The correct definition of “Line” in photography is
The Merriam-Webster definition of “line” comprises 15 parts, 46 sections, and 41 subsections.
A straight or curved geometric element that is generated by a moving point and that has extension only along the path of the point.
There are multiple types of lines such as…
Straight, Curved
Vertical, Horizontal
Solid, Dashed or Interrupted
A straight line may convey a feeling or impression of calmness and togetherness, however a zig- zag line may imply a more rushed, energetic tone.
Lines in a photograph add emphasis on the subject matter or conveying a sense of movement.
I then took my own photos to represent ‘Lines’
Shapes
The Merriam-Webster definition of “shape” that we are concerned with as photographic artists is:
1 a : the visible makeup characteristic of a particular item or kind of item
1 b (1) : spatial form or contour
1 b (2) : a standard or universally recognized spatial form
Shapes are two-dimensional. They can be measured by overall height and width.
Different shapes, when they intersect and overlap, can combine to create a new shape.
THE TWO BASIC TYPES OF SHAPE ARE:
Geometric – circle, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, square and trapezoid.
Organic – found in nature, such as plants, animals, and rocks.
I then took my own photos to represent ‘Shapes’
To represent ‘shape’ I constructed a spoon, knife and fork into a triangle shape.
Form
The Merriam-Webster definition of “form” comprises 12 parts, 27 sections, and 4 subsections:
1 a: the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material
Form is three-dimensional. Form has overall height, width, and depth.
The two types of forms are geometric forms such as:
Cube
Cone
Cylinder
However, There is also organic forms such as the objects that are all around us in the world.
Texture
The Merriam-Webster definition of “texture” is:
the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something.
There are many different types of textures such as:
Smooth
Prickly
Fluffy
Silky
Rough
Velvety
Sticky
Bristly
Bumpy
Feathery
‘How is texture shown in photography?’ -Texture becomes most visible through the use of light and shadow.
Colour
The Merriam-Webster definition of “colour” that we, as photographic artists, are concerned with is:
1 a : a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or grey) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects.
b (1) : the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light.
also : a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness.
Colour has three properties: hue, value, and saturation.
The main 3 properties of colour are :
-Hue
– Saturation
-Value
There are bright and bold colours that create an impression of happiness, joy and energy. These colours may consist of red, yellow, green, blue, purple etc.
There are also dull and darker colours that create an impression of darkness, sadness and solemn that help convey mood. These colours may consist of black, white, grey and any darker shades.
Size
The Merriam-Webster definition of “size” that we, as photographic artists, are concerned about is:
1 a : physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions.
Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion.
THE ONLY 3 MAIN TYPES OF SIZE ARE:
Large
Medium
Small
Getting close to an object can help a photographer to emphasize size without actually changing the size or shape of an object.
I then took my own photos to represent ‘Size’
Depth
The Merriam-Webster definition of “depth”that we, as photographic artists, are concerned about is:
2 b: the direct linear measurement from front to back.
Depth of field consists of:
aperture
focus distance
focal length
circle of confusion
Depth of Field photography can be defined as the space in the image that is relatively sharp and in focus.
To be able to create a photo with a good depth of field, It has been proven that pointing a light at something, whether near you or behind other objects, and your eyes will be drawn to focus there.
Formalist Photography is based on The Design, Composition and Lighting that is dominant over Subject Matters. The photographer becomes a visual designer whenever a frame is captured. In camera cropping concentrates on the desired subject while eliminating everything else.
Photo Literacy?
What is photo literacy?
Photo literacy is the language of photographic images. Photographs communicate their meanings in particular ways. Such as a photograph with little children could represent nostalgia and the memories of the past while a photo of a field full of flowers could represent some sort of comfort and reassurance, its a passion you may have for nature, people tend to admire different things and therefore nature either could be admiring or dull.
to my understanding photo literacy is photographs of the past with different meanings, its proof of everything we are taught. It helps people understand what is going on in the world and evidence is shown through the photographs although we don’t exactly know the situation of each photo we have a slight idea of the concept, through facial emotions, expressions.
