ELEMENTS Flashcards
- LINE
strong line has visual impact (swirling road, sand hill).
o HORIZONTAL LINE
orderly and tranquil (cloud, hills, ground). Make sure you use the level or gridlines.
o VERTICAL LINE
power and strength (lighthouse or building). Use gridlines.
o DIAGONAL LINE
dynamic in nature (bridge, river).
o CURVE LINE
soothing and gentle (circular stairs from the top), suitable for dentist office.
o LEADING LINE
eyes follow lines to subject (stadium). Entrance or walkway to the subject.
- SHAPES
add mystery and leave a little imagination (silhouette – dark image and lighter background).
- HUMAN SHAPE
most recognizable. Give context as to a comparison of size/scaling.
- GESTURE
helps us to understand their feeling, thinking and doing.
- PATTERN
repetitive shape (umbrella, building windows).
- PATTERN BREAKER
things that are unique (flower in a field).
- TEXTURE
known quality of feel (fabric, ripple in sand, roughness).
- NEGATIVE SPACE
leave space in the frame.
- COLOR
bring out a different level of emotions. The eyes are drawn to color.
- PRIMARY COLORS
(Red, Green, Blue)
- SECONDARY COLORS
(Yellow, Cyan, Magenta).
- SPOT COLORS
one clear colorful subject surrounded by not so colorful background.
- COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Magenta/Green, Blue/Yellow, Red/Cyan.
- Black and White
when to shoot black and white (Distractions, Graphic Elements, Colorless scenes, cloud, fog, snow, high contrast, light and dark, streetlamps. It adds seriousness and mystery to the story.
