Introduction

Many notable photographs result from capturing an arrangement of lines. In this section we will focus on ways to mix straight and curved lines for better pictures.

Each photograph we take contains any number of straight and curved lines. The challenge for the photographer is to combine them in the strongest possible arrangement. Less is often more in photography. A few strong lines can yield a more powerful image than a complex arrangement.

This image of the Colorado River has only two dominant lines: a curved line (the river) and a straight line (the horizon). The course of the river leads the viewer’s eye along its curved path from the rock in the foreground to the straight skyline in the background. The dominant line of the river creates a sense of motion in the photograph.

Colorado River (Arizona, US)

In this picture, a curved line of shadow leads the viewer slowly through the lupines until the eye is stopped by the straight horizontal line near the top of the image. The straight line at the base of the trees anchors the curved line of shadow. The result is a suggestion of stability and unhurried travel.

Lupines (Oregon, US)

Lines are not always as obvious as the river or the skyline in the first picture we looked at. In fact, the curved line in this photograph is not an object, but is created by the shadow of the canyon. It starts at the right edge of the picture, moves across the frame and then up to the horizon. In this case, the shape and intensity of the line will change with the movement of the sun, and the time of day the photograph is taken will affect its composition.

Bryce Canyon (Utah, US)

Conclusion

Great pictures can result from identifying and using curved and straight lines, including those created by light and shadow. When mixing curved and straight lines it is better to use as few lines as possible and to have curved lines anchored by a straight line.