Types of Shape in Photography

When using shape in photography there are many things to think about — and not only the different shapes you learned in elementary school. In photography, shapes can be separated into different categories:

Geometric Shapes Geometric shapes have straight, defined edges. In photography, these types of shapes are most common in man-made items, like photos of architecture.

Organic shapes are full of curves and not perfect. These types of shapes are often found in nature, like the curve of a flower petal, for example. Organic

Organic Shapes

Positive Shape A positive shape is what we think of first when we think of a shape. A positive shape is the shape made by an object when you fill in an outline. Outline Shape The positive shape in this photo is the green leaf.

Negative Shape A negative shape is the area left over — or where there are no objects in the photo. It is the empty shape.

Shapes and Feelings Curvy shapes, like circles and ovals, create a sense of movement. Squares and rectangles and those straight edges and sharp corners, on the other hand, tend to create a feeling of stability. Triangles lead your eye to the tip of the triangle. Zigzag or irregular shapes can create a more tense feeling in a photograph. Shapes can contribute to the feeling of a photo, just like lines.

Move around and experiment!! A shape can look different to you depending where you stand to take the picture.

Practice Finding the Shapes in Photography Humans tend to see things for what they are — not the shape they make. You have to teach yourself to see the shapes.

ASSIGNMENT: LEADING LINES Leading lines are lines in a photo that lead the eye to another area in the photo. If you combine leading lines with a subject, your photo can be very strong. Go for a walk and take many pictures of leading lines, indoors and outdoors. Take your time looking for different angles. Challenge Yourself !!! Come back in, upload to your account and choose 2 to hand in. Title Post: LEADING LINES Answer Question on post: What type of lines do you see in your 2 chosen photos?