Uses In Photography

Shape: A shape is two-dimensional. Yes, a photograph itself is two-dimensional, but a shape in a photograph doesn’t have any appearance of depth. Often, to make a 3D object appear to have no depth, front or back lighting is used. An object that appears to have depth either through lighting or perspective, is not a shape, but a form.

Form: Objects that appear to have depth, despite being part of a two-dimensional image, are part of the design elements of form. Forms usually appear to have depth through lighting that creates shadows, or by looking at the object from an angle, rather than straight onto one of the edges.

Line: Lines form the edges of shapes, but they also form shapes of their own. Lines can lead the eye in a photograph and serve as a powerful compositional tool.

Types Of Shape

Geometric: Geometric shapes have straight, defined edges. In photography, these types of shapes are most common in man-made structures, such as architectural photography.

Organic: Organic structures are full of curves and may not be geometrically perfect. These types of shapes are often most found in nature, the curve of a flower petal, for example.