Welcome to Ms Borgersen's digital art class

​The Elements of Art in Photography

In any media, there are seven basic elements of art. Typically when you think of elements of art other mediums such as painting, charcoal, and pencil drawing fitting, they are just as applicable to photography!

The seven elements, in no particular order, are texture, line, color, shape, form, tone, and space. Additional elements that i believe are important and should be considered are light, perspective and depth of field.
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While most of the tutorials online are about technical things such as sharpness and contrast, there isn’t much information about the artistic side of photography. Using these elements when setting up and framing your shot can really turn your photograph into a work of art.
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  • Shape: A shape is two-dimensional. Yes, a photograph itself is two-dimensional, but a shape in a photograph doesn’t have any appearance of depth. Often, to make a 3D object appear to have no depth, front or back lighting is used. An object that appears to have depth either through lighting or perspective, is not a shape, but a form.

  • Form: Objects that appear to have depth, despite being part of a two-dimensional image, are part of the design elements of form. Forms usually appear to have depth through lighting that creates shadows, or by looking at the object from an angle, rather than straight onto one of the edges.

  • Line: Lines form the edges of shapes, but they also form shapes of their own. Lines can lead the eye in a photograph and serve as a powerful compositional tool.

  • Pattern: When lines, shapes or forms repeat, they create a pattern. Patterns can create a sense of calm, or, when broken, a sense of unease.

  • Texture: Texture creates a sense of depth in a two-dimensional image. Texture in photography can also be accentuated by light.

  • Colour: Colour may not be among the geometrical design elements, but colour is still important. Colour can draw the eye or create a mood.

  • Space – Either negative or positive space can be used to make a statement. Often seen when using the rule of thirds.

  • Light/ Tone -From the word itself, photography is derived from the Greek words photos which means “light” and graphe which means “drawing” so the word literally means “drawing with light” or “painting with light”. Light is one of the most important elements of photography. Additionally Tone is important. Although tone can refer to hues and intensity of color, it also relates to the brightness and darkness of an image

  •  Depth  of Field -Depth of field is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. 

  • Perspective - perspective is the way someone sees it.  Think Vantage Points. Shooting from a different angle like from above or down below gets you a different field of view and perspective

ARt Challenge 1 - Line

​Line – a continuous mark made on a surface. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin. Lines can be used to create a pattern in an image or lines can be used in a composition to help lead our eye to a focal point.Lines unlike points in photography are more like a path for a viewer to follow. Or, they are a boundary: the division between sky and ground, for example.
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Like points, lines in photography are not defined as rigidly as lines in geometry. Photographically, anything that connects two parts of a photo or stretches across your composition is a line. That includes a curved road or a jagged mountain ridge, for example. Even the fuzzy, lightly defined edge of a cloud is usually a line.
Lines also serve an important function of connecting two different elements of your photo. They can give an image structure, which is a crucial part of making an image feel deliberate and intentional. A path leading from foreground to background has a way of making the image feel connected.
Sometimes, lines in a photo are imaginary, but they’re still there. Imagine a portrait of a child looking at a toy truck. The space between the child and truck might be “empty,” but the viewer knows it is important anyway. There’s a line – a connection between the two elements of the photo that makes each one more impactful.

 

Worksheet:

Please find and open the assignment entitled "Worksheet: The Art Element of Line

Photo Assignment 

Using any device that capture photos take a total of 7 images of "Lines"

2 of  straight lines
2  of curved lines
3 are Directional/ leading Lines

These image do not have to be masterpieces but they should 
 - Fill the frame




Please upload your images to the Assignment in google classroom
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Just to be clear, these photos do not have to be masterpieces and do not have be edited in any way.  Just snap the photo and upload them. 



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Shape




There are many elements of composition that form the building blocks of photography: lines, shape, form, texture, pattern, and the rule of thirds, just to name a few. Each of these elements plays a role in drawing the viewer’s eye into the photo. Here, Mark Wallace focuses on three basic building blocks—line, shape, and form—to really give your photos an depth:


SHAPE
This can be any closed shape. The shape is the most basic form of describing an object or a subject. This is a 2D representation of a 3D object… sort of. If you get your pen, draw a triangle or a ball on a paper, we can say that these two are triangular and circular SHAPES. These have no 3D effect and no depth to them. That’s why we call them shapes. Shape which is defined as a solid, flattish enclosed object, is being presented as sort of form, and even space.  I think in Fine Art ie painting, drawing etc Defining and seeing shapes is a lot more clear. a shape is a shape and a form is a form and a line a line. But  When it comes to photography Photographing a strict Fine art defined"Shape" is hard and  not exactly useful.  That's why I want us to expand our thinking.  When we're taking about shape in term of photography we need to think of it more as "Blocking" .  ​

Types of Shapes
​   1. Geometric shapes:
  • Are circles, rectangles, squares, triangles and so on - have the clear edges one achieves when using tools to create them. 
  • Most geometric shapes are made by humans, though crystals are also considered to be geometric despite the fact that they are made in nature. 
   2. Organic shapes:
  • Are shapes with a natural look and a flowing and curving appearance. 
  • Organic shapes and forms are typically irregular or asymmetrical.  
  • Organic shapes are associated with things from the natural world, like plants and animals.



