Fine Tuning an Image (Image Making Series - Part 7)

Back in part three of this series the classic Principles of Designs were outlined as were the Elements of Design in subsequent posts.  We ended up with the image to the left after doing some basic cropping and discussion of what still needed improvement. In this post graphic art tools will be used to further illustrate the image making process.

A fairly unassuming image was chosen for this series to show that by thinking in terms of design elements and principles any image can be enhanced. In part three several questions were asked and problems pointed out about the image.

It lacked style, was not very creative, and much of the story is about texture... but what texture did I want to emphasize? The tree of course, but why? In relation to what? Is texture it, the whole story, or is there something else?

 An image's purpose is how these questions are answered and the director of how the principles and elements of design are utilized. Without a purpose it will be difficult to create a visual hierarchy to guide the viewer's attention. In advertising an image's purpose is integral to the ad's message. In fine art the image's purpose is dependent on the artist's intention to communicate an idea or personal vision or expression. Sometimes images are just studies of technique as is suggested here that the tree may be a study in texture.

Using the elements of design I can begin the process of abstraction which I define as focusing on pieces of the whole (design elements) and enhancing them for emphasis of the image's purpose. If the tree is a study in texture then increasing contrast is one method of creating more visual texture as seen below. A closer crop was also use to bring out more detail. I find that cropping will continually change as you hone in on the image's purpose.

At this point there is increased texture in the grass and tree, but they are equally strong and competing for attention. The grass could be deemphasized by blurring or defocussing it in Photoshop, but my personal preference is to build a complementary relationship and not just an opposing one like focused and not focused elements.

In the next blog post I will cover in detail the use of the Topaz Labs set of image editing tools as they relate to the elements of design. In the above image I used Topaz Simplify to abstract the background. It is now softer, more colorful, and less focused. The impressionistic treatment complements and brings out the texture of the tree which now stands higher in the visual hierarchy, and this is what you want if the subject is a tree in a field and not a field with a tree.

The tree is fairly smooth however. Using Topaz Clarity and Adjust I can increase the texture to the desired level as seen below.

In Photoshop each change to the image is placed on separate layers. In this case I was able to increase the texture of the tree, but did not touch the rest of the image. Everything on the enhanced tree texture layer is masked out except for the tree itself, thereby leaving the grass untouched. These are small images and a lot of detail in the actual file cannot be seen.

The images to the left show close ups. The top does not have grain, and the bottom has some grain added through the Topaz tools. The level of grain can be controlled to mimic film grain or increased in visibility to the level of creating its own abstracting effect. In this case I wanted the grass to be a little less smooth and to have slightly increased visual interest when the image is viewed close up.

Topaz Simplify is an very controllable regarding  the amount of simplification applied to an image. In the case of the image above the tree may be standing out too much as though it were plopped down into an impressionistic painting. But the goal of bringing the tree forward as a focal point was accomplished.

At this point it is a fine tuning process. As I worked the image I wondered if this was still a textural study?. Texture is what initially drew me into the image, but what about the initial point of creation when shooting the tree? It wasn't about texture really. I felt there was a story to be told. The image has been improved, but is that enough? Did I miss the point, miss the story, and the initial purpose of the image?

The tree was integral to the initial shot. It stood strong, but was dead. It was alone in an open field. It was colorless and shadowed within a colorful sun filled context. It was gnarled, hard, and rough in a soft landscape. But it was the fact that it was dead with life all around it that struck me, standing like a gray tombstone demarcating a line between death and the life all around it.

Paintings do not have a sound dimension for the most part. The subtle sounds of wind blowing through the grass and crickets and cicada singing were auditory memories only. I added a just hatched cicada to the image above in keeping with what was becoming the theme of the work. As I reentered the original experience of being in that field the addition of the cicada brought me back to story telling. As this theme developed I noticed that the field needed further deemphasis which lead to the last cropping of the image shown below. The tree and the cicada are now equal and integral to the story, and the focus needs to be on them.

