Luminosity: the perceived brightness of an object as seen by a human observer. It's often used to describe the quality of a photograph that makes the subject appear to glow, with highlights that are separated from the other tones in the image.

Atmosphere: the mood or emotion that a photograph conveys to the viewer. It's the result of a combination of elements, such as lighting, color, subject matter, and composition, that work together to create a feeling.

Color: a fundamental element of art that can be used to create visual contrast, direct attention, and evoke mood. It's a component of light that's separated when it reflects off an object, and the wavelengths of the reflected light determine the color we see.

Geometry: the utilization of lines, shapes, and patterns found in the natural world to create a visually interesting composition within a photograph, often emphasizing straight lines, basic shapes like triangles, circles, and rectangles, to structure the image and guide the viewer's eye. 

CREATING VISUAL DESIGN

Line: a moving point that can be straight, curved, or zig-zag. Lines are a versatile tool that can be used to create a sense of direction, movement, balance, and drama in an image. The different types of lines and how they are used can impact the viewer's response to the image: 

• Vertical lines: Can give a feeling of grandeur, strength, and height 

• Horizontal lines: Can impart a sense of peace, serenity, and timelessness 

• Diagonal lines: Can convey energy and movement, and can also provide a sense of depth 

• Curved lines: Can be gentle, graceful, and soothing, and can make an image feel more relaxed 

• Jagged irregular lines: Can be more dynamic and energetic than diagonal lines, and can make a viewer's eyes jump around the image 

• Implied lines: Can be created by the way our eyes move through a photograph 

• Psychological lines: Can be created by the gaze of a subject, or the extended pointer finger of a person in a photograph. 

Shape: a two-dimensional subject or object that is captured by the camera lens. Shapes are often created by closed lines and can be geometric or organic: 

• Geometric shapes: regular shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and octagons. They are often found in manmade structures and objects. 

• Organic shapes: These are curvy or irregular shapes, like the outline of a tree, flower, or bird. Fluids, like rain puddles or clouds, can also create organic shapes that are not permanently defined. 

• The way that shape is used in photography can impact the story that is being told to the audience. For example:

  • Organic shapes: These can imply movement or calm.

  • Rectangular shapes: These can lend themselves to strength or stability.

  • Triangles or diagonal shapes: These can create a sense of direction and lead the viewer to the focal point of the image.

Form: the way light and shadows create the illusion of depth and structure in three-dimensional objects. Form is an important element of art and design in photography, and it can make images more lifelike and engaging. Here are some ways to create form in photography: 

• Light and shadows: Light directly over an object creates a different effect than a silhouette. Shadows and highlights can create depth. 

• Perspective: Shooting from a different angle can highlight an object's angles or show a different side. 

• Black and white: Black and white photography can emphasize form. 

• Circles: Circles can convey wholeness and protection. 

• Spirals: Spirals can convey balance, progress, awareness, or connection. 

Texture: the visual representation of an object's surface's variations in color, shape, and depth. It's an important compositional element that can add interest, depth, and vibrancy to images.  Here are some ways texture can be used in photography: 

• Create mood: Texture can help create moods and tell stories. For example, if a skier is floating down fresh snow, the viewer might imagine what it feels like to be there. 

• Add contrast : Texture can add contrast to images. For example, in a seascape, a long exposure can create visual contrast between the water and rocks. 

• Evoke emotions: Texture can evoke emotions in viewers. For example, texture can help viewers feel the cool water or rough rocks in an image. 

Size can refer to the dimensions of an image, the size of a photo print, or the principle of proportion. The relationship between the size of different elements in a photograph. Incorrect proportions can make an image unrealistic or abstract. 

Subject is the main focus of the image and is what the photo is about. It is the "what" in a photograph, and can be a person, object, or arrangement of objects. The subject is the most important element in the image, and it's what guides the photographer's decisions about lighting, composition, and exposure settings. Here are some things to keep in mind about the subject of a photograph: 

• Subject vs. object: The subject is the main focus, while the object is what is being photographed. For example, in a photo of an old building with trees and cars, the building is the subject, and the trees, cars, and ground are the objects. 

• Subject and emotion: The subject conveys the matter and emotions of the image. For example, in a photo of two lovers kissing with the Eiffel Tower in the background, the subject might be love, romance, or intimacy. 

• Subject and composition: The subject is the focus of the image, both literally and figuratively. Composition is how the photographer arranges the elements of the photo within the frame. 

Perspective: the spatial relationship between subjects in a frame, and how it's represented to the viewer. It's a way to create a sense of depth and volume in a two-dimensional image. Here are some types of perspective in photography: 

• Linear perspective: Uses converging lines to create the impression of depth 

• Aerial perspective: Objects in the background appear less detailed and lighter in color than objects in the foreground 

• Forced perspective: Creates optical illusions by making objects appear nearer or farther, smaller or larger than they actually are 

• Diminishing scale perspective: Uses the natural tendency to see things closer to us as larger and things farther away as smaller 

• Overlap perspective: Uses overlapping natural layers in your frame to increase depth 

Depth can refer to the distance from the camera or to the depth of field in an image: 

• Depth of field: The distance in an image where objects are in focus. It's the area in front of and behind the subject that appears sharp. Depth of field is controlled by adjusting the camera's aperture settings. A wide aperture creates a shallow depth of field, which blurs the background or foreground. A narrow aperture creates a deep depth of field, which keeps everything in the frame in focus. 

• Depth as an element of photographic art: A linear measurement from front to back. Depth can be conveyed through visual cues like linear perspective, aerial perspective, and texture gradient. 

Balance: the visual equilibrium of an image, while harmony is when the elements in an image complement each other: 

• Balance: The appearance of equality in a composition. You can achieve balance by distributing visual elements within the frame to create a sense of stability. 

• Harmony: When the combined elements in an image complement one another. You can achieve harmony by examining the visual weight of the main elements in the composition and deciding if the weight is proportional and appropriate.