Line, shape, and form are three building blocks to add depth and interest to your photos. How do you use them in your photography?

Photo Assignment 

​just like with the line assignment you are going to take 7 photos that show SHAPE/ blocked in 


2 should be examples of circles
2 should be examples triangle
3 should be Free form/ organic shapes

Texture and pattern

Texture
The texture of an object plays an important role in determining its emotional impact, as well as the amount of attention it draws. What mood do you capture when you photograph smooth pebbles and mist from a long exposure of the sea? What about jagged, rough mountains in high-contrast light?

Texture is by definition the visible surface quality of something. It can be seen and sometimes felt in a work of art.

​Sometimes, textures themselves may be the subject of your photo, like patterns in the sand or waves of water. More often, though, textures are individual elements of a larger photo – either giving your subject some dimension or filling in the spaces between subjects.

Areas with more texture tend to draw extra attention. Sometimes, too much texture in “unimportant” areas of a photo can be distracting, making the overall photo appear too complex. In other cases, texture gives your subject a crucial sense of dimension, such as filling out the shape of a mountain landscape.


Patterns
In photography, patterns are everywhere. This isn’t just something small like a texture that repeats itself throughout the photo, but really in any repeating element at all. Even the reflection of a mountain in a pool of water is a pattern – one which should not be underestimated, since it ties the photo together.

The Visual Element of Pattern is constructed by repeating or echoing the elements. .

Patterns are arguably more obvious in manmade scenes, like architectural photography. But even natural scenes and living creatures have patterns, like feathers on a bird or waves crossing in the sea.

Not every photograph you take will have an obvious pattern, and that’s not a problem. But when you do see some sort of repetition or interconnectedness in the world, take note. It could make for a very strong photo indeed.


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Pattern examples

Pattern and Texture Photo Challenge Assignment

Photo assignment

5 Pattern Photos
A pattern is a repeated design. We are instinctively drawn to patterns, as they help us extract order from the chaos in the world around us. As a general rule, we love patterns so much that our brains create patterns where there are none at all.  Your assignment is to find patterns and repetition around you in your home. Use them in your images to create 5 compelling Photos.  Look Around! Pattern and repetition are everywhere. While you are at home this week search for repetition and pattern in shapes, forms, lines, areas of contrast, or colors. 
  • take 3 images that Emphasize Patterns. Fill the entire image with repeating elements or patterns to create visual impact—from corner to corner, edge to edge. If the pattern or repeating visual elements are dominated by lines, try rotating the camera and viewfinder so that the lines create diagonals instead of a vertical or horizontal orientation.
  • Take 2 where you Use Perspective with your pattern. Photograph repeating elements diminishing into the distance. This can be every bit as effective as leading lines or power shapes in creating visual movement that helps move the viewer’s eye up and through the image in a dynamic way.

Pattern Examples

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5 Texture Photos
A texture is the visible look of how something feels.  Textures are all around us. ​ This challenge asks  you to look closely at the world around you and capture the finer details. It might be the texture of a rock, or the veins in a leaf.
  • take 3 images that zooms in the texture. . Fill the entire image with texture to create visual impact—from corner to corner, edge to edge. Think Abstractly, the image does not need to identify what / the subject of the photo but rather its texture.  
  • Take 2 contrasting texture .  ​ One way to use contrast is within the texture itself. The key point is that contrast enhances the detail in texture and makes it stand out. Consequently, one of the tricks to creating interesting photography is to start off with objects that have good contrast. 

Texture Examples

Supporting worksheets/ intro assignments 

  1. Intro Questions (to be completed together on 9/24)
  2. Peer Review (TAG Style) link will be on google classroom for Tuesday)
  3. EdpuzzEdpuzzle (independently completed) to accompany and give you hints for  photo taking

Space and Depth of Field: Art Element Photo challenge 

​What is space?


Space is another element that gives depth to your image. All images should have some kind of foreground, , and a background. This in essence is space.  
This element of art can be manipulated based on how an artist places lines, shapes, forms, and color. The placement of objects in the foreground and background creates space and coinsicuently depth.  Space can be either positive or negative. Positive space is an area occupied by an object or form in the foreground, while negative space is an area that runs between, through, around the background.

Positive space is any part of the photo that jumps out from its surroundings. That includes your subject, for example, along with other noteworthy areas of detail.

Negative space is just the opposite — parts of an image that don’t attract as much attention, surrounding the positive space and giving it a buffer and fading away creating a background.

What is depth of field?

Depth of field is the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Now your camera can only focus sharply at one point. Depth of field is the area of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject which the lens is focused. Put simply, it refers to how blurry or sharp the area is around your subject.

A shallow depth of field refers to a small area in focus. Often the subject is in focus, while the background is blurred. This is best for portraits, and one way to adjust this is with aperture.

A deep depth of field captures a larger area in focus, often keeping everything in the image sharp and clear. This is best for landscapes by using a large aperture.