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE ANALYSIS
Analysing an artistic photograph will consist of studying the various elements which compose it to detect the emotional sense, the message transmitted or to identify aesthetic qualities. Photo analysis (or photo analysis) refers to the study of pictures to compile various types of data, for example, to measure the size distribution of virtually anything that can be captured by photo.
There are seven basic elements to photographic art that we must explore over the coming weeks:
Lines in photography are an immensely powerful element. Proper arrangement of lines, guides the eye around the image, often placing emphasis on the subject matter or conveying a sense of movement. Improper arrangement can draw the eye out of the photo or take away from the strength of the subject matter.
shape
Most photographers recognize the four basic shapes: circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles. Each of these shapes can be used to create a variety of different effects in your photographs. Circles are often used to create a feeling of harmony and balance, while triangles can add a sense of movement and drama.
Shape in photography is exactly what it sounds like: The two-dimensional appearance of objects as they’re captured by your camera. For instance, if you look at a photo of a ball, you’ll see its shape: a circle. If you look at a photo of a cube-shaped suitcase, you’ll see its shape: a square.
Form
Form refers to when shape takes on three dimensions. Form is created by shadows and highlights on an object in the photograph. You can see in these two photos how shape becomes form when light hits the subject.
Without the 3D effect, photos look flat and dull. This might work for some photography genres or styles. It’s usually not desirable. A form photographer’s aim is to make their photos look like they’re as real as the actual objects they’re photographing.
Texture
When talking about photography texture refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object, revealed through variances in shape, tone and colour depth. Texture brings life and vibrance to images that would otherwise appear flat and uninspiring.
colour
Colour in photography composition is one of the main tools a photographer can use to create mood in their images. How you combine various colors or exclude them from your photographs influences how people might feel when they look at them. This is why understanding color in photography is so important.
size
The Basics: Image Size is the term given to describe the height and width of an image in pixels. Maximum Image Size is determined by the megapixels of a given camera – for example, a 10-megapixel camera will give a maximum image size of 2592 by 3872 pixels.
Compositionally, the biggest effect of a big print is to reveal details. These details can include textures, small subjects, and – of course – flaws that would not be visible at smaller sizes. All of this can impact the balance of a photo, leaning it more in one direction or another as the viewer’s attention shifts.
Depth
What Is Depth of Field in Photography? In simplest terms, depth of field is how much of your image is in focus. In more technical terms, depth of field is the distance in an image where objects appear “acceptably in focus” or have a level of “acceptable sharpness.”
formalism is often portrayed as abstracted reality by eliminating social or spatial context; by using viewpoints that flattened pictorial space, acknowledging the flatness of the picture plane; and by emphasising shape and tonal rendition in highlights and shadows as much as in the actual subject matter.”
formalism is also always seems as back and white which can cause a confusion to why. Black and white photography can evoke a mood – from nostalgia to sadness to yearning, black and white pictures somehow convey emotion in a way that colour images simply can’t. Not everything is Black & White but sometimes it can be just what is needed. This makes formalism make a lot more sense to me and to why most of the pictures are needed in black and white, I personally feel that when you see an imagine in colour you feel happiness depending on the tones and shades. However when I see and grey/ black and white photo I feel some sort of sadness and empathy for others it does make me feel some sort of happiness as I think back about my childhood.
Stephen Shore
He concentrated on photographing landscape, streets and buildings. From 1977 to 1982 Shore was commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to photograph Monet’s gardens at Giverny, France. American photographer. Landscape and Photography, he has recognizable style which is often touted as one of the most important things for an artist to develop, but Shore has never abided by that idea. Shore switches between antilog and digital, black-and-white and colour, photographic and production techniques, and film formats.
. John Szarkowski.
The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.
