Photography

Basic Photography Lessons, Leading Lines

Leading Lines are lines or objects that make up a line within a scene that is used to direct the attention of the viewer. Use leading lines to draw the viewer's eye through the photograph towards the subject or the area which is the most significant in the scene.

Look for any natural or man-made structure within the scene such as roads, shadows, edges of a cliff, or buildings that can be used to point towards the subject. The lines may start anywhere from outside of the photograph but the most effective leading lines are those that start somewhere in the bottom and flows towards the main subject. The lines may be straight or curved. Straight lines produce a rather aggressive and dynamic effect while curve lines gives the picture a more gentle and calm feel.