There are multiple ways to adjust depth of field, including aperture, the distance between the camera and the subject, the focal length of the lens, and even the size of the camera’s sensor. 

​using depth of field the right way is very powerful. It can radically transform good photos into images that win hearts and minds. When you are shooting, Depth of Field can play a large factor in how your image will be rendered and can change the meaning and intention of the image. You can choose to selectively isolate a subject from its background by having a narrow Depth of Field or alternatively you can make sure that everything from the foreground to infinity will be in focus, insuring you have a sharp image throughout your image. 

Depth of field is important for a variety of reasons
  1. it focuses your viewer attention.  By having your subject in focus and the rest in the distance getting more blurry helps your views keep their attention on your in focus subject
  2. it helps convey Depth or space.  

pos/neg Space Element assignment 

This photo assignment deals with negative space. Sometimes its not what we include in the photograph, rather what we leave out. Having a great amount of negative space really brings out the subject of the photograph. The placement of your subject or subjects is incredibly important when it comes to creating powerful iPhone photo compositions, but just as important is everything around and between them the negative space.

Take 5 Photos with clear positive and negative space. 
  • All of the positive space should be off centered.
  • at least two pictures should have depth.  Consider taking some forced perspective or worm's eye view perspective outside pics.  

Depth of field assignment 

To explore the world of depth of field we are going to pick three subjects, maybe a candle, or pumpkin or a glass and photograph  them in a large room or outside .  We will be photographing them from a  "Worms eye view".  We will be taking three sets of photos. Each set you will take a shallow depth of field (a blurry background) and a long depth depth of field.  (Everything in focus)
  • Take three sets of photos exploring the same picture using a shallow depth of field (a blurry background) and a long depth depth of field.  (Everything in focus)
  • pick three different subjects
  • take photos in a area with alot of room
  • take each photo down low from a "Worms eye View"

Art Element: color

Colors

As photographers, we have a lot of tools available to us: compositional rules, lighting knowledge, the exposure triangle, and so on. Color is just another one of those tools. Color is defined in the dictionary as an aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation”. It enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects and make your preferred subject pop out. It also has a major role in setting the mood in an image. Different colors can set a different mood. 

Color has three main characteristics:
  • Hue is a name we give colors on the color wheel (red, yellow, green, blue, and so on). It’s basically the technical definition of color perception. Hues have a natural value where they look the purest and some colors, like yellow, are naturally light. While other colors, like violet, are darker. All hues can be made in all values. Adding white paint will make any pigment lighter creating a tint. Adding black paint will make most pigments darker creating a shade.
  • Value is the light and dark property of a color.
  • Saturation (also known as purity)  is the level of grayness present. The less saturated, the more gray a color appears.
Primary colors are the only true colors (red, blue, and yellow). All other colors are mixes of primary colors. •Secondary colors are two primary colors mixed together (green, orange, violet). •Intermediate colors, sometimes called tertiary colors, are made by mixing a primary and secondary color together. 

Warm and Cool Colors or Analogous Colors
Color can be  classified either as warm or cool.
  • Yellow, red, and orange are warm colors, and they set up a lively, vibrant, or energetic mood to the scene. There is a reason why a lot of people love photographs of sunsets or sunrise. The warm glow gives out a happy, lively, and romantic mood.
  • Cool colors, on the other hand, suggest a feeling of calmness, coldness, and sometimes even sadness. Blue, grey, and green colors fall into this category.
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Color Contrast or Complementary Colors
Using color and basic knowledge of the color wheel can help create color contrast. Color contrast is the use of opposite colors in the same photography.  Using complementary colors (colors that are opposite) to help highlight and focus a subject.  

Warm and cool Photography

​Warm colors are more active and emotionally charged. They jump out at the viewer, attracting attention and drawing interest. In general, warm colors are rarer than cool colors, so an image which has even a small splash of warmth can stand out. This is one reason why photos at sunset and sunrise, as well as fall colors, are as popular as they are.
​Warm colors include red, orange, and yellow, while cool colors include green, blue, and violet. The two categories of color have their own moods, and it helps to ask yourself which ones you’re photographing at a given time if you want to optimize how your photos look. Warm colors are more active and emotionally charged. They jump out at the viewer, attracting attention and drawing interest.

Assignment 
Take 6 overall images that demonstrate a Warm color palleted

one image should uses depth of field
one image should be emotionally charged by the colors ie happy, angry etc
one image should be vibrant
one image should highlight RED
One image should highlight Yellow
one image should highlight orange
Cool colors, on the other hand, are more subdued and gentle. They fade into the background, particularly if a warm color appears in the same spot. In general, they don’t attract the same degree of attention as a warm color, though that certainly isn’t a bad thing. Warm colors can be overpowering; cool colors are more likely to appear soothing and calm. ​
Assignment 

Take 6 overall images that demonstrate a cool color palleted

one image should demonstrate a Calm feeling
one image should demonstrate a Lonely or Solemn feeling
one image should be low vibrant and saturated
one image should highlight Blue
One image should highlight Green
one image should highlight Purple