Illustrated Discussion

Formal Element Illustrated Discussion

The formal elements are not something that ordinary people take into consideration when living every day of their life with ease. Formal elements are something that come more in handy when it comes to photographers and artists who are trying to explain what it is that they're seeing. These formal elements are as follows: line, form, colour, pattern, tone, depth, texture, reflection, movement and shape. Not everybody visualises something in the same way that another individual does, hence why it is important that the formal elements are used in a conversation based around a photograph or a piece of art. They're also present in the visual world and can always be noticed no matter where on earth you are.

Line

This is an image that includes lines discretely. People walking through a forest would never appreciate the lines that a crowd of tress form, and only notice them when captured in a photograph. Personally I feel that lines are one of the most impotant formal elements because they make up practically everything that the human eye can see. Lines can be found in something round, straight, slanted, curved, tall, small, thick, thin, 3D etc. They're important in photography because lines can lead a person's eye to something within a picture.

Form

Form is the three dimensional nature of an object. Most objects that include form create a shadow when the sunlight is beaming down on it, which is one way in which an object is classed as having form, as no 2D object would cause a shadow. Another way in which form is detected in an object is through alterations in shades. This image to the right has different shades of whites and grey's because different amounts of light are focused on the areas it's easier to reach. The areas that don't have light on, are then displayed in a darker tone. This is another factor that demonstrates form in a photograph.





Colour 

Colour, in my opinion, is the main formal element that allows a photograph to exhale a certain feel as soon as someone lays their eyes on it. The brighter the colours, the more positive vibe someone will get from the picture. A photograph lacking in colour or being created with dark colours would be one that emits a negative aura. This idea is not set in stone, however the majority of photographs wanting to provide a positive message will include some form of bright colour. Selective colour in a photograph is also extremely effective because it draws the audience to the focal point of the photograph. This is useful when something with importance in a photograph needs a spotlight.

Pattern

Pattern is the repetition of something of the same style e.g. this picture of cactuses. They're not one hundred percent accurate, but onetheless they still create a pattern when studying this photograph. Patterns can be classed as natural or manmade. Natural pattern being designs in clothing, prints on the coats of animals or the growth of a flower, and manmade pattern being wallpaper, buildings or carpets. Pattern is an essential formal element because it enables a person to talk about a photograph that includes a sequence of objects/prints etc. Pattern is also extremely attractive to the eye and creates detail in nearly every picture.

Tone

Tone is the range of light to dark in part of an image. This is a very important formal element amongst a photograph because when we look at any object or a scene in nature, our eyes scan the entire view. Sensitivity of the human eye towards a level of brightness is so responsive and quick that we can see the detail in the brightest and darkest area of the photograph. In the photograph to the left, the leaves contain different shades of colour and tone. The leaves floating above the water are the subject of this photograph, however they wouldn't be as eyecatching if the colour in the water below them wasn't of a darker tone. This is why tone is an important formal element.

Depth

Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. It can be demonstrated in photography depending on where abouts the picture is being captured from. Depth causes the subject in a picture to look as though it decreases in size as the subject becomes more narrow the further it travels. For example, this photograph to the right looks 3D, and the path also looks as though it gradually becomes smaller and smaller the further it escalates in the distance. Depth allows the human eye to see an area in a photograph the same way in real life.





Texture

Texture photography is one way of drawing the viewer’s attention into the image. It's virtually how an object appears to look or feel .Photographs that use this technique create impact by showing different textures e.g. this picture of a leaf close up. This surface almost looks rough, however we know that most leaves are soft. It's the detail in this leaf that creates a rough impression, but this photograph also looks smooth and 'run your finger across it soft'. Close up photographs are more effective because they allow the audience to see more detail.

Reflection

Reflections can be found in many ways other than just a mirror, but also through a puddle, window, computer creen and water. Reflections are not always accurate. Sometimes they are a precise duplicate of what's being presented infront of a mirror, and sometimes they are distorted when presented above a puddle. These different types of reflections emphasise creativity when it's in a photograph. The image to the right for example is one that teases your brain for a second until you realise that it's actually perfectly normal and not a magic trick in the slightest. Reflection is an important formal element when it comes to a photographer wanting to use their imagination and be extremely creative with a piece.




Movement

The formal element movement is used to portray a photograph that isn't still. An example of this is the picture of horses to the left, all in mid action with their hoofs in the air. It is evident that they're moving because their legs are bent a little off the ground and their manes and tails are drifting away in the wind. Movement in photography can also be shown through a blur in the background which also portrays how a moment was captured mid action. This formal element creates a piece of work that looks more real life and 'in the moment'.

Shape

Shape is a two-dimensional element basic to picture composition and is usually the first means by which a viewer identifies an object within the picture. Even though shape is only two-dimensional, with the proper application of lighting and tonal range, you can bring out form and give your subjects a three-dimensional quality e.g. this photograph to the right. The first thing I notice as a viewer is a circle. This may be a 3D object, but it's the circle that I notice at the very beginning of laying my eyes on this photo, which is the shape behind this picture. Anything in this visual world can be classed as a shape, as long as it has an outline. Therefore, shape is an essential formal element when it comes to everyday life.

All ten formal elements are used for a reason. I applied all of these formal elements to my descriptions of the example photographs; without them I would not have been able to write evaluations/descriptions in such detail. They are an extremely crucial tool when it comes to talking about photographs in photography.