I suppose the story is just the old circle of life story.  Birth and death playing out their parts continually. The tree is still prominent, but in working the image I felt that texture wasn't enough. Something else was needed to create a conceptual higher order of interest. The cicada is a Taiwanese variety, and is located on a rule of thirds node. It is also visually bordered and held central by the trunk on the right the shadow on the left and the dark branches at the top.

The image came a long from the the original shot shown to the left. I suppose the image's purpose began with story telling, then the journey lead to an interest in texture to create a visual impact, then I came back to story telling again.

The texture in the tree is striking, and there is enough but not too much visual interest left in the grass. I'm not sure in the end however that the image stands on its own. I believe that it may make a good illustration in a book, but for me it wouldn't be one that I'd print as a work of art.

This post focused on the design element of texture and to a lesser extent color. Cropping and abstraction were used to bring the subject to the fore, creating a proper relationship between foreground and background. Abstracting the background help to separate foreground and background and put the subject its proper place in the visual hierarchy. Contrast was discussed in both texture and color (or lack there of in the tree). Directional movement or visual flow exist in the relationship between the cicada and how it is framed by the elements surrounding it.

In the next post all of the elements of design will be discussed and how they can be manipulated by the Topaz set of tools and Photoshop.

A Blueprint For Image Making (Image Making Series - Part Six)

In any art form there are enduring discussions that are never really resolved. For instance, whether stream of consciousness is really a legitimate writing style, or, the viewpoint that turning a photograph into a digital painting is neither art nor photography, or, the question of whether abstract expressionism is art at all?

There are many that believe that a photograph should be just that, an image with little to no digital work done to it. Then there are the absolute purest that believe anything digital cannot be fine art photography  which should use a film camera and silver gelatin prints or some such. Then there is the hierarchy of art itself, where even if photography may be accepted as art, (such as an Ansel Adams print) it nonetheless is a lower art form compared to painting or sculpture.

The codification of art forms is best left to art historians and those that feel compelled, for whatever reason, to define boundaries around image making be it their own or other's.

Is this image by Jerry Uelsman art or simply Photoshop magic, and should be relegated to Tom Foolery? I don't think it useful for image makers to be concerned with those types of judgments, if in establishing those conceptual boundaries, it then limits their personal visual vocabulary.

I would like to state the following as a common ground to all image making in order to avoid spurious or otherwise nonconstructive stances and evaluations about image making.

All images are created with a medium, have associated tools, are framed or have a setting, and are created with a purpose in mind. Going one step further, all images are created following as set of principles, and those principles are composed of elements. The major differentiating factor of all images is there purpose, and certain principles are followed to fulfill that purpose.

For example, there is distinction between graphic design and photography, and that can plainly be seen in the differing content of their principles (listed in prior posts). Ansel Adams belonged to Group f/64 who had their own manifesto. He followed principles outlined in the zone system which is a technical and aesthetic set of guides for establishing proper graphic values in an image. And of course art movements in general have manifestos and principles, making images created by members of the group look similar.

Given the above, the blueprint of image making is:

• Purpose - Why is the image being created: self expression, advertising, fashion, decor, scientific, journalism, fine art, avant garde, etc.
• Principles - A set of statements, guidelines, techniques, and values which aim to emphasize, take advantage of, or change a way of seeing. These are the macro compositional determinants which differentiate one style from another.
• Elements - The methods of manipulating a medium in a particular manner in order to adhere to the chosen principles. These are the micro compositional  constituents used in a deliberate manner when creating a certain style.

As an example, from a photography point of view if the purpose is to create fine art photography then you must adhere to expected norms/principles. Using an inkjet printer may already set you off the mark. Longevity of the print is a considerable factor in acceptance as a fine art print in many circles. Inkjet prints (as of yet) do not last as long as silver-based prints. If your purpose is to break with that tradition, then you have to know what you are up against and how to address biases which are built into any set of principles.

