Talking About Composition: Elements of Art in Photography

Vocabulary flashcards covering the elements of art, space composition rules, and artistic examples from Part III of the lecture on photographic composition.

Composition

The arrangement of elements within the frame of a photo, including the background, the subject or subject matter, and the specific arrangement techniques used.

Elements of Art

The stylistic features found within an art piece or observed in nature, consisting of line, shape, texture, form, space, color, and value.

Line

An element of art that guides and moves the viewer's eye from one part of the frame to another.

Leading Lines

A composition concept in which lines naturally draw the viewer's eyes toward or away from the subject, creating depth, perspective, and visual focus.

Space

An element of art defined by the addition and manipulation of visual space within the frame.

Rule of Space

A composition rule pairing an interesting subject (often arranged using the Rule of Thirds) with surrounding space to produce a sense of motion, activity, or conclusion.

Active Space

The designated area directly in front of the subject where action or activity takes place.

Open Space

The empty visual space positioned directly in front of the subject.

Dead Space

Space containing nothing that distracts the viewer from the subject or active space, used to provide balance, variety, or equal space in a composition.

Form

An element of art created when light and shape collide to give an object three-dimensional depth.

Shape

An element of art that describes a flat, enclosed two-dimensional area.

Texture

An element of art found in the surface details of a subject that enables the viewer to perceive the way the subject might feel.

Color

An element of art characterized by warm and cool hues as well as high or low contrast, which can itself serve as the primary subject of a photograph.

Value

An element of art that describes the lightness or darkness of an area, commonly measured on a grayscale but also present within color.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The photographer credited for the 1932 photograph 'Allee du Prado, Marseille,' which demonstrates the use of leading lines to create perspective and depth.

JEKS

A Greensboro, North Carolina-based artist who painted a featured mural in collaboration with Wish ATL, the ABV Agency, and the Outerspace Project.