In photography Formalism was advocated by John Szarkowski (Curator of Photography at Museum on Modern Art, New York) who is his book; The Photographer’s Eye (1966) identified five elements involved in the formalist approach to the analysis of photography, they are: the thing itself, the detail, the frame, time and the vantage point.
Photo analysis
overall, through this photo I really like how is is put in black and white which makes the photo look really modern, however it does also make me feel as though this photo was taken a long time ago. I know that this photo wasn’t taken purposely as the people in the streets aren’t posing and aren’t necessarily intended to be in it. The weather also doesn’t look the best as I can see any sunlight and mostly see clouds and a foggy exterior.
The way the photo is set out does almost look staged because of the cars, however the cars are in opposite of illusory motion in this photo which creates that still life effect although there are living humans beings involved with moving cars.
To make this photo look even better i believe that the shop should have some lights involved or even just some street lights as the photo looks quite dull and plain, even if there is a lot of things happening my eyes would directly be drawn to the lights near the shops or street, this would make feel more focused on one area of the photo instead of the whole thing.
Walker Evans influenced Darren Harvey-Regan heavily, and both artists paid careful attention to choice of objects, composition, lighting and exposure values.
Their choice of objects were ‘beauties of the common tool’, meaning objects such a wrenches, hammers and other similar things.
WHO IS WALKER EVANS?
“Among low-priced, factory-produced goos, none is so appealing to the senses as the ordinary hand tool. Hence, a hardware store is a kind of offbeat museum show for the man who responds to good, clear ‘undesigned’ forms.”
Walker Evans was an American photographer and photojournalist. He began to photograph in the late 1920s, making snapshots during a European trip. He is very well known for his work for the FSA, documenting the effects of the Great Depression.
His portfolio ‘Beauties of the Common Tool’ was published originally in 1955.
Although the objects alone would seem to be lifeless and plain, Evans played with the angles of the lighting and exposure ton give a different perspective on each tool. He played with the positioning of shadow too, making the images more interesting.
Each tool tells a story about life during the Great Depression and how they played important roles for people struggling to make a livelihood.
WHO IS DARREN HARVEY-REGAN?
“It’s a means of transposing material into other material, adding new meaning or thoughts in the process. I think photographing materials is a way to consider the means of creating meaning, and it’s a tactile process with which I feel involved. Touching and moving and making are my engagement with the world and my art”.
Darren Harvey-Regan was a photographer interested in the idea that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves.
He was heavily inspired by Walker Evans. When Evans portfolio was published by Fortune magazine in 1955, Harvey-Regan constructed a montage of Walker Evans’ portfolio to create new forms.
He then sourced matching tools, cut them in half and re-joined several halves together, with the resulting physical objects being photographed to create his work.
The montaged tools became both beautiful and bizarre objects, in which a ratchet wrench is combined with a pair of pliers and a Mason’s trowel joined with a pair of scissors. This made it stand out from the rest as the strangeness made it more eye-catching.
He named his work ‘Beauties of the Common Tool, Rephrased II, 2013’.
He took the story that Walker Evans represented and rearranged it, modernising it.
Walker Evans was a talented and inspiring photographer in the late 1920s. He started his career by making snapshots during a European trip, however he only published his first images in the 1930s when he returned to New York.
In his ‘beauties of common tools’ shoot, he shows the eyeful side of common tools. Although cameras with colour became a thing in the 1950s which was the around the time he took photos of his so called project, ‘beauties of common tools’, his images are not in colour because black and white was still the norm even though cameras already had colour. He stuck to the norm.
Most of Evans work was inspired by the effects of the depression and telling the story of the American working class. Evans project ‘beauties of common tools’ illustrates the simplicity of common tools. I think that in some way he compared working class to common tools. I strongly believe that he saw that common tools were just as hard working as working class.
Who is Darren Harvey-Regan?
Darren Harvey-Regan was a photographer interested in the concept that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves.