To further the example, if you are using a digital camera, then you must address your image's lack of film grain which is a classical element of style in fine art film photography. On a close up appreciation of an image film grain plays a critical rule. Your purpose may be to move beyond film, creating or emphasizing a micro compositional replacement for film grain. A new level of texture and detail that was impossible in the pre-digital world. In this case your purpose is clear. To follow and/or challenge principles/norms typical to fine art photography, and do that by addressing and challenging how digital images are judged on a detailed 'grain' level.

The best approach in image making is to first determine the images purpose.

Given its purpose, then adhere to (or set out to break) the set of principles which most closely address that purpose. The principles then will help determine how to use the media in creating the elements in composing the image.

An image's purpose, principles, and elements are not necessarily locked together however, and can be (and probably should be) rearranged to suit your image's particular purpose. Imagine surrealistic paintings like Dail's, but using pointillism elements like George Seurat an Expressionist painter. In Dali's Portrait of a Dead Brother to the right, this results in a fairly atypical Dali painting. The flat pattern of dots is in sharp contrast to Dali's surrealist style of fairly realistic painting, albeit sur-real.

Surprising results can be had if creating a layout for a magazine (the purpose), but using principles from the surrealism or fauvism art movements. Instead of creating a visual hierarchy based on a more typical approach following basic graphic design principles, a more playful and conceptual image may be created.

It is not typical, and not often recommended, to use principles from an art movement when creating an ad. Their ultimate purposes are very different. The images to the left are both for New York Giant Pizza business. The top image is designed using basic graphic arts principles. The bottom image is very surrealistic, and its meaning for advertising is unsure, but might pull the viewer in and hold their attention. However they still might miss that it is an ad, and miss your purpose in having it in a magazine.

It is much more clear how the classic design elements line, form, shape, etc are used to deliver a message in the top ad. It is far less clear how a surrealistic style serves the purpose of an ad in the bottom image.

A layout technique often taught in design school is named after the painter Piet Mondrian. The top image to the right  is a typical Mondrian painting, the image at the bottom right is a Kevin Cline ad using the same checkerboard organizational approach. This is an example where the principles of the De Stijl art movement can be used for another purpose successfully.


This series of post is focused on the principles of the PPA and classic principles taught in books and schools. However, there are as many sets of principles as there are art movements and graphic art styles which in turn dictate their own particular use of the elements of design. Becoming aware of them, and appreciating how they may be used for your image making will ultimately make you a more accomplished image maker.

Elements & Principles of Design in Glass Art (Image Making Series - Part 5)

I taught glass fusing for several years, and was often asked how to turn little bits of glass (frit) into an image. Students were often at a lose how anyone could do images with just little bits of glass. I believe this to be true in any medium if (as mentioned in a prior post) the student is only allowed to work with one or two of the elements of design. For example, to create an image using only point, it is as though you told them to speak but only use verbs, no nouns, but yet the whole graphic style of stippling is just that. This image by Gregory Colbert is done using only dots/points.

I gave them frit, but also glass powders, stringer (spaghetti-like pieces), rods of glass, shards, and large pieces of glass of many colors. Nonetheless, even with these options how to construct a whole image from pieces posed to them the same problem as photography or design student often has when ask to mentally deconstruct a photograph into its constituent elements of design.

I created the poster below as a teaching aid. In each cell is an image of a glass art piece, and each cell represents the intersection of an element of design (on the left) and a principle of design (across the top).

This is a 40x30 inch poster so it will be hard to see detail here. If anyone wants a copy ($25 plus shipping) then let me know. 

