Formalism

Formalism describes the position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form (in other words the way it is made and it’s visual aspects) rather than its narrative content or its relationship to the visible world.

formal and visual elements

Light – how the light source, which can be natural or artificial, is positioned in relation to your subject.

Line – anything that stretches between two points in your photo. 

Repetition – using repeating shapes or a repetitive pattern inside the frame as part of the composition.

Shape – Shape is generally considered two-dimensional, while Form is three-dimensional.

Space – the direction the subject of the photograph is moving in, or even just looking in.

Texture – the visual depiction of variations in the color, shape, and depth of an object’s surface.

Value/ tone – the lightness or darkness of an object.

colour – dominant colors are the warm colors, e.g. red, yellow, and orange, and cooler colors are the receding colors, e.g. blue, green and purple.

Composition – how a photographer arranges visual elements within their frame.

These elements are often used to describe and analyse photos

Example

Here we are aple to see the image in the middle being analysed around the outside. Some points made were:

• Lots of contrast
• Darker tones
• Repetition of circles
• Curved lines
• The center being the area of focus

Some other analysis concepts can be fond on the sheet below.

Technical includes; lighting, aperture, shutter speed, IOS and white balance. These are all things that are able to be adjusted by the photographer.

The visual area includes; colour, tone, texture, shape, form, pattern, line and space. These are all aspects that can be seen by the viewer.

Contextual includes; adding value or context as well a general knowledge about the image.

Conceptual includes; meaning, reasoning, thought, notion etc behind the work.