After Evans portfolio called ‘beauties of a common tool’ Harvey-Regan constructed a montage of Evans’s images to make new forms. Becoming inspired by the images, Harvey-Regan found matching tools, cut them in half and stuck them various halves together, then photographed his interesting work.
His idea to create such beautiful but bizarre objects was all because of Evans.
Comparing and contrasting the work of the two artists.
When it comes to Evans work, his work is quite cold. The photos have an eerie feel to it. The photos have this sense of strangeness to it and because of this, it creates this uniqueness and curiosity atmosphere that makes us question what Evans saw in those tools.
Darren’s work in the other hand is very neutral. They don’t have this strangeness to it and although Darren was inspired by Evans work, Darren’s work isn’t quit the same. His lighting is a lot harsher than Evans. However, Darren’s photoshoot inspired by Evans has a bizarreness and uniqueness to it. The fact that he combined two completely different tools together, suggests a very odd feeling to the photos. His photos are quiet simple, they don’t have much depth to them unlike Evans.
Now lets compare these two pictures
Evans picture, which is in the right has a very antique undertone. You can see that it was taken from a much older camera that didn’t have as much quality as Darren’s camera which has a clearer quality.
In Evans picture, the photo is in black and white even though there was colour in the period that Evans took this picture but it just wasn’t as common to use colour, because of this, Evans picture doesn’t have as much detail as Darren’s however when it comes to showing lighting, Evans shows it perfectly in his picture.
On Evans picture, at the top of the tool it is much lighter and in fact seems like its glowing. I think this is to show that the tool is used constantly because the parts where the tool is darker is where its not really being used. Evans is showing the importance of common tools and how hardworking they are. In the other hand, Darren’s picture of the tools is much darker. This implies that the tools are really old, maybe the tools weren’t as used now as they were used in the 1900s hence why the tools looks rusty.
A big difference between Evans and Darren’s work is that Darren combined two tools together and Evans never did that, Evans showed the ‘true’ form of the tools. However a similarity is that they both photograph common tools and they both wanted to show the beauty of the tools.
I have taken photos for Still Life under the theme of Nostalgia. To do this, I collected some old objects from when I was younger and arranged them in multiple ways.
Lightroom
This is my Adobe Lightroom Classic setup, I uploaded my photos and made a folder for them then arranged them by colour coding them. Green being good, yellow alright and red bad.
This is the folder I created showing my best Still Life Photos before editing:
Camera Settings
When taking the photos I made sure that the image had a good exposure by lowering the ISO and increasing the shutter speed when taking photos in a bright environment. I also made sure that the image was focussed, switching between both manual and auto focus. I took the photos with a low aperture as only a low depth of field was needed due to the objects being close to the lense.
Editing process
Edit 1
To edit this photo, firstly, I cropped it then decreased the exposure, contrast and whites. This made the image less vibrant, therefore I increased the saturation because, to me, nostalgia is colourful and not dull, therefore I want my image to reflect that.
My intention for this image was to show the early events of my life as the baby journal is a record of my first experiences, such as my first step or my first smile, the pig is from the first time I ever went pottery painting and the ticket is from the first show I ever went to. I could improve this photo by making the background more white as, due to the decrease in exposure, it has become greyish blue.
Edit 2
To edit this photo, I began my cropping it then using the adjustment brush tool to balance out the background by changing the exposure in different areas. I then decreased the overall exposure and used the adjustment brush over the dress to increase the exposure and saturation. I also decreased the contrast .
This is a photo of my first ever dress. I had no intention for this photograph, I just thought I would be effective. I think this image links to nostalgia as the subject of the photograph is an outfit which holds many memories from when I was a baby.
Edit 3
To edit this photo, I started off by cropping it then I increased the texture and made slight adjustments to the whites and vibrancy. I decided to leave the exposure as it was as I believe that the photograph already has good exposure.
My intention for this photo was to arrange my nostalgic objects in a way similar to Still Life Paintings, where artists gathered various objects, often fruit and arranged them to paint. This image links to nostalgia because it includes many objects from when I was a baby which all have significant meaning to me.