Let's take a few examples of how it works. Follow the  tone/value row over three cells from the left. That is the intersection of tone with emphasis/contrast. In that cell the image of little cubes of glass are arranged so that there is a tonal emphasis. Simple but effective. A common Professional Photographer's Association rule is to have the highlight or brightest part of an image be on the subject, thereby drawing attention where you want it... on the subject.The last two cells of the tone/value row are the intersection of the proportion and balance principles. The bird is balanced in the composition by the island on the left, and also the bird's proportion is used effectively, giving visual clues that the bird is close while the island is far. All of that is done with black glass powder sprinkled very meticulously on a white sheet of glass.

We take proportion/scale for granted. Of course, you might think, the bird is close and the island far. However this is a learned perception. Learning to interpret distance by scale of objects occurs when you are very young. An example of this is the story of an Amazon explorer and a forest dwelling native. The native had very little experience seeing objects at a great distance, having lived in the dense forest all his life. The explorer took the native to an open plain and showed him cattle roaming on the plain at a far distance. The native's response to seeing the cattle was something to the effect of "look at those flies over there".  

The principles of design exists simply because they help us create images which take advantage of innate or learned modes of perception, enabling quick understanding and appreciation, and avoiding visual confusion.  

In the last two cells on the right of the color row is the intersection for repetition/rhythm cell. Here color and patterns/shapes give rise to the principle of repetition or rhythm. This glass dish was done by cutting  colored patterns out of glass sheets and then arranging them in an order creating rhythm. Repeating pattern is something that the human eye-brain looks for to create a sense of order and understanding which is higher order function of perception.

In a well known experiment by Blasdel et al. a cat was raised in an environment where it could only see vertical bar patterns. The results where that when released from this environment is had difficulty seeing other bar patterns.

Design elements then, are sensations and the design principles are components of our cognition. Thought of in this way an image's visual strength depends on one or more of the principles being present and complementary to the subject. If you want to strengthen the image, then the elements composing the dominant principle(s) should be used to further strengthen the composition. This is the blueprint for construction of any image.

For example, in the color row's third cell from left the subject is the wolf and moon. Contrasting colors where used to emphasize the subject as well as the elements of direction, line and shape which serve to draw us into the subject. It is the contrasting colors however that create emphasis on the subject and ultimately tells us what the subject is. If the dog and moon were aqua, then they would be reduced to yet another pattern/shape and would be equal to the other shapes in the visual hierarchy.

Creating a visual hierarchy is key to any composition.

The elements of design make one or more of the principles dominant, severing the ultimate purpose of bringing our focus on the intended subject of the image.

When a visual hierarchy is absent or weak, then the viewer's response to the image is simply to turn the page so-to-speak. It is the strength of the hierarchy that draws the viewer in, giving the image a sense of visual gravity. Even before the viewer is aware (cognition) the eye-brain preprocessing of sensations has already decided for you that the perception is not worth moving forward to full consciousness (your full attention). Without a visual hierarchy an image is boring, typical, messy, or disorganized and your response to this stimulus is to turn the page.

There are always exceptions to any rule, and sometimes breaking the rules can also create a sense of visual gravity as in a Jackson Pollock painting. Breaking the rules is sometimes the point if only to be contrary, pretentious, or leading edge. Human perception and cognition however have taken several eons to develop. We all see things a certain way which is more-or-less held in common. For the image maker, learning to capitalize on that programmed in way of seeing is what the principles of design are about.

Using the Elements & Principles of Design for Effect (Image Making Series - Part 4)

The Bored Panda site has some cool stuff. I found this image by Matt Molloy there. Matt has taken the prosaic image of a sunset and re-visioned it. There are a collection of these sky-scapes at Bored Panda that are worth looking at. I mentioned in a prior post about finding your inner vision of everyday subjects... but how? It was suggested that this is accomplished by focusing on the elements of design. Engravers use line almost exclusively. When doing an engraving on metal (for example portraits on paper money) the engraver is must express tone, pattern, form and all the rest just using lines. This is an extreme example where all the elements of design are expressed using only one element, line.

