Illustrated Discussion

Why Are Formal Elements Important In Photography?

Formal elements are especially important in Photography because photographers need an idea of what they should look for when taking pictures. By having these elements, they know how to make the picture work and achieve the purpose of their photographs.

All 7 elements; lines, blurring, depth, tone, pattern, colour and form play equal, important parts in Photography and they are all needed for several reasons. For example, lines are perfect for leading the viewers' eyes to the main focus in a picture like this one.

The Sun is where the photographer wants us to focus so he/she uses the element of lines to ensure that our eyes are guided there. Colour is also used in this picture as we can clearly see that the whole picture is dark, making the yellow lines and the Sun stand out from the picture. More than one elements can be used in a picture, in fact, the more the better and more successful the picture is. For example, in this picture, depth, form, pattern, lines and colour are all used. This makes the photograph more attractive and helps the photographer achieve what he was trying to.

Overall, formal elements are not only a way of making a picture successful but also a way of analysing and describing a photograph. This makes it extremely easy for photographers to communicate and show what they are trying to achieve from a particular picture.