Edit 4
To edit this photo, I rotated in to make the newspaper straighter then increased shadows, whites and texture. Once completed, I cropped the edges of the image as I wasn’t satisfied.
My intention for this photo was to make the bottom of the hat lead your eye towards the small image on the newspaper, which was a photo of me as a baby wearing the same hat.
Edit 5
For this edit, firstly, I cropped the top of the photograph as you could see the edge of the table. Next, I used the brush adjustment tool to increase the exposure at top of the image because I believe it was too dark. Finally, I finished off by increasing the texture and clarity of the entire photo.
My intention for this image was to represent my first Christmas. I did this by gathering objects such as the dress I wore later on that day, my 1st Christmas hat and a photo of me on that day.
Edit 6
For this edit, firstly, I rotated and cropped the photograph. Then, I decreased the contrast because I think that it was a bit too dark. Lastly, I increased highlights, texture and clarity to make the ballet shoes a lighter colour. This makes the photo more nostalgic rather than sombre.
Both this image and the one below had no intention, however I think that they relate to nostalgia as they are my first ever ballet shoes and I used to love ballet. I personally think that these are effective images as these shoes hold many memories to me. For example, when we would do little shows in our classes for our parents and when I used to dance around the house wearing them.
Edit 7
I edited this photo by, firstly, cropping it. Then, I used the brush tool to balance out the exposure of the bottom of the image. After that, I slightly adjusted the overall clarity and, lastly, used the brush tool to increase the exposure of the background.
Final Images
Image diagnosis of my own image
This is my personal favourite of my images. This image looks to be in focus, possibly indicating that it was taken with a normal depth of field as the objects aren’t very far from the camera lense and all of them are in focus, as well as the background. This photo was taken using a softbox that’s triggered by the push of the shutter button on the camera. You can tell by the shadows that the softbox was to the left of the objects. Perhaps, the lighting would have been more effective if it were straight on to the objects so that there would be no shadows. I would say that this image has an unbalanced exposure due to the shadows and how the image looks darker from left to right. I used a low ISO for this photo and high shutter speed to make the image clear and not too over-exposured. The image has a slight tint off yellow, giving off the effect that it was taken within tungsten lighting. In conclusion, this photo could be improved by positioning the softbox straight on to the objects.
Formalism is the structure in a photograph. There are seven basic elements in formalism.
Lines – Lines are either straight, curved or a combination of the two. They can also be solid, dashed, interrupted, implied, or psychological. Horizontal lines can indicate distance and vertical lines can indicate height, balance, strength. Diagonal lines convey a more dynamic scene.
Shape – When a line connects to other lines it creates a shape. Shapes are two-dimensional. They can be measured by overall height and width. Shapes are defined by their value e.g. brighter or darker than their surroundings, differences in colour, texture and patterns. There are two different kind of shapes, geometric (circle, square) or organic (tree, bird)
Form – Form takes shape from the two-dimensional and brings it into the three-dimensional, form has overall height, width and depth. there are two different kinds of forms, geometric (sphere, cube) or organic (surroundings). The photograph shows form by capturing the spectrum of tonality from highlights, through the midtones, and into the core shadow on any object.
Texture – texture can be felt with both touch and virtually. Texture in “real life” can be smooth or rough. Other descriptions can be slimy, wet, hard, soft, bumpy, shiny, etc. In a photograph, smooth objects might have reflections or specular highlights. Rough objects might have aggressive areas of light and shadow without reflections.
Colour – Light itself has no perceived colour. But, send light through a prism or a drop of water and we can see that it is comprised of a literal rainbow of colours. Colour has three properties: hue, value, and saturation. Bold and bright colours are known for grabbing our eye. Harmonic colours are colours that compliment each other.
Size – Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion. The camera, lens, and print can render large objects small, or small objects large. Even objects familiar to our eyes can be rendered relatively large in a photograph, while things we know to be enormous are rendered small.