I've seen in design school where students are forced for weeks to use only black and white (value) and pattern. Pattern without form tends to be flat and one dimensional, cartoonish. On top of that if you are a color person being forced to only work with gray values can be tedious. Nonetheless, the hope is through the assignments the student will discover and enter the realm of a flat world without color. May be boring, but you will walk away with design skills you didn't have.

Being forced to be creative using only one or two of the elements of design is challenging, and at times humiliating when your efforts are the worst in the class, or, enlightening when you see what others have done with a minimal set of tools. In this example by Alistair Boddy-Evens tone is built using only line, resulting in the beginnings of form.

 We all have our favorites within the elements of design. If you don't know which is yours, then that would be your first mission for discovery.

If you decompose Matt's image you will find the rule of thirds used for the macro part of the composition. Highlights should be on the subject and the subject should be located on one of the nodes of rule of thirds. In this case the highlight is the subject, the sun, which leads to the next point.

Now consider the principles and elements of design - the micro constitutes of composition. Repetition is a strong factor in the repeating pattern of clouds. The repetition forms a strong set of lines which all point to the subject via directional movement. Often line's main purpose is to lead the eye to the subject.  Center of interest is also evident albeit weak. The over-blown white spot (the sun) really isn't interesting. If this were an ad, and the product or message was placed at the sun's location, then the whole composition would be leading you to what the designer intended to be the purpose of the image. That is, to capture your attention and then lead you to the product or message which replaced the uninteresting area of the sun.

Harmony and color are obviously used well too, but you would expect that of a landscape. Nature is seldom without harmony and proper use of color. Contrast is a very strong factor both in color (cool versus warm) and in values. There is also the psychological contrast of the the stark sentinel-like powerline towers standing against the 'moving' sky.

You could start out to paint or otherwise design an image like this if the idea just popped into your head. Often however the process of discovering your inner image comes simply by playing with something that intrigues you, and sometimes just by happy accidents that you then push even further. I could explain the creation of this image as through it were the result of one such happy accident. It would occur when a photographer feels the need to do something with an image, to take it to the next level, and in this case to address a technical issue.

Matt's image, as most sunsets, presents high contrast and high dynamic range problems for photographers. Today's technology cannot expose for both bright and dark objects in one exposure. One technique is to take three images of a subject, exposing for highlights, average, and dark areas. Then through the magic of Photoshop combining all three images into a single correctly exposed image. What if when combining the images they ended up slightly misaligned? In the case of the sky moving, if your exposures were fifteen seconds apart the clouds would be in different locations, making perfect alignment of the whole impossible.

Matt's imagery is based on just that, the combination of many images of the sky as the clouds move. He might have seen that as a technical problem to correct, or instead see it as a happy accident. In the process of trying to create a properly exposed image, the misalignment was seen as potential, and when pushed further a whole new motif was discovered. If you are open to that discovery, and evaluation of that potential through the principles discussed, images are in a constant state of new potentiality.

The re-evaluation, re-visioning, is critical. Happy accidents can't be depended on, but you can hone your eye to see potential and polish it by further manipulation of the design elements, but how? Which ones? Well, how about fruit slices re-visioned.

In the top left image the slices are reduced to pattern. In the top right line is a dominate element. In the lower left the slices are back lite and translucent. This technique emphasizes value, and the image on the lower right show color contrast and directional moment. There are books dedicated to illustrating this type of experimental re-visioning. Jim Krause has a whole series of books focusing on visual play for a purpose, helping designers see things anew.

Each element of design can be tweaked and your response to that change is positive or negative. For example, color contrast or a whole hue shift throughout the image either brings the image closer to you or a sense that it feels off, resonates less with you. Changes in tonality could enhance a sense of line or directional movement, increasing a sense of dynamic movement. In the example of Matt's image, layers of images could be shifted further off alignment to enhance one of the elements of design, further abstracting the image, and making patterns that are unnatural, but nonetheless fascinating.

