The principles of design can help a photograph come together to form a successful image. In this article, we’ll look at how to use the seven principles of art and design.
These principles of design will help you create better compositions and more interesting images.
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What Are the Seven Principles of Art and Design?
The seven principles of art and design are balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, and movement.
The elements of art and design are line, shape/form, space, value, color, and texture.
The elements of art and design are the tools of visual artists. The principles of art and design represent how an artist uses these tools to create visual art.
By applying the seven principles of art and design, photographers can create an image based on art theory.
Let’s take a closer look at each principle.
7. Balance
Balance is used to illustrate the visual weight of an image. It can either unite a photograph or create division. A carefully balanced image lends a sense of stability to a photograph. An unbalanced image creates disunity or unrest.
Both applications are okay, depending on the desired outcome.
You can achieve balance in three ways:
- Symmetry—both sides of an image reflect the same subject matter, like a mirror image.
- Asymmetry—contrasting elements balance the image. For example, a textured surface on one side of an image with a smooth, matte surface on the other.
- Radial balance symmetry—elements spaced equally around a central point. (Like spokes on a bicycle wheel.)
Balance is sensual in that it “feels” wrong or right. If you’re looking to emphasize balance in an image, try moving your camera to achieve different perspectives.
You can also try photographing different fields of texture and color. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little.
6. Rhythm
In many ways, composition in music is very similar to composition in photography. The photographic concept of rhythm borrows heavily from music theory.
Just like a musician reading the notes on a sheet of music, subjects in a space regulate the way we view a photograph.
The rhythm dictates the recurring or organized (or disorganized) distribution of visual elements in an image.
To introduce a sense of rhythm to your photography, try visualizing musical notation.
The spaces, correlations, and differences between subjects in a photograph like this one reflect notes on a sheet of music.
5. Pattern
The pattern makes sense of the visual world through regularity. From man-made objects to organic material and abstraction.
Elements of design can be organized in a predictable manner to form a pattern. Put simply, patterns are repetitions of the elements of art and design. These work in unison within a single frame.
The human eye is calibrated to seek out patterns. This can evoke surprising emotional reactions from a viewer.
Patterns are an active principle of art and design, they lift an image off the page. Incorporating pattern into your photography is as much about exploring as it is about photographic technique.
Try looking out for architectural and urban features or organic subjects like flowers. Once you start looking, you will be amazed by the abundance of patterns around you.
4. Emphasis
Emphasis shapes the center of interest in an image. Color, space, texture, and line work together to determine the focus of an image.
There are many ways to create emphasis in a photograph. Spatial emphasis involves the orientation of a subject within the photographic frame.
A lone subject located in the center of an image will attract attention. It is the most readily available component of the photograph.
For a photograph with a number of subjects, selective grouping guides the viewer’s eye to particular focal points.
The size of a subject also dictates the way the viewer will “read” a photograph. A larger subject suggests a closeness to the surface of the photograph. It commands greater attention than that of a smaller subject in the background.
Incorporating size tells a story about the physicality of the subjects, adding depth and perspective.
Color is another tool that can cultivate emphasis. A brightly colored subject within a dark scene gives a sense of vibrancy and life to an image. It draws the viewer’s eye.
3. Contrast
Contrast is created when two or more opposing elements are present in a photograph. Light against dark, warm against cool.
But contrast includes physical elements too. Texture is another way to utilize the principle of contrast in photography. Including two or more textures in a photograph not only introduces tactility but also creates a sense of place.
A round water droplet resting on the fuzzy tendrils of a plant is an example of a textually contrasting subject matter.
Contrasting subject matter brings the narrative to a photograph. You can also try juxtaposing attributes like sharpness and softness, old and new, or curved and straight.
2. Unity
Unity describes the visual relationship between elements in a photograph. It helps create a cohesive image.
Using similar colors or tones, concepts or elements cultivates a sense of unity.
Disunity is the opposite. Bad cropping, awkward perspectives, or over and underexposure disrupt an image and can cause disunity.
Another aspect that underlies a unified image is the clear idea of a photographic outcome. A photographic outcome, or goal, is the idealized mental image of a photograph before it’s taken.
By pre-visualizing an outcome, a photographer can develop a clearer idea of the purpose of a photograph. This, in turn, allows a photographer to take greater control of the image.
1. Movement
The term movement in photography often describes the relationship between the camera’s shutter speed and a subject. When it comes to art and design, movement refers to the path the viewer’s eye takes while reading a photograph.
Movement is shaped by the elements and principles of art and design. A photographer can take control of the way a viewer absorbs a photograph. For example, the use of line in photography creates “visual highways” that guide a viewer’s eye.
Jagged lines create excitement, shifting the viewer’s gaze from one point to the next. Curved lines are more subtle. These reduce the speed at which a photograph is viewed.
Understanding the nature and psychology of human sight is an important part of controlling movement. For example, the human eye is more sensitive to certain colors than others.
Red grabs attention. Soft blues are gentler and more subtle. Movement can be directed through the selective use of color and saturation.
There are a lot of different ways to guide the viewer’s eye through a photograph. Movement studies the nature of the eye as well as the psychology behind how we absorb visual information.
Conclusion
The seven principles of design in photography—balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, and movement—form the foundation of visual arts.
Using the seven principles allows you to take greater control of your photographic practice. This will lead to better photos and more photographic opportunities.