Depth – This perception of three-dimensional space is what our eyes experience whenever they are open, and that is what our eyes try to experience when looking at a photograph. Depending on the quality of the surrounding air or atmosphere, distant objects in a photograph will have less clarity and contrast than objects in the foreground. This Ariel perspective is indicative of depth in a photograph.
There are seven basic elements to photographic art in formalism. Formalism is that photographers have to impose order, bring structure to what they photograph. ” A photograph without structure is like a sentence without grammar.”
These formal and visual elements (such as line, shape, repetition, rhythm, balance etc.) are shared with other works of art. But photographs also have a specific grammar – flatness, frame, time, focus etc.
The seven basic elements of formalism are:
Line – line is one of the most important elements considered in photography, as they guide the eye around the image. improper arrangement of lines can take away the strength of the subject matter of the photo. Lines are either straight, curved, or a combination of the two. Lines can be solid, dashed or interrupted, implied, or psychological. They can be vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in-between.
Shape – shape in photography is the 2D appearance of objects captured by the camera. Shape can be highly influenced by the lighting of your photo: by taking a photo where the shape is emphasised, place the lighting either directly in front or behind the object. There are two basic types of shapes: geometric (or regular) and organic.
Form – form refers to when shape takes on 3D. Form is created by shadows and highlights on an object in the photograph. Form is very important, because without the 3d effect, most images can look flat and dull.
Texture – texture in photography refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object, revealed through a variety of colour, tone and depth. texture brings life and vibrancy to images which would otherwise appear uninspiring and perhaps boring.
Colour – colour is one of the main compositions a photographer can use in their images, as other elements such as tone and mood are dependent on it. How a photographer combines various colours in their work has an influence on how the viewer looks at the image, and how they evoke emotion.
Size – size in photography is the term given to describe the height and width of an image, although it can be manipulated by the camera. Larger camera sensors gather more light, which is excellent for low light photography.
Depth – simply, depth of field in photography is how much your image is in focus. It is the photographers job to tell a story through their images, so how the image is focused is important for the photographer to consider. If an object is close to the camera and is in focus, the photographer is telling the viewer where to look.
Examples of Formalism:
These images are great examples of formalism in photography, as they portray abstract reality by eliminating social and spatial context. This means the viewer is able to focus on only the object in the image and will not get distracted by the background.
There are seven basic elements to photographic art in formalism. Formalism is that photographers have to impose order, bring structure to what they photograph. ” A photograph without structure is like a sentence without grammar.”
These formal and visual elements (such as line, shape, repetition, rhythm, balance etc.) are shared with other works of art. But photographs also have a specific grammar – flatness, frame, time, focus etc.
The seven basic elements of formalism are:
Line- line is one of the most important elements considered in photography, as they guide the eye around the image. improper arrangement of lines can take away the strength of the subject matter of the photo. Lines are either straight, curved, or a combination of the two. Lines can be solid, dashed or interrupted, implied, or psychological. They can be vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in-between. Lines are either straight, curved, or a combination of the two. Lines can be solid, dashed or interrupted, implied, or psychological. They can be vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in-between.
Shape– shape in photography is the 2D appearance of objects captured by the camera. Shape can be highly influenced by the lighting of your photo: by taking a photo where the shape is emphasised, place the lighting either directly in front or behind the object. There are two basic types of shapes: geometric (or regular) and organic. We all know geometric shapes—circle, square, triangle, dodecahedron, and so on. We are also familiar with organic shapes—the outline of a bird, elephant, flower, tree, etc. Fluids can create organic shapes that cannot be permanently defined—the shape of a cloud or a rain puddle, for instance.
Form– form refers to when shape takes on 3D. Form is created by shadows and highlights on an object in the photograph. Form is very important, because without the 3d effect, most images can look flat and dull.
Texture- texture in photography refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object, revealed through a variety of colour, tone and depth. texture brings life and vibrancy to images which would otherwise appear uninspiring and perhaps boring.