It is your inner image.
All the principles and elements discussed, and all the variations of each will only be tweaked by you in a particular way. It is an inner image because it is discovered by subtle changes in the image, one by one, each in its turn resonating with you or not. The inner image does not pop into your head full blown. It is discovered by patiently turning the dials of design until it comes into focus.

The Classic Principles of Design (Image Making Series - Part Three)

 

To begin the design process using digital tools (Photoshop, Lightroom, Topaz) I chose the above image out of dozens of shots. It had the most pleasing balance of sky and land and the placement of the tree in the foreground against the background. This image follows fairly closely to the rule of thirds. The macro compositional elements were framed in place, but the overall image had many weak components. Many constituent elements of design were still very weak: color balance was weak, overall contrast was uninspired, foreground background separation didn't work, and center of interest was not honed. It lacked style, was not very creative, and much of the story is about texture... but what texture did I want to emphasize? The tree of course, but why? In relation to what? Is texture it, the whole story, or is there something else?

Using the elements of design I can begin the process of abstraction which I define as pulling out or extracting pieces of the whole and enhancing them for emphasis. The purpose is to abstract the component elements of design in order to hopefully create an image which adheres to design principles. In the end an image can be judged by looking at it through the lens of the PPA rules and the following classic principles taught in school.

Principles of Compositional Design

The principles of design are the recipe for a good work of art. The principles combine the elements to create an aesthetic placement of things that will produce a good design.

Center of interest (emphasis) - is an area that first attracts attention in a composition. This area is more important when compared to the other objects or elements in a composition.  This can be by contrast of values, more colors, and placement in the format.

Balance - is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc.  Balance can be symmetrical or evenly balanced or asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced.  Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a composition.

Harmony - brings together a composition with similar units.  If your composition was using wavy lines and organic shapes you would stay with those types of lines and not put in just one geometric shape. (Notice how similar Harmony is to Unity - some sources list both terms)

Contrast - offers some change in value creating a visual discord in a composition. Contrast shows the difference between shapes and can be used as a background to bring objects out and forward in a design. It can also be used to create an area of emphasis.

Directional Movement - is a visual flow through the composition. It can be the suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to object by way of placement and position.  Directional movement can be created with a value pattern. It is with the placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention through the format.

Rhythm - is a movement in which some elements recurs regularly. Like a dance it will have a flow of objects that will seem to be like the beat of music.

I can't go great detail explaining any of the principles listed so far in this series. That's typically what is covered in several semesters in college. They are like the laws of thermo dynamics for physics or the elements of style in a writing course. All academic disciplines have their guiding principles, and only the professional or committed amateur makes an effort to master them.

That said, we all could benefit from at least knowing them on the level which can help answer a desire to do something with our pictures, besides framing snapshots.

Point of View & The Elements of Design (Image Making Series - Part Two)

Over the years friends have asked questions or made statements similar to the following.

• Everyone is a photographer now. The technology is so good.
• Now that I have my fancy camera - now what?
• What is the difference between just taking a snapshot and actually composing? 
• I don't have a clue what my person style of shotting is.

In the prior post I listed 12 rules of image making as defined by the Professional Photographer's Association (PPA). These are used to score pictures during their yearly competition. There are any number of ways to look at an image. Most of us don't set out to grade pictures, but in fact should we? I think so, if your goal is to create an image with some sort of purpose. What the purpose is will vary from person to person and even image to image. Not all images we make have the same purpose.

In this series of posts I'll use the PPA rules to explore the process of image making with a purpose. The rules or principles discussed I believe can be applied in different ways depending on your purpose. Along the way I'll also address the set of remarks above.

Yes, technology has changed the landscape of photography - but until you understand something about the principles behind image making, and use them effectually for a purpose, then maybe you are just making snapshots and not doing photography per se. Not everyone aspires to be an artist, designer or photographer, but if you find yourself looking at your pictures wanting to do more with them, then understanding something about image making will be helpful.

