Photography -101 - Lesson 5 – Leading lines
Have you ever looked at a photograph and felt inexplicably drawn into it? You have a feeling of standing in the scene, but you are not quite sure how you got there. Then the chances are your eyes may have been invited to follow some leading lines that guided you into the photograph.
Leading lines help to create a sense of depth and can give the image dimension. The leading lines may guide you directly to the subject in the photograph, or they may take your eyes right out of the photograph altogether. Either way, they keep your eyes moving and exploring the photograph!
Images with leading lines in them usually have a strong visual impact, so keep an eye out for them when you next set out to with your camera. There are man-made leading lines like fences, roads, railroad tracks, lines painted on the roads, paths, tire marks, buildings, bricks etc. Leading lines are also all around us in nature in the form of rivers, rocks, mountains, sun rays, shorelines, sea waves, ripples in the sand, sand dunes, trees, etc.
Leading lines can be straight or curvy. They can be parallel lines that lead to a vanishing point, or they can be curvy like the simple s-curve of a path or a meandering stream.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
All images are my own work, and may be found on various stock and art sites online!
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Your assignment for Lesson 5 is to take a good look at some of the images you have on file, and pick out the ones that have good leading lines. Better yet, grab your camera and go find some leading lines to photograph. Don't forget to add the tag #photography101 if you would like to have your images critiqued by myself and your peers!
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Other posts in this series:
Introductory Post With Rules
Lesson 1
Lesson 1 Challenge
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it.
To check out my art prints and stock images online, please visit my website.
I'm still in the dark. :-)
Here is my entry for critique to #photography101
Took this photo during my attempt at the walkwithme challenge. You may need to right click, copy image address, and paste it into a new tab to see a larger version.
Thanks DM for agreeing to look at our noobie photographs and help explain advanced topics!
That's great! You have a lot of leading lines going on there - the road, the sidewalk, the buildings and the telephone wires. They all lead us to the end of the road where there's a mountain to see. It makes us want to go there!
The clouds almost seem to lead simewhere but I just end up getting lost in them. Could they be a leading labyrynth?
You are right. They seem to lead to the bag of the hill. Ooh, I wonder what is back there!
Thanks for the homework! Will look forward to these lessons in future weeks
Great little lesson again @dmcamera! Leading lines can really make or break a picture and the message it conveys. Beautiful pictures that really illustrate the power of leading lines. Thanks!
Thanks for dropping by @photofeedback!
Amazing photography my dear friend
thanks @saqib!
I keep studying, luckily you invite me to your lessons for free!
I have noticed this effect but never had a name for it or even knew how to talk about it or articulate it. Fantastic illustrations as well - your experience can speak for you, and the paragraphs help me understand why they speak so loud!
So happy to have found you in the selfie contest ;p
Glad you are enjoying the lessons. I am trying to keep them as straightforward as possible, because most people don't need to be bothered with a whole lot of technical terms!
Oh and you have my blessings for that!
Thanks for this lesson. I really appreciate it. I'm a lot more conscious of three pictures I take now, and I'm happy to learn the fundamentals.
With the fundamentals, you can fly!!
awesome photos.. i liked it
Thanks@mdshra.
Good Information bro :)
Thanks, but I am a sis and not a bro. LOL!
I am almost certain Diane is not a bro.
Thanks for backing me on that one! LOL!
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Thanks a lot,
your @treeplanter
www.kedjom-keku.com
Thanks!I will check it out!
Is there a goal with leading lines to bring the viewer’s eyes to a specific point or just to stimulate movement? Thanks for the pointers.
It could be either. The lines could bring your eyes to a point, or the lines could disappear around a corner stimulating your imagination about what could be there. Sometimes they lead you right out of the picture!!