Colour– colour is one of the main compositions a photographer can use in their images, as other elements such as tone and mood are dependent on it. How a photographer combines various colours in their work has an influence on how the viewer looks at the image, and how they evoke emotion.
Size– size in photography is the term given to describe the height and width of an image, although it can be manipulated by the camera. Larger camera sensors gather more light, which is excellent for low light photography.
Depth– simply, depth of field in photography is how much your image is in focus. It is the photographers job to tell a story through their images, so how the image is focused is important for the photographer to consider. If an object is close to the camera and is in focus, the photographer is telling the viewer where to look.
Photo Literacy – Superficially, it might suggest an ability to ‘read’ a photograph, to analyse its form and meanings. But what about the making of photographs? We would argue that literacy is more than just a command of the mechanics of a particular ‘language’. It also takes into account fluency of expression and sensitivity to material. Words and images are different. A photograph of a particular subject is different to a description of the same subject in words. It is surely possible to see, understand and appreciate a photograph without the need for words. And what about the other possible ‘literacies’ such as emotional and physical literacy?
Formalist photography is when the design, composition and lighting are dominant over subject matter. The photographer becomes a visual designer whenever a frame is captured. Camera cropping concentrates on the desired subject while eliminating everything else. Formalism in photography is an approach that emphasizes the visual elements of an image rather than its content or narrative. This style focuses on the composition, shapes, lines, colors, textures, and overall design of a photograph.
Line
Line is the most fundamental of the seven basic elements of photographic art, in almost all photographic art there will most likely always be some element of lines. Lines are considered to be “A straight or curved geometric element that is generated by a moving point and that has extension only along the path of point” There are many different types of lines, they can be solid, dashed, intterupted, implied or physcological. The horizion is an example of an implied line. Lines are everywhere in photographs. Lines surround us, and every photograph contains lines.Lines in photographs often connect points inside the image.
Shape
The Merriam-Webster definition of “shape” that we are concerned with as photographic artists is:
1 a : the visible makeup characteristic of a particular item or kind of item
1 b (1) : spatial form or contour
1 b (2) : a standard or universally recognized spatial form.
Shapes are two-dimensional. Sometimes a familiar shape can transform into an unfamiliar or unrecognizable shape based on the viewpoint of the photographer Different shapes, when they intersect and overlap, can combine to create a new shape. Shapes can also surround an area to create another shape. In a photograph, a silhouette is the purest essence of a shape—no form, texture, or colour. There are two basic types of shapes: geometric (or regular) and organic. Shapes can be as simple as a triangle or infinitely complex.
Form
What separates form from shape? Form takes shape from the two-dimensional and brings it into the three-dimensional.”the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material” Form is three-dimensional. Form has overall height, width, and depth.Just as with shapes, there are two basic types of form—geometric (or regular) and organic.Like shapes, forms can be simple or infinitely complex.A photograph captures all the forms in the field of view of the lens.Three-dimensional forms are rendered in two dimensions by the photograph. Whether on the print or on the screen, the final image does not have depth.
Texture
In photography, texture can be felt with both the fingers (the print) and virtually (with the viewer’s eye). “the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something”
Texture in “real life” can be, basically, smooth or rough. We can use other descriptors as well: slimy, wet, hard, soft, bumpy, shiny, etc. Texture in the photograph is similar to form in that it is revealed by variations in tonality and presented in two dimensions. In a photograph, smooth objects might have reflections or specular highlights. Rough objects might have aggressive areas of light and shadow without reflections. Texture can be elusive in a photograph, depending on the subject, the lighting, and the forms in the image. A lack of visual texture might mean that the object is smooth. It could mean that it is too far away from the camera and the texture cannot be resolved. A photograph of a full moon does not show much in the way of surface texture, but the oblique lighting of a crescent or gibbous moon, viewed through a telephoto lens with sufficient resolution, will show incredible texture on the surface.