 

This adventure starts with a dead tree which I came across while walking in a field. Not very remarkable of course, but it intrigued me for some reason. Maybe just because there wasn't anything else striking to look at. But nonetheless it intrigued me. It had some amount of impact being an old gnarly gray and debarked presence standing starkly against the gently rolling hills and soft blue sky. It evoked my imagination, but did it have a story to tell? And most importantly, is story telling the purpose of this image? I believe at times we may not know immediately why a subject intrigues us, and consequently don't know exactly how to approach it.

One of the first exploratory techniques I use is point of view (POV). I explored the subject from various POVs as seen above. POV is critical, and it  often  takes quit a few shots to discover and become visually engaged with a subject. Without POV exploration the final composition could easily be compromised even before you begin the process of image making with digital tools. In the four images above I was searching for the proper relationship of the subject to its surroundings. Things considered for part of the composition were: where the shadows fell, relative size of subject to foreground and background, how much tree texture was needed, how many of the top branches were needed, and where their shadows fell, etc.This is the first stage of discovering an interpretation of the subject. Sometimes organizational techniques like the rule of thirds can help properly frame the subject. In this early stage however, I believe you have to probe a little deeper too, and think about what exactly caught your attention. This type of questioning leads to both finding the proper initial composition, and subsequent refinements.

Although not specifically called out in the 12 PPA rules, contrast is one of the most powerful design rules, because there are so many types of contrast. There is contrast of lights and darks and color contrasts of course, but contrast has many other more conceptual dimensions. There is contrast of live or dead, newly born and very old etc. Consequently, contrast can be a visual design element (textured versus smooth) and also a conceptual point of emphasis (new baby versus old man). The image to the right is using both texture and age as contrasting elements. You can also see how the rule of thirds was used very effectively.

The 12 rules listed by the PPA are a set of principles used to help photographers create interesting images. Graphic Designers are trained to use a set of Principles of Design which are very related to the PPA set of principles. Depending on what school you go to or what book you read the list of principles will be slightly different. They are all valuable tools, and habitually using them in image making is in large part what separates professionals from the rest.

Elements of Design

These rules or principles are composed of elements of design. The elements are the pieces of an image which are arranged in a purposeful manner to direct the viewer's eye and mind, and organize the composition to achieve its purpose be it advertising or fine art. The following are the Elements of Design (thx to the site Incredible@rtDept).

The Elements of Design are used to create interest, harmony and provide unity to an image.  If you feel you want to emphasize one of the principles then look to one or more of the elements to help create a greater sense of story, tone or color balance, and sense of the image being creative and not just a snapshot.

Line - is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick and thin.  Types of line can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines.

Color - refers to specific hues and has 3 properties, Chroma, Intensity and Value.  The color wheel is a way of showing the chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary triad.  Complimentary pairs can produce dull and neutral color.  Black and white can be added to produce tints (add white), shades (add black) and tones (add gray).

Texture - is about surface quality either tactile or visual. Texture can be real or implied by different uses of media. It is the degree of roughness or smoothness in objects.

Shape - is a 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories, geometric and organic.

Form - is a 3-dimensional object having volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be implied with the use of light and shading techniques. Form can be viewed from many angles.

Value - is the degree of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Contrast is the extreme changes between values.

Size - refers to variations in the proportions of objects, lines or shapes. There is a variation of sizes in objects either real or imagined. (some sources list Proportion/Scale as a Principle of Design)

If you play/ingage with the subject long enough you might discover that it was the wrong time of day (lighting), or, a POV that is strikingly beautiful or unique. Maybe a certain POV slightly abstracts the subject which will cause the viewer of your image to pause at an unusual arrangement of pictorial elements. Have you ever noticed how fast we flip through magazines? Did you ever stop to think how much effort a designer/artist spent on many of the images you just flipped past? Getting the viewer to pause on your image is worth a lot of money to your employer if you're designing commercial graphics, or, can make or break you as an artist. Images with visual gravity - the images ability to pull you into it - don't just happen, they are planned by capitalizing on the elements and principles of design.

A beautiful woman, landscape, car, etc is just that. We've seen a million of them. Taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary is the art of image making.

When you are with a subject you will notice, become aware of, nuisances which elude most of us most of the time. Capturing and emphasizing these is what entices an audience into your image. Taking the time to see, and then sharing a vision which was revealed/given to you with others... that is image making. The discovery comes as a gift to you. Look as you may the discovery can't be forced. You can't force the feeling of a picture turning into your unique expression of it. Focusing, enhancing, and perfecting each element of design brings the image closer to you, closer to what intrigues you. Each tweak of color, emphasis of texture or line brings a picture closer to a reflection or resonance of an inner image that is coming to form before your eyes. Everyone has seen pictures of butterflies, but each of us also has an inner image waiting to materialize. We use the elements and principles of design to discover and manifest that image. They are guides through the creative process, leading you to your personal vision.

The subject could be anything. Your discovery of your vision of it... is what is shared with others. 

The next post will continue by listing the principles of design used by graphic designers, and how to use the principles and elements of design. The series will continue on to decompose and then recompose the image, while along the way the exploring the purpose of the image.

Principles of Design by Professional Photographer's Association (Image Making Series - Part One)

The Twelve principles listed below are in accordance to their importance. These are use by the Professional Photographer's Association (PPA) to grade their yearly print contest. This series of posts discusses creating images with a purpose in mind. The PPA's list can be thought of as a series of filters you are looking through. As you look at an image through each filter it should be judged differently. For example, does the image have impact, or how can I make the image look more creative by adding stylist touches.

The primary question is - what is the purpose of the image? What am I trying to show or communicate? With the purpose in mind you can then look through each filter to see how you might improve the image. In the following posts tools are introduced to help understand how to make adjustments to an image and accomplish its purpose.

1.) Impact is the sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, wonder or another intense emotion. There can be impact in any of these twelve elements.

2.) Technical excellence is the print quality of the image itself as it is presented for viewing. Retouching, manipulation, sharpness, exposure, printing, mounting, and correct color are some items that speak to the qualities of the physical print.

3.) Creativity is the original, fresh, and external expression of the imagination of the maker by using the medium to convey an idea, message or thought.

4.) Style is defined in a number of ways as it applies to a creative image. It might be defined by a specific genre or simply be recognizable as the characteristics of how a specific artist applies light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the subject matter and the style are appropriate for each other, or it can have a negative effect when they are at odds.

5.) Composition is important to the design of an image, bringing all of the visual elements together in concert to express the purpose of the image. Proper composition holds the viewer in the image and prompts the viewer to look where the creator intends. Effective composition can be pleasing or disturbing, depending on the intent of the image maker.

6.) Presentation affects an image by giving it a finished look. The mats and borders used, either physical or digital, should support and enhance the image, not distract from it.

7.) Color Balance supplies harmony to an image. An image in which the tones work together, effectively supporting the image, can enhance its emotional appeal. Color balance is not always harmonious and can be used to evoke diverse feelings for effect.

8.) Center of Interest is the point or points on the image where the maker wants the viewer to stop as they view the image. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest. Occasionally there will be no specific center of interest, when the entire scene collectively serves as the center of interest.

9.) Lighting—the use and control of light—refers to how dimension, shape and roundness are defined in an image. Whether the light applied to an image is man made or natural, proper use of it should enhance an image.

10.) Subject Matter should always be appropriate to the story being told in an image.

11.) Technique is the approach used to create the image. Printing, lighting, posing, capture, presentation media, and more are part of the technique applied to an image.

12.) Story Telling refers to the image’s ability to evoke imagination. One beautiful thing about art is that each viewer might collect his own message or read her own story in an image.