Colour
” a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or grey) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects” Light itself has no perceived colour. But, send light through a prism or a drop of water and we can see that it is comprised of a literal rainbow of colours. Colour has three properties: hue, value, and saturation: Hue is simply the description of the colour (e.g., blue, red, yellow, etc.). Value is the relative brightness or darkness of a colour. Saturation is the intensity or purity of a colour. The purest colour is a hue with no white, black, or grey added to it. Bold and bright colours are known for grabbing our eye. Harmonic colours are colours that complement each other—serve to create distinct feelings in photographs. Mainstream colour film was not available until the 1930s—around 100 years after photography was invented. A key to approaching colour in photography is to recognize the colours in a scene, and evaluate your composition based on including or excluding the range of colours in your field of view. Frame your image to highlight the colours you think will enhance your subject and best convey the mood of your image.
Size
“physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions” Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion. When a familiar object appears in the frame of a photograph (car, basketball, streetlamp, etc.) we immediately get a feel for the scope of the entire scene. The camera, lens, and print can render large objects small, or small objects large. Even objects familiar to our eyes can be rendered relatively large in a photograph, while things we know to be enormous are rendered small. With a casual snapshot, size might not be something one even considers when composing the image. The size of common objects in the photograph gives the scene a sense of scale. But a single object in space might not accomplish this since there is no means for comparison. If you want to emphasize the size of an object in the photograph in relation to its surroundings, you should get closer to that object. Overlap is another way to render a scene virtually in three dimensions, and overlap can also give hints to size.
Depth
“the direct linear measurement from front to back” Naturally, even in a casual snapshot, we are given a sense of depth due to various visual cues. This perception of three-dimensional space is what our eyes experience whenever they are open, and that is what our eyes try to experience when looking at a photograph. How well the depth is rendered is dependent on the objects in the frame, your choice of composition, and your perspective in relation to the objects in the frame. Most images have a foreground, middle ground, and background. The stronger the delineation between those successive “grounds,” the stronger the sense of depth in your image. We have all seen the photographs of the highway heading toward the horizon or the train tracks narrowing as they become more distant (do not take photos on train tracks!). This convergence of lines is called linear perspective. Where you place an object in a frame also offers clues toward depth. The higher an object is in the frame relative to the horizon (seen or implied), the greater is the perceived distance to that object. This is called upward dislocation.
Evaluation Of Images –
Evaluating formalist images involves analyzing various visual elements and how they contribute to the overall impact of the photograph. Here are some key aspects to consider:
Composition: Assess how the photographer arranges elements within the frame. Look for balance, symmetry, and the use of space. Consider whether the composition guides the viewer’s eye effectively.
Use of Lines: Examine the lines in the image—are they straight, curved, or leading? Lines can create movement and direct attention to focal points, contributing to the overall dynamism of the image.
Color Palette: Analyze the color choices and their relationships. Are the colors harmonious or contrasting? Consider how color influences the mood and emotional response of the viewer.
Light and Shadow: Observe how light is used to shape forms and create depth. Look for highlights and shadows that enhance texture and add dimension to the composition.
Texture and Detail: Pay attention to the textures captured in the image. Is there a rich detail that draws the viewer in? Textural elements can create a tactile quality that adds interest.
Abstraction: Consider the level of abstraction in the image. Does the photograph transform ordinary subjects into something more visually compelling? Evaluate how effectively it communicates form over function.
Mood and Atmosphere: Reflect on the emotional response elicited by the image. Does the formal composition create a specific atmosphere or feeling?
Minimalism: If the image employs minimalism, assess how effectively it conveys meaning through simplicity. Does it succeed in highlighting essential forms without distractions?
Conceptual Depth: Even though formalism emphasizes form over content, think about any underlying concepts or ideas that emerge from the composition. What might the photographer be communicating through the arrangement of visual elements?
By focusing on these aspects, you can gain a deeper understanding of how formalist images operate and appreciate their artistic value. This evaluation encourages an engagement with photography that prioritizes visual language